Ist. Petersburg—“Ifasitela” LeRussia “Lokulunguza IYurophu”

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ERUSSIA

“Angive ngikuthanda wena, msebenzi wezandla zikaPeter!/Ngikhangwa yisithunzi nokuhleleka kwezakhiwo zakho;/Ukugeleza buthule nangesizotha kweNeva/Phakathi kwamabophela-mkhumbi ayo amatshe egwadle.”—U-ALEKSANDR SERGEYEVICH PUSHKIN.

INKONDLO yodumo kaPushkin ngeSt. Petersburg, ecashunwe ingxenye lapha, isisiza ukuba sazi ukuthi leli dolobha liqanjwe ngobani nokuthi likuphi nendawo enyakatho ekude, lapho uMfula iNeva ungena khona oLwandle iBaltic. Ungase uzibuze, ‘Kodwa kwenzeka kanjani ukuba leli dolobha elikhulu emhlabeni libe sendaweni eyixhaphozi esenyakatho?’

Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-17 leminyaka, ukukhula kweRussia kwakukhinyabezwa ukuntula kwayo indlela yokungena olwandle. Iphupho lombusi osemusha waseRussia, uPeter Omkhulu, kwakuwukusungulela iRussia indlela yokungena olwandle eyayizoba “ifasitela lokulunguza iYurophu.” Ngaseningizimu, kwakungelula ukungena oLwandle Olumnyama ngoba kwakuvimbe uMbuso WaseTurkey. Ngakho uPeter waphendukela enyakatho ezweni elisemngceleni woLwandle iBaltic elaliphethwe umbuso waseSweden.

Ukuze iphupho lakhe lifezeke, uPeter wacela izwe laseSweden inselele ngo-August 1700. Nakuba amabutho akhe aqale angaphumelela, akazange ahlanze ngedela. Ngo-November 1702, uPeter wayesephoqe izwe laseSweden ukuba lihlehle eLake Ladoga. Leli chibi elikhulu kunawo wonke eYurophu lixhumene noLwandle iBaltic ngoMfula iNeva, liqhele cishe ngamakhilomitha angu-60. AbaseSweden balwa bekhosele enqabeni esesiqhingini esincane esiseduze kwalapho iNeva yayigeleza khona isuka kuleli chibi. UPeter wakwazi ukuyiqhwaga ezandleni zabaseSweden le nqaba esesiqhingini wayiqamba kabusha ngokuthi iShlissel’burg.

Kamuva abaseSweden balwa naye besenqabeni okuthiwa yiNienshants, eduze kwalapho iNeva igeleza ingene khona eBaltic. Ngo-May 1703 isikaniso sabaseSweden esasilapho sanqotshwa. Lokhu kunqoba kwanika abaseRussia amandla okulawula yonke indawo eyisizalo salo mfula. Ngaphandle kokupholisa amaseko, uPeter waqala ukwakha inqaba esiQhingini saseZayachy esibudebuduze ukuze avikele isizalo somfula iNeva. Ngakho, ngo-May 16, 1703, okuyiminyaka engaba ngu-300 kuze kube manje, uPeter Omkhulu waphendula isoyi lalokho namuhla okwaziwa ngokuthi iPeter-Paul Fortress. Lolu usuku okuvunyelwana ngalo njengosuku lokusungulwa kweSt. Petersburg, eyaqanjwa ngosanta okwakukholelwa ukuthi nguye ovikela lo mbusi, umphostoli uPetru.

Ukwakhiwa Kwenhloko-dolobha

Ngokungafani nezinhloko-dolobha eziningi, iSt. Petersburg zisuka nje yaklanywa futhi yakhiwa yaba inhloko-dolobha enkulu. Naphezu kokuba kwayo senyakatho ekude—ingu-60^o enyakatho nenkabazwe—uPeter waphokophela phambili nomsebenzi wokwakha. Izingodo zazilandwa endaweni engaseLake Ladoga naseNovgorod. Enye indlela uPeter athola ngayo amatshe okwakha kwaba ukumisa umthetho wentela. Noma ngubani waseRussia owayengena nempahla eSt. Petersburg kwakumelwe eze nanenani elithile lamatshe. UPeter wabuye futhi wenqabela ngokomthetho ukwakhiwa kwezindlu zamatshe, kwaqala eMoscow, kamuva kwaba kuwo wonke umbuso wakhe. Ngenxa yalokho omeselane abase bephelelwe umsebenzi beza eSt. Petersburg.

Ukwakhiwa kwaleli dolobha kwaqhubeka ngesivinini i-Great Soviet Encyclopedia esichaza ngokuthi “isivinini esasiyivelakancane ngaleso sikhathi.” Kwaqhibuka masinyane izitamukoko, imibhobho yensimbi yokwakha izisekelo, imigwaqo, izakhiwo, amasonto, izibhedlela namahhovisi kahulumeni. Ngonyaka leli dolobha elasungulwa ngawo, kwaqala umsebenzi wokwakha igceke lemikhumbi, elaziwa ngokuthi i-Admiralty, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi elaba yindlunkulu yemikhumbi yaseRussia.

Ngo-1710 kwaqala umsebenzi wokwakha iHlalankosi Lasehlobo, umuzi amakhosi ayehlala kuwo ehlobo. Ngo-1712, inhloko-dolobha yaseRussia namahhovisi ayo amaningi kahulumeni yasuka eMoscow yathuthela eSt. Petersburg. Ihlalankosi lamatshe lokuqala kuleli dolobha, elisekhona namanje, laqedwa ngo-1714. Lakhelwa umbusi waleli dolobha wokuqala u-Aleksandr Menshikov. Ngawo lowo nyaka, kwaqala nomsebenzi wokwakha isonto i-Peter-Paul Cathedral ngaphakathi kwenqaba eyayiqanjwe ngalo leli gama. Uphahla lwalo olungumbhoshongo luwuphawu lwaleli dolobha. Kwabe sekwakhiwa neHlalankosi Lasebusika ngaseMfuleni iNeva, futhi lavuselelwa kaningana. Kamuva kwakhiwa iHlalankosi Lasebusika elisekhona namanje elinamakamelo angu-1 100. Leli hlalankosi elikhulu kangaka seliyinkaba yedolobha futhi yilapho kukhona khona iHermitage yodumo, umnyuziyamu woMbuso.

Ishumi lokuqala leminyaka leSt. Petersburg laphawulwa ukukhula okushesha ngendlela edidayo. Kuthiwa kwase kunezakhiwo ezingu-34 500 kuleli dolobha ngo-1714! Ukwakhiwa kwamahlalankosi nezinye izakhiwo ezinkulu kwakulokhu kuqhubeka. Ithonya elikhulu lenkolo emlandweni weRussia libonakala ezakhiweni eziningi ezikuleli dolobha.

Ngokwesibonelo, kunesonto iKazan Cathedral, elimpheme walo ongaphambili omise okwendilinga engaphelele. Isithunzi salo njengoba ulibuka lisemgwaqweni omkhulu kakhulu waleli dolobha, iNevsky Prospekt, saba nomthelela ekufakweni kwalo mgwaqo phakathi kwemigwaqo emikhulu kakhulu emhlabeni. Kamuva, kwaqala umsebenzi wokwakha isonto iSt. Isaac’s Cathedral. Kwagxunyekwa imibhobho yensimbi engu-24 000 ngaphansi kwale ndawo eyixhaphozi ukuze isekele lesi sakhiwo, futhi kwasetshenziswa amakhilogremu ayikhulu egolide elihlanzekile ekunamekeni ingungu enkulu esophahleni lwayo.

Ukwakha emaphethelweni eSt. Petersburg nakho kwaqhubeka ngendlela ephawulekayo. Umsebenzi wokwakha iHlalankosi Elikhulu, umuzi kaPeter, waqala ngo-1714 ePeterhof, manje okuthiwa iPetrodvorets. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, umkaPeter wakhelwa isigodlo sakwanokusho esaziwa ngokuthi yiSigodlo SikaCatherine edolobheni eliseduze laseTsarskoe Selo, manje elibizwa ngokuthi iPushkin. Engxenyeni yokugcina yalo lelo khulu leminyaka, kwakhiwa amahlalankosi amabili amakhulu emadolobheni amabili asemaphethelweni aseningizimu, iPavlosk neGatchina.

Ubuhle baleli dolobha elalisanda kwakhiwa banezelwa kakhulu amakhulu ngamakhulu amabhuloho akhiwa phezu kwemisele yalo eminingi esemfuleni. Ngenxa yalokho, iSt. Petersburg ivame ukubizwa ngokuthi ‘iVenice Yasenyakatho.’ Abadwebi bamapulani baseFrance, eJalimane nase-Italy basebenza kanye nozakwabo baseRussia abanekhono ukuze baveze lokho i-Encyclopædia Britannica ekubiza ngokuthi “elinye lamadolobha amahle kakhulu futhi anezakhiwo ezihlelwe ngononina eYurophu.”

Ukukhuthazela Naphezu Kobunzima

Izitha zikaPeter zazingazi ukuthi abaseRussia babezonamathela isimbelambela kuleli fasitela labo lokulunguza iYurophu. Incwadi ethi Peter the Great—His Life and World iyachaza: “Kusukela osukwini uPeter Omkhulu abeka ngalo unyawo lwakhe esizalweni seNeva, izwe nedolobha elakhiwa lapho akuzange kuphume ezandleni zabaseRussia.”

Ngempela, njengoba le ncwadi ecashunwe ngenhla isho, “kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka, akekho kubanqobi abangena kamuva eRussia nakuba babenamabutho amakhulu—njengoCharles XII, uNapoleon, uHitler—owakwazi ukuqhwaga itheku likaPeter eliseBaltic, yize amabutho amaNazi alivimbezela leli dolobha izinsuku ezingu-900 ngeMpi Yezwe II.” Phakathi nalokho kuvinjezelwa okwathatha isikhathi eside, kwafa abantu abangaba yisigidi kuleli dolobha. Abaningi babulawa amakhaza nendlala ebusika buka-1941/42, lapho amazinga okushisa ehla eba ngu-40 ngaphansi kwezingaqhwa. Leli yizinga ama-Celsius nama-Fahrenheit afanayo kulo.

Ngo-1914, lapho kuqala iMpi Yezwe I, igama laleli dolobha lashintshwa kwathiwa yiPetrograd. Khona-ke, lapho umongameli wokuqala weSoviet Union, uVladimir Lenin, efa ngo-1924, igama lalo lashintsha kwathiwa yiLeningrad. Ekugcineni, ngo-1991, ngemva kokuwa kweSoviet Union, kwabuyiselwa igama lokuqala laleli dolobha, kwathiwa yiSt. Petersburg.

Iqhaza Lalo Emhlabeni

Ngo-1724, unyaka ngaphambi kokufa kukaPeter eneminyaka engu-52, kwasungulwa ngomyalo wakhe iSikhungo Sezesayensi SaseRussia, kwathi ngo-1757, kwasungulwa iSikhungo Sezobuciko edolobheni. Abadwebi bekhulu le-19 baseRussia oKarl Bryullov no-IIya Repin bafunda lapho futhi bazuza udumo emhlabeni wonke.

Ngo-1819 kwasungulwa iSt. Petersburg State University, futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kwaba nezinye izikhungo eziningi zemfundo ephakeme. Ekupheleni kwekhulu le-19, isazi sokwakheka komzimba esingumRussia, u-Ivan Pavlov, esazuza uMklomelo KaNobel, esabe siyisakhamuzi saseSt. Petersburg, saqhamuka nemfundiso yokuthi kunezinzwa ezivuswa ukuhlobanisa kwengqondo izinto ezake zenzeka. Futhi yilapha lapho umthaki wemithi uDmitry Mendeleyev waseRussia aqamba khona ishadi lezakhi zemvelo, noma, ishadi likaMendeleyev, njengoba laziwa kanjalo eRussia.

Impucuko yaleli dolobha nayo yakhanga amehlo omhlaba wonke. Ngo-1738 kwasungulwa isikhungo somdanso, esagcina saziwa emhlabeni wonke ngokuthi iMariinsky Ballet. Kungakabiphi leli dolobha lase lihlotshiswe ngamahholo amaningi omdanso namakhonsathi nawemidlalo yaseshashalazini. Abaqambi bomculo abadumile nabo babehlala eSt. Petersburg, kuhlanganise noPyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky. Waziwa ngomculo ongasoze wabuna njengezingoma ezindala zomdanso we-ballet i-Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, nethi The Nutcracker kanye nengoma yakhe edumile ethi 1812 Overture.

ESt. Petersburg kwaphuma nenqwaba yezimbongi ezaziwayo zaseRussia nabalobi bezincwadi abahlala lapha. U-Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin osemncane waziwa ngabaningi ngokuthi “imbongi” yaseRussia “enkulu kunazo zonke nomsunguli wezezincwadi zanamuhla zaseRussia.” UPushkin waba nguShakespeare waseRussia, njengoba izincwadi zakhe kuhlanganise nenkondlo yakhe ahaya kuyo idolobha alenza ikhaya lakhe ecashunwe ekuqaleni, ziye zahunyushelwa kuzo zonke izilimi ezinkulu. Ngaphezu kwalaba, kunoDostoyevski, lowo i-Encyclopædia Britannica ethi “ngokuvamile ubhekwa njengomunye wabalobi bezincwadi eziqanjiwe abangamaciko kunabo bonke abake baphila.”

Ngakho kungashiwo kugcwale umlomo ukuthi ibhazo labuya nenhlanhlula enkulu ngokuphindwe kaningi kunoma yini iSt. Petersburg eyayithola eYurophu lapho isafufusa. Ngokuhamba kweminyaka, izakhamizi zayo ziye zayibeka induku empucukweni yomhlaba.

Isikhathi Sokuzindla

Phakathi nesonto lika-May 24 kuya ku-June 1, kweza izivakashi ezingamakhulu ezinkulungwane zizohlanganyela ekugubheni unyaka wama-300 wokuba khona kwedolobha laseSt. Petersburg. Njengoba zijabulela imiphumela yomsebenzi omkhulu wokulungiselela lo mcimbi, eziningi zacabanga ngobuhle baleli dolobha nomlando walo ophawulekayo.

Singakusho futhi ukuthi, esontweni elandulela lelo, kwakufike izindimbane zabantu eSt. Petersburg zizothamela ukunikezelwa kwezakhiwo ezandisiwe zegatsha loFakazi BakaJehova eRussia, elikwelinye lamadolobhana asemaphethelweni ayo. Kwathi ngakusasa, abangu-9 817 babuthana eKirov Stadium eSt. Petersburg bezozwa ukubukezwa kwesimiso sokunikezelwa kwezakhiwo kanye nemibiko ekhuthazayo ngomsebenzi woFakazi BakaJehova emazweni amaningi.

Ubuka Uze Udele

Ngokuvamile izivakashi eziza eSt. Petersburg ziba nomuzwa wokuthi kunezinto eziningi kakhulu ongazibona kangangokuba ziye zingazi ukuthi kumelwe ziqalephi. Kuba utalatiya olufanayo nalapho zivakashele iHermitage. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi uma umuntu ebengachitha umzuzu owodwa ebuka into ngayinye esemakhulwini amakamelo okubukisa, bekuyomthatha iminyaka ukuziqeda zonke.

Abanye bacabanga ukuthi inoni leSt. Petersburg, umdanso we-ballet. Ngokwesibonelo, eMariinsky Theater yodumo, umuntu angahlala ngaphansi kwezibani ezihlotshisiwe zekristalu ezungezwe yizindonga ezingokoqobo nezindonga-mbumbulu ingaphakathi lazo elixhopha amehlo, ezinamekwe ngegolide elicishe libe ngamakhilogremu angu-400. Ukule ndawo, ungabona eminye yemidanso okungenzeka ukuthi idla ubhedu emhlabeni wonke.

Ukuhamba nje ngezinyawo kuleli dolobha elinezakhamizi ezingaba yizigidi ezinhlanu kungakuvuza ngokukubonisa izakhiwo ezinkulu ezinhle ezingaseMfuleni iNeva. Ungazisikela kwelinonile empucukweni yaleli dolobha ngokuhamba nje ngesitimela sakuleli dolobha esihamba ngaphansi komhlaba, komunye wojantshi abajule kakhulu emhlabeni. Bangaphezu kwezigidi ezimbili ngosuku abantu abahamba ngesitimela, esihlanganisa iziteshi ezingaphezu kuka-50 ebangeni elingaba amakhilomitha angu-98. Ezinye zalezi ziteshi ziphakathi kwezinhle kakhulu ongasoze wazithola nomaphi emhlabeni. Ngo-1955, unyaka wokuvulwa kwalo jantshi, i-New York Times yabiza lezi ziteshi ngokuthi “uxhaxha lwekhulu lamashumi amabili lwamahlalankosi angaphansi komhlaba.”

Ngempela, uyobe uyimpumputhe uma ungasoze wahlatshwa umxhwele yiSt. Petersburg—umklamo wayo owumbukwane nentuthuko yayo, kanye nefa elingapheli lobuhle bayo, ubuciko, impucuko, imfundo nomculo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi izivakashi zisuke zibabeleni, cishe ziyavumelana nencwadi okubhekiselwe kuyo ebiza iSt. Petersburg ngokuthi ‘elinye lamadolobha amahle kakhulu eYurophu.’

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

UPeter Omkhulu, umsunguli waleli dolobha

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

IPeter-Paul Fortress kanye nendlu yayo yesonto enkulu, lapho zabekwa khona izisekelo zeSt. Petersburg

[Izithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

IHlalankosi Lasebusika eMfuleni iNeva, manje okutholakala kulo umnyuziyamu iHermitage (ingaphakathi ekugcineni ngakwesokudla)

[Umthombo]

The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

IHlalankosi Elikhulu

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

ISt. Petersburg iye yabizwa ngokuthi yiVenice Yasenyakatho

[Izithombe ekhasini 26]

IMariinsky Theater edume umhlaba wonke

[Imithombo]

Steve Raymer/National Geographic Image Collection

Photo by Natasha Razina

[Izithombe ekhasini 26]

Iziteshi ezingaphansi komhlaba zaseSt. Petersburg ziye zachazwa ngokuthi ‘amahlalankosi angaphansi komhlaba’

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 23]

Top picture: Edward Slater/Index Stock Photography; painting and emblems: The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg