Petersburg Today
        
From 70-es of the XX century to the new millenium. Stability and changes of the city.

The 70's and the early 80's were a period of stability for the Soviet Union and for Leningrad. Though political freedoms were mostly limited, most of the city's population enjoyed relative prosperity. But when the government had initiated the reforms known worldwide as Perestroika all stability has gone. When the reforms started the population began experiencing economic hardships.

In 1991, after a city referendum, the city of Leningrad got its old name - St. Petersburg. Now, in the beginning of the III millenium, St. Petersburg is still in a period of transition, both economically and socially. While the city's industry is still in recession, services and retail sales are gradually improving, though economically St. Petersburg is still far behind Moscow. The youth is solving its problems rather well, but unemployment is high and employment prospects for those over 45 are not that good and pensioners are in desperate straits.

Though St. Petersburg was not chosen to be an Olimpic capital in 2004, it becomes more and more beautiful to its 300th anniversary which will be celebrated in Maty 2003, when the city will greet its numerous guests.

Welcome to St. Petersburg, the magnificent city on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Entering the XXI century the city is going to show its treasures.