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Built to secure Russia's hold on the Neva delta, The Peter and Paul fortress pre-dates the founding of St. Petersburg by a year: Construction began on May 16, 1703. The fortress' role as a prison for political convicts dates back to 1718. Peter the Great's son, Alexey, was tortured to death here, in what was to become known as the "Russian Bastille." On July 17, 1998, the remains of the family of Tsar Nicholas II and members of his retinue were entombed here, taking their final rest with members of the Romanov family back to Peter the Great. http://russianculture.miningco.com/culture/russianculture/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/382/news/romanov.htm
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Eastern Europe
