The Peter and Paul Fortress was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, the founder and first ruler of the Russian Empire. It served as a military fortification and a prison for political dissidents, including members of the Decembrist uprising, Ivan VI, and Leon Trotsky. The original wooden structures were replaced by stone buildings in the 18th century, and the fortress became primarily a museum and tourist attraction in the 20th century. It remains a symbolic site of St. Petersburg's founding and early history.
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