ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sitting along the water where ships sail toward the port, downtown is filled with culture and even opera.
We’re talking about St Petersburg, Russia.
However, it sounds a lot like St. Petersburg here in Florida. In fact, our St. Pete was named after that one. And, the two cities share a lot more than a name.
It all goes back to a guy named Peter Demens. Born as Pyotr Alexeyevitch Dementyev to a wealthy family of aristocrats, his parents died when he was very young, leaving him a large fortune.
Demens was educated in St. Petersburg, Russia, and even served in the czar's army.
However, in 1880, Demens was exiled from Russia. It’s unclear exactly why, but historians believe it was because of his political beliefs. After the succession of the authoritarian Alexander III, Demens’ views grew increasingly liberal and anti-czarist.
So, he looked to the west, heading to America with his wife and four children. They arrived in New York and traveled south toward Jacksonville. At the time, Demens planned to grow oranges.
They eventually settled in Longwood, Florida, where he became a prominent investor in the lumber industry.
Within a few years, he had started building station houses for the South Florida Railroad and was eventually able to control the Orange Belt Railway. He worked to extend the railroad across the state and the first train arrived in the Tampa Bay area in 1888.
A train station and a hotel were built in the new area and Demens named the city St. Petersburg after his birthplace in Russia.
Demens is remembered with a historical marker and monument in Demens Landing Park. It’s also the site of the first railroad pier in St. Pete.
Building the railroad left Demens in debt, so he sold it in 1889. He left Florida for North Carolina and later moved to California, where he died in 1919. During his time in California, he worked to help hundreds of Russians immigrate to the states.
Even though Demens only spent eight years in Florida, his legacy in St. Pete is timeless, playing a crucial role in the early growth of the state.
Today, Russian culture is still prevalent in St. Pete. The city even shares a “Sister City” relationship with St. Petersburg, Russia.
The mission of the Sister Cities International Network is, “to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation, one individual, one community at a time.”
In the days since Russia invaded Ukraine, the situation on the ground in our sister city has been tense. Police have detained demonstrators who were protesting Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Arrests in St. Petersburg, Russia, mirror those happening on the streets of Moscow and beyond.
Back here in St. Pete, Florida, demonstrators have stood in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Dozens of people wore blue and yellow, holding flags and signs at Vinoy Park, as they pray for peace and an end to Russia’s invasion.
Roughly 5,297 miles apart, the people of two sister cities are standing up for Ukraine.