Peter the Great is probably the most famous boating enthusiast in Russian history. His obsession with all things naval began in 1688 when as a youngster he found a small English boat in the grounds of the royal estate in Izmailovo, Moscow. With the help of his Dutch tutor, the boat was restored and new sails and rigging were added. From this day on Peter was obsessed. He travelled to the Netherlands to learn about navigation and ship building and made designs for a capital city that would be navigable by water. To this day St. Petersburg is still full of ships and there’s plenty of fun ways to get out on the water and enjoy the city in a style that Peter himself would be proud of. Here are our personal top 20.
