HISTORY’S GREATEST CONUNDRUMS AND MYSTERIES SOLVED
COMPILED BY JONNY WILKES AND DANNY BIRD
When was the city of St Petersburg founded?
SHORT ANSWER Peter the Great looked out on marshes and envisioned a European-style city in 1703. Or did he?
LONG ANSWER From the she-wolf-raised Romulus and Remus fighting over Rome, to a snake-eating eagle choosing the site of modern-day Mexico City by perching on a cactus, to Antwerp’s giant with a fondness of cutting off hands, cities all over the world boast a part-myth, part-great story foundation. St Petersburg is no different.
In May 1703, according to the tale, tsar Peter the Great visited land recently conquered from the Swedes that offered access to the Baltic Sea, and saw the future of Russia. Here, a brand-new city would be a “window to Europe”, a symbol of his modernisations, and a chance to get away from the chaos of Moscow. He cut two strips of turf and placed them on the ground in the shape of a cross, announcing this to be the birthplace of his beloved new town. An eagle then flew overhead in an undeniably auspicious sign.
Never mind that the land was far from ideal – too marshy, too windy and too prone to freezing – or that Peter wasn’t even there to have his historic vision. The responsibility of construction actually fell to his friend Alexander Menshikov. For two centuries, St Petersburg (named for the saint, not the tsar), served as the capital of the Russian empire.
400,000 The approximate number of words in the Constitution of the State of Alabama, the longest constitution in the world. Coming second is that of India, which has 145,000 words.
An engraving imagines Peter the Great overseeing building work
What are the origins of the haka?
The haka performed by the All Blacks uses words written by the Māori leader Te Rauparaha (left)
Answered by Dr James Belich, Beit professor of global and imperial history at the University of Oxford
The haka, a revered Māori tradition, is a dance brimming with multifaceted significance. While often regarded as a war dance, its implications stretch beyond mere intimidation. Comparable to an inspecting of the guard ceremony for a visiting dignitary, the haka conveys a message of presence and strength. It serves as a form of welcome with a reminder that those performing it possess the ability to defend themselves.
The emblematic haka, synonymous with New Zealand’s national rugby team, the All Blacks, was composed around 1820 by Te Rauparaha, a M�
