St Petersburg is located in the west of the country on the Baltic Sea coast. It has a population of circa 4.6 million and ranks as the third most populous city in Europe. It is the former capital of Russia and is recognised as a leading financial, trading, transport, tourist and cultural centre in Russia. St Petersburg is located approximately 350 kms by motorway from Tallinn, the closest EU capital, and only 140kms from Estonia’s eastern border. As St Petersburg was centrally planned and designed by prominent European architects, it is considered Russia’s most European city. St Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city and is the capital of one of Russia’s best performing regions with above average earnings, growth and foreign direct investment as well as below average unemployment.