The theme for this third collection, consisting of Brasilia, Melbourne, New York, and St. Petersburg, is Capital Migration. Three of the new cities were at one time the seat of government; one became its nation's capital in 1960. All remain centers of economic power, cultural leaders, and symbols of their country's national identity.

 

Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg in 1703 and moved the government there from Moscow in 1712. The city served as Russia's imperial capital for more than 200 years, until Vladimir Lenin moved his communist regime back to Moscow. Since its founding, St. Petersburg has been seen as the most Western European-style city in Russia, something which Peter the Great took immense pride in. The city stands upon an Amsterdam and Venice-inspired maze of more than 100 creeks, rivers, ponds, and canals, all joined together by a network of 340-plus bridges and streets.