(Clearwisdom.net) St. Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia, is located at the Neva River Delta east of the Baltic Sea. It is Russia's window to Europe. The city is made up of over 40 islands and there are over 700 bridges connecting the islands. Its charming scenes have won the city the title "Venice of the North." It was Russia's capital from 1712 to 1918, hence it is also known as the Northern Capital.

 一九九七年在俄罗斯圣彼得堡首次法轮功学习班上学员教功

Falun Gong practitioners first taught the exercises in St. Petersburg in 1997

 二零零零年在圣彼得堡第一次俄罗斯暨前苏联地区法会期间的集体炼功

Practitioners did the exercises during the Fa Conference in St. Petersburg in 2000

Falun Dafa was first introduced to the Russian people in St. Petersburg. The first practice site was set up in St. Petersburg in 1996. Since then, over 20 cities have established their own practice sites. From St. Petersburg in the west to Sakhalin in the east, from Arkhangelsk near the Arctic to Stavropolsky in the south, there are people practicing Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners are often seen on the streets, at art exhibitions and at health expos, doing the exercises and clarifying the facts about the persecution in China.

Helping More People Improve Their Health Physically and Mentally

Many practitioners gained physical fitness and conducted themselves based on higher morality after they started the practice. They want to introduce the practice to more people. Through word of mouth, Falun Gong was soon practiced by people in over 100 countries.

 学员们展示优美舒缓的五套功法,传递法轮大法的祥和美好

Practitioners demonstrate the exercises and spread the peace and beauty of Falun Dafa.

 公园里的民众当场学炼法轮功

Passersby in the park learn the exercises on the spot.

On August 18 and 25, 2007, practitioners in St. Petersburg held activities in two parks and taught people how to do the Falun Dafa exercises.

 二零一零年五月十五日圣彼得堡法轮功学员在市中心公园庆祝世界法轮大法日,向李洪志师父问好。

On May 15, 2010, practitioners in St. Petersburg celebrated World Falun Dafa Day in a park in the center of the city and sent their greetings to Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa.

On May 15, 2010, practitioners gathered at a park in central St. Petersburg to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the founding of Falun Dafa and the 11th annual World Falun Dafa Day. Practitioners played waist drums, displayed posters and passed on the good news of Falun Dafa to passersby.

Fa Conferences in Europe and Russia

As a traffic hub between Europe and Asia, St. Petersburg often hosts Falun Dafa experience sharing conferences. At the European Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference held on September 30, 2006, practitioners from Russia, the Ukraine, Slovakia, Latvia, Poland, Israel, Germany, England, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Taiwan gathered to share their understandings in their practice.

 欧亚各地法轮功学员在法会中分享修炼心得

Practitioners from Europe and Asia attend a Fa Conference.

 二零零八年俄罗斯法会结束前,学员集体学法和交流

Practitioners study the teachings and share their thoughts and experiences at the Russia Fa Conference in 2008.

The Russia Fa Conference was held on October 17 and 18, 2008, in a suburb of St. Petersburg. Practitioners came from Russia, the Ukraine and other countries to attend the conference.

Exposing the Chinese Regime's Crime of Harvesting Organs from Living Falun Gong Practitioners

When the persecution began on July 20, 1999, former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mobilized the entire country in an attempt to eradicate the practice of Falun Gong. Methods used since then have included illegal imprisonment, brainwashing, beatings, shocking with electric batons, and injection of unknown nerve-damaging drugs. At least 3,400 practitioners have died as a result of torture and tens of thousands have been imprisoned. Numerous practitioners have been sent to "brainwashing centers," or had to leave their homes and become destitute to avoid further persecution.

 看到揭露中共暴行的俄文展板,过往行人无不动容

Passersby read posters in Russian exposing the CCP's brutality in the persecution of Falun Gong.

On April 15, 2006, practitioners in St. Petersburg held two rallies in the streets to expose the CCP's brutality in persecuting practitioners and how the guards and doctors in labor camps and prisons removed organs from practitioners while they were still alive, destroying the corpses to cover up their crimes.

模拟演示中共活体摘取法轮功学员器官贩卖的罪行,民众关注发生在中国的迫害
Torture exhibition exposes the crimes of the CCP removing organs from practitioners for profit.

On June 3, 2006, practitioners held an anti-torture exhibition in central St. Petersburg. The activity exposed how the CCP removed practitioners' organs while they were still alive and burned the bodies to destroy evidence of their crimes.

Regardless of the Weather, Year after Year

 多年来,圣彼得堡法轮功学员风雨无阻在中领馆前抗议迫害

Over the years, practitioners in St. Petersburg have protested in front of the Chinese Consulate regardless of the weather.

 圣彼得堡法轮功学员街头讲真相

Falun Gong practitioners expose the persecution on the streets of St. Petersburg.

 路人仔细阅读法轮功真相

Passersby carefully read the fliers and poster boards with information about the persecution.

The brutal persecution has lasted 11 years and is still ongoing. On July 20, 2010, the practitioners held an activity in St. Petersburg to expose the CCP's violation of human rights and call for people's support to help stop the persecution. Many people stopped to inquire about and condemn the persecution. Many asked where they could buy books of the teachings.

People Petition to Call for the Stop of the Persecution

 明白了真相后,男女老幼都签名支持法轮功反迫害

Passersby, after learning the facts of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong, sign petition to call for an end to the persecution.

 圣彼得堡民众签名声援法轮功反迫害

People in St. Petersburg sign petition to support Falun Gong's efforts in stopping the persecution.

May 27, 2006 was the city of St. Petersburg's 303rd birthday. With the city's permission, practitioners participated in the celebration held in the city center. Practitioners introduced the practice and how it has been embraced by people around the world. They also demonstrated the five exercises. Many people read the posters exposing the brutality of the persecution and showed their sympathy and support for the practitioners in China.

Art Exhibition that Awakens Conscience

 二零零六年四月二十八日,俄罗斯首次真善忍国际美展在圣彼得堡揭幕

The first Truth-Compassion-Tolerance International Art Exhibition in Russia was held in St. Petersburg on April 28, 2006.

The Truth-Compassion-Forbearance International Art Exhibition has been touring the world since 2003. The paintings have been shown in over 40 countries and 200 cities around the world. St. Petersburg was the first city to host the exhibition in Russia in 2006. In the past four years, it has toured many cities in Russia and won recognition from people of all walks of life. The Russian people got to learn more about Falun Dafa and the persecution from the artworks.

On April 28, 2006, the Art Exhibition was first shown to the Russian people in the exhibition hall of a local artist association near Neva River in St. Petersburg. The chair of the art association Polozov cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony and said, "As a painter, it is impossible for me not to care about the persecution. The work in this painting exhibition awakens people's sympathy and conscience and is bound to evoke reactions from people's souls."