Autumn in the amber city: Photographs capture Russia’s imperial capital Saint Petersburg bathed in orange, gold and red
When photographer Amos Chapple sent a small drone helicopter up into the skies above Saint Petersburg to take pictures, he had no idea how they would turn out.
But as you’ll see from the results, New Zealand-born Mr Chapple needn’t have worried.
His airborne cameras have captured stunning images of the Russian city, bathed in an orange, gold and red autumnal glow.
Awesome autumn: A picture of the Smolny Convent at sunset, taken by a camera mounted on a small drone helicopter
The Church on Spilled blood lit by morning sunlight on a squally day
Mesmerising: Hermitage Pavilion, in the grounds of the Catherine Palace, at sunrise Landmarks that he captured include Mikhailovsky Castle, the Church of Spilled Blood, Hermitage Pavilion in the grounds of the Catherine Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress.
Saint Petersburg was founded by the Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 and was the Imperial capital of Russia until 1924, when the communist government that emerged from the revolutions of 1917 established its headquarters in Moscow.
The city was renamed Leningrad, but reverted to Saint Petersburg in 1991.
Up, up and away: An overview of central Saint Petersburg with the Church of Spilled Blood in foreground
Picturesque: The cathedral within the Peter and Paul Fortress
Eye-catching: Mikhailovsky Castle, surrounded by trees covered in red and brown autumnal leaves It is often said to be the most western of Russian’s cities and its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city has a total of 8,000 architectural monuments and over five million tourists visit it every year.
In September the Baltic city hosted the G20 summit, with world leaders enjoying a magnificent banquet at the Peterhof Palace during their stay.
