HI! I try to answer your questions!! There is what I know about this.

St. Petersburg was originally built as the capital. But nevertheless it did not become the capital overnight, for a long time these two cities still competed. Well, for Peter the First, such a decision was very serious, he had several reasons for this. Of course, the first and probably the most decisive reason is that the king had a very specific attitude towards Moscow. Peter didn’t like Moscow and everyone knew about it. The king loved the ships and the land. Moscow didn’t allow his ambitious plans to be fulfilled. So Petersburg immediately became the capital in Peter’s head and thoughts because of its geographical location.

The second point is that Peter I essentially created a new elite of the country. The old conservative nobility, mainly connected with Moscow and not interested in integrating the country into world trade, in its openness to the outside world, in its modernization, only hindered the implementation of reforms. This also caused the transfer of the capital to a new city and thereby diminishing the role of Moscow in Russian politics.

I hope, it will be useful for you!!!

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