At the ceremony, Matviyenko got pledges of support from the Kremlin, the Federation Council and Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov.
The governor said she hoped to work with the Moscow city government and learn from its experience.
"We will cooperate in an active way," she said to Luzhkov. "I will not promise to wear a cap as you do, but I will promise that the priceless and progressive experience of Moscow will be put to use in St. Petersburg."
Alexander Voloshin, head of the presidential administration, read a letter of congratulation from Putin. "The voters entrusted you with the fate of the northern capital, a city of inimitable beauty and a rich and heroic history. To implement a program to develop St. Petersburg means to fulfill the expectations of St. Petersburgers," the letter said.
Federation Council head Sergei Mironov said Matviyenko can count on the support of the upper chamber of parliament. "When I look at your biography, I'm always reminded that you were the only female deputy prime minister, the only feminine presidential representative, and now you are the only woman to head a region," he said.
Despite such praise for Matviyenko as a woman, Luzhkov drew a big laugh when he referred to her as Valentin Ivanich, using the masculine version of her first name and patronymic.
Matviyenko said she would try to make the city an example for the rest of the country. "We have to raise this city to a European level of rights and freedoms," she said. "St. Petersburg should become a standard of the European civilized world for Russia and a business card of Russia for Europe."
Matviyenko also said she would cut red tape and City Hall staff to spur business development.
Luzhkov said that in the near future Moscow and St. Petersburg would have several joint projects, naming only joint tourism development as one and hinting at housing construction.
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