Due to anti-German sentiment during WWI, the city was renamed to the more Russian-sounding Petrograd. “We went to bed in Petersburg and woke up in Petrograd!” screamed jingoistic headlines.
After the death of Vladimir Lenin, the city was renamed Leningrad. And it is this name that is forever associated with WWII and the blockade, the “Khrushchev thaw,” and perestroika. In September 1991, it was decided to restore the city’s historical name, St. Petersburg.
2. There are a few St. Petersburgs in the USA
Downtown St. Petersburg Florida.
John O’Neill/Wikipedia
The largest of them is located, ironically, in the sunshine state. Florida’s fifth most populous city is known for its gorgeous weather, www.chicandamazing.com golf courses, warm bay, and scorching beaches—things that don’t feature too much in Crime and Punishment and other works set in Russia’s northern capital.
3. The movable bridges are a beautiful pain in the neck
Peter Kovalev/TASS
St. Petersburg is home to around 800 bridges, the most famous of which are movable. There are 12 movable bridges in total, and they are raised at specific times (usually early night) and lowered early in the morning. These magnificent works of architecture are terribly inconvenient: after a certain hour, moving between the Petrograd and Central districts suddenly becomes complicated. So if you’re up late visiting friends, you might as well stay over.
4. The huge column on Palace Square is free-standing
Legion Media
The 600-ton Alexander Column has stood vertical for 185 years under nothing more than its own weight. In the early days, St. Petersburgers avoided it for fear of getting squashed—its creator Auguste de Montferrand had to walk under it every day to demonstrate to locals that his construction was safe.