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 ...