Main content

From Leningrad to St Petersburg

In a hugely symbolic act, Leningrad voted to drop Vladimir Lenin's name, abandoning its communist heritage, and returning to its historic name of St Petersburg in 1991.

As the communist system in the former Soviet Union was collapsing in 1991, the people of Leningrad voted to drop Vladimir Lenin's name abandoning the city's revolutionary heritage and returning to its historic name of St Petersburg. Dina Newman spoke to Ludmilla Narusova, wife of the first St Petersburg mayor, Anatoli Sobchak, who campaigned for the hugely symbolic change.

This programme is a rebroadcast - it was first aired in 2018.

Photo: Communist campaigners demonstrate against the name change in Leningrad in 1991. Credit: Sobchak Foundation.

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Fri 9 Apr 2021 02:50GMT
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service

More episodes

Previous

David Attenborough's first expedition

Next

Discovering the Jet Stream

See all episodes from Witness History

Broadcasts

  • Thu 8 Apr 2021 07:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
  • Thu 8 Apr 2021 11:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
  • Thu 8 Apr 2021 17:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Fri 9 Apr 2021 02:50GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service

Podcast