Jun 12, 2009 marks 18 years since the holding referendum on the return to St. Petersburg its historical name.

During the referendum of the June 12, 1991, 54% of its citizens were in favor of returning to the city "Saint- Petersburg"name.

Leningrad to St. Petersburg renaming had been oficailly laid down by Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, dated 6 September 1991.

Then many streets, squares and other city objects gradually returned to their historical names. There were renamed 39 streets, six bridges, three subway stations and six parks together with the city.

The castle of Saint-Peter-Burh was set up May 27, 1703 by Peter I in the conquered Sweden lands, called Ingermanland. The castle's name was chosen by Peter I in honor of St. Peter the Apostle. Original Sankt-Piter-Burch was a simulation and the Dutch pronunciation of Sint-Petersburg, as Peter had lived and studied for some time in the Netherlands.

In the 1720's the name of St. Peter-Burh changes to St. Petersburg. In addition to the official name, there are informal names as: "Piter-grad" or simply "Piter."

In 1712 the capital of the Russian empire was moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Although tzar didn't give any orders to move the capital, all the official institutions and the royal court moved to St. Petersburg in 1712. This is a unique case in world history, when the capital of a country (Russia) for nine years, was formally on the territory of another country (Sweden).

The city officially remained the capital until 1918. In connection with the start of World War I on the wave of patriotic sentiment and the anti-fascism the city was renamed into Petrograd 18 Aug., 1914.

After Lenin's death in 1924 the city was renamed to Leningrad. With this name the city has been existed for 67 years.

News source: petersburgcity.com
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