How did the Russian city name St. Petersburg change to Petrograd and Leningrad before returning to St. Petersburg?

The city of St. Petersburg has undergone several name changes throughout its history, reflecting the shifting political landscape of Russia:

• Petrograd (1914–1924): Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the city’s original name—which had Germanic roots—was changed to the more distinctly Russian version, Petrograd, to reflect a surge of patriotic fervor against Germany.1
• Leningrad (1924–1991): After the death of Vladimir Ilich Lenin in 1924, the city was renamed Leningrad in his honor.2
• St. Petersburg (1991–present): As the Soviet Union neared its end, the city moved away from its Communist past. In a June 1991 citywide referendum, voters chose to restore the city's original name, St. Petersburg.2

These transitions illustrate how the naming of the city served as a symbolic tool for political identity, moving from an imperial foundation to a nationalist wartime designation, then to a Soviet commemorative title, and finally back to its historical roots.321