Skip to content
British Broadcasting Corporation
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Innovation
  • Culture
  • Arts
  • Travel
  • Earth
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Live
Witness History, Witness History, From Leningrad to St Petersburg

Witness History

Witness History

From Leningrad to St Petersburg


Up next

Witness History, Witness History, WWI: The Hundred Days Offensive

WWI: The Hundred Days Offensive

Witness History, Witness History, The Ship that Dumped America's Waste

The Ship that Dumped America's Waste

Witness History, Witness History, Appeasement

Appeasement

Witness History, Witness History, The Killing of Steve Biko

The Killing of Steve Biko

Witness History, Witness History, How I Survived a Fire on a Plane

How I Survived a Fire on a Plane

Witness History, Witness History, The Truth About Crop Circles

The Truth About Crop Circles

Witness History, Witness History, The Fifteen Guinea Special

The Fifteen Guinea Special

Witness History, Witness History, The Cuban Five

The Cuban Five

Witness History, Witness History, The Arnhem Parachute Drop

The Arnhem Parachute Drop

Witness History, Witness History, The Battle of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers

Witness History, Witness History, Brazil's Nuclear Accident

Brazil's Nuclear Accident

Witness History, Witness History, The South African Army In Lesotho

The South African Army In Lesotho

Witness History, Witness History, Isadora Duncan - Dance Pioneer

Isadora Duncan - Dance Pioneer

Witness History, Witness History, The Creation of the Cervical Cancer Vaccine

The Creation of the Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Witness History, Witness History, Fighting in the Iran-Iraq War

Fighting in the Iran-Iraq War

Witness History, Witness History, The Bridge Which United Sweden and Denmark

The Bridge Which United Sweden and Denmark

Witness History, Witness History, Racial Equality in Britain - Learie Constantine

Racial Equality in Britain - Learie Constantine

Witness History, Witness History, The Street Battle That Rocked Brazil

The Street Battle That Rocked Brazil

Witness History, Witness History, The Invention of Artificial Skin

The Invention of Artificial Skin

Witness History, Witness History, The Soviet Union's Fashion Revolutionary

The Soviet Union's Fashion Revolutionary

Witness History, Witness History, Howl: The Poem That Revolutionised US Writing

Howl: The Poem That Revolutionised US Writing

Witness History, Witness History, Reform of the House of Lords

Reform of the House of Lords

Witness History, Witness History, Anti-traveller Riots in Sweden

Anti-traveller Riots in Sweden

Witness History, Witness History, The Nazi Black Book

The Nazi Black Book

Witness History, Witness History, Austria at War

Austria at War

Witness History, Witness History, Archbishop Oscar Romero

Archbishop Oscar Romero

Witness History, Witness History, Fighting Mount Etna

Fighting Mount Etna

Witness History, Witness History, The 1973 Oil Crisis

The 1973 Oil Crisis

Witness History, Witness History, Brazil's Hidden War in the Amazon

Brazil's Hidden War in the Amazon

Witness History, Witness History, The Pergau Dam Affair

The Pergau Dam Affair

September 6, 2018

9 minutes

Available for over a year

In 1991 as the communist system was collapsing, in a hugely symbolic act, Leningrad voted to drop Lenin's name abandoning its revolutionary heritage and returning to its historic name of St Petersburg. Dina Newman speaks to Ludmilla Narusova, wife of the first St Petersburg mayor, Anatoli Sobchak, who campaigned for the change.

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

See more episodes

Programme website


British Broadcasting Corporation
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Innovation
  • Culture
  • Arts
  • Travel
  • Earth
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Live
  • Weather
  • BBC Shop
  • BritBox

Follow BBC on:

  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Contact the BBC
  • Advertise with us
  • Do not share or sell my info
  • BBC.com Help & FAQs
  • Archive

Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved.  The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.