In Search of St. Petersburg's Identity

Abstract

Petersburg, Leningrad, St. Petersburg, Peter, and with them the names of their residents—Petersburgers, Leningraders, and Peterites—should these names and self-designations be considered equal in value and meaning? If the answer is yes, why do most visitors to and guests of the city continue to refer to it as Leningrad? Here we point out up front that this is a social issue, the result of social meaning in the city's name, whereas the business of renaming was itself part of the political manipulations of a time when the country was "voting" for a change of regime. The issue is not a political confrontation between St. Petersburg and Leningrad, which was and is externally motivated. Rather, it is the reality that "Leningrad" and "Leningraders" have an unequivocal, obvious, clear, and distinct social meaning and semantic content, whereas such notions as "St. Petersburg," "Petersburgers", and "Peterites" are problematic and controversial. When we say "St. Petersburg," which city are we talking about? Which historical period do we have in mind? If, for the sake of comparison, we look at Moscow, that city's identity was shaped or realized gradually. Certainly, it was also interrupted more than once, but that happened in ages now remote from us: under Peter I [1689-1725] and in 1917. On both occasions the masses had enough time to attempt to realize, interpret, and integrate the interpreted meanings.