Definition

Proper noun: * A historical name for a major Russian city: "Petrograd" was the name used for the city now known as Saint Petersburg from 1914 to 1924. It refers specifically to the city during that period, a time encompassing World War I and the Russian Revolution.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • In 1917, the revolution that overthrew the Tsar began in Petrograd.
  • The name Petrograd was changed from the German-sounding "Saint Petersburg" after Russia entered World War I.
  • Many historic photographs from the revolutionary era are labeled as being taken in Petrograd.

Advanced Usage

• Historical and academic context: The term "Petrograd" is primarily used in historical writing and discourse to refer to the city during its ten-year period under that name. Using it today typically signals a discussion of early 20th-century Russian history.
  • The historian's lecture focused on the political factions in Petrograd during 1917.

Variants and Related Words

• Saint Petersburg (Proper noun): The original name (founded 1703) and the current name (restored 1991) of the city. It is located at the head of the Gulf of Finland.
• Leningrad (Proper noun): The name of the same city from 1924 to 1991, honoring Vladimir Lenin.
• Piter (Proper noun, informal): A common Russian colloquial name for the city, derived from "Sankt-Peterburg."

Synonyms

• Saint Petersburg (when referring to the geographic entity, though not the specific historical period).
• Leningrad (when referring to the subsequent historical period, 1924-1991).

Related Terms and Concepts

• Former capital of Russia: Saint Petersburg/Petrograd served as the capital of the Russian Empire from 1712 to 1918, before the capital was moved back to Moscow.
• Second largest city in Russia: A key descriptor of its size and importance within the country.
• The Gulf of Finland: The body of water on which the city is located, connecting to the Baltic Sea.

Noun

1. a city in the European part of Russia; 2nd largest Russian city; located at the head of the Gulf of Finland; former capital of Russia