DK Travel : St Petersburg : History & Culture

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1917 Revolution

Following a series of strikes in 1917, the tsar was forced to abdicate, and a provisional government assumed power. This was the signal for exiled revolutionaries, led by Vladimir Lenin, to return to Russia, where they overthrew the fledgling government in October, heralding the start of more than 70 years of Soviet rule.
1991 Coup

The military coup occurred when hardliners opposed to President Gorbachev’s reforms seized power. Supporters of Gorbachev’s policies gathered in Palace Square to protest events. The coup was eventually defeated.
300th Anniversary

St Petersburg’s 300th anniversary saw a long-needed renovation of the city. The celebrations were attended by the heads of government from more than 45 countries and lasted for over ten days.
Akhmatova (1889–1966)

Branded a “half-harlot, half-nun” by Soviet authorities in 1946, the poetess Anna Akhmatova wrote Requiem (1940), her tragic masterpiece about the terrifying Stalin years, which was banned in the USSR until 1989. Her first husband was killed by the Bolsheviks.
Anatoly Sobchak

St Petersburg’s first democratically elected mayor, who took office in 1991.
Bely (1880–1934)

Although born in Moscow, Andrey Bely reached the pinnacle of his career with his symbolist masterpiece, Petersburg (1913), a chaotic, prophetic novel that has been compared to the works of Irish writer James Joyce.
Black cat crossing the path

A black cat crossing your path is considered an ill omen.
Blok (1880–1921)

Central to the “Silver Age” of Russian poetry, Alexander Blok developed complex poetic symbols. His controversial work, The Twelve, likens Bolshevik soldiers to Christ’s Apostles.
Brodsky (1940–96)

Joseph Brodsky, protégé of Akhmatova, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1987. He left the USSR in 1972 after his works were attacked by the authorities.
Brother (1997)

A bleak yet humorous film that depicts the chaos of mid-1990s St Petersburg.