In 20th century it changed names 3 times

Named in honor of St. Peter and not Peter the Great, the founder of the city.

The name can be translated as "The City of St. Peter" . St. Petersburg, Florida  was named in honor of St. Petersburg, Russia by Russian-born railroad builder Piotr Dementyev (Peter Demens)

Nicknames:

 ♥ "The Venice of the North"(referring to St. Petersburg's many rivers and canals)

 ♥ "The Palmyra of the North"

 ♥ "The Northern Capital of Russia" (referring to the centuries-old rivalry between St. Petersburg and Moscow)

 Name changes:

 May, 1703 - August, 1914   St. Petersburg

 August, 1914 - February, 1924  Petrograd

 February, 1924 - July, 1991 Lenigrad

 July, 1991 - Present  St. Petersburg 

The city has an amazing history. It had been a capital of Russia for 2 centuries, suffered three revolutions and a 900-day Siege during the World War II. Now it is a modern city where old and new live side by side in mutual tolerance and respect.