Leningrad lost its Soviet name and regained its former name, St. Petersburg, on September 6, 1991, after a city-wide referendum that occurred just as the Soviet Union was falling apart. The city has had several names throughout its long history:
St. Petersburg (1703-1914): Founded by Tsar Peter the Great. Petrograd (1914-1924): Renamed during World War I to make it less German-sounding and more Russian-sounding. Leningrad (1924-1991): Named after Vladimir Lenin.