St. Petersburg, which was renamed Petrograd after Alexander III changed its name in a nationalist move, suffered greatly in the post-October revolution. In the first post-revolutionary move, the Russian capital was moved from St. Petersburg, located on the border, to Moscow. Following this action, the government cabinet, influential people in the city, and many people moved from Petrograd to Moscow. These actions caused significant damage to the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, one of Europe's three largest capitals before the revolution. Perhaps if some events had not happened in St. Petersburg's history, today we would have lost St. Petersburg, one of the top tourist destinations in Russia tour. Or at least many of the tourist attractions that we enjoy on our travel to St. Petersburg today. Nevertheless, after a difficult period from revolution to civil war, St. Petersburg experienced comparable stability with the rise of one of the most influential revolutionary forces and figure still respected by many in St. Petersburg today. This person was none other than Sergei Kirov, the leader of the Communist Party in St. Petersburg.
Sergei Mironovich Kirov was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who became a member of the old Bolsheviks and rose through the ranks of the Social Democratic Party one after another to become the head of the Communist Party in Leningrad. The Old Bolshevik was an unofficial name for those who had been active in the Bolshevik Party before the October Revolution. Most of them became party leaders in various regions or officials of the Soviet government after the revolution. Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Sergei Kirov were all members of this informal group. Sergei Kirov was a close friend of Joseph Stalin, who came to power after the death of Vladimir Lenin. The beginning of Sergei Kirov's presidency in Petrograd coincided with Lenin's death. In the first attempt to honor his services to the Soviet Union, the name Petrograd was changed to Leningrad, one of the significant changes in the St. Petersburg's history. Many of the attractions of St. Petersburg Tour also bear the name of Leningrad even today. Kirov was a famous orator. During his first year of administration in Leningrad, he delivered more than 180 speeches at workers' meetings. He also paid special attention to industry and labor, which is why many industrial companies have named after him. Although a close friend of Stalin, he, in many cases, opposed his decisions, which was a courageous move. Most party members after Lenin's death did not dare to oppose Stalin's dictatorship. Of course, this did not mean that Kirov was opposed to Stalin in general, but Stalin considered these actions a danger and considered Kirov one of his rivals to retain power. Although this has never been proven, many believe that Joseph Stalin ordered Kirov's assassination. This massacre marked the beginning of one of the darkest periods in Leningrad, the Great Purge. You can visit the Sergei Kirov Museum during your travel to Russia to learn more about this historical period and Sergei Kirov himself. This museum is one of the attractions on tour to Russia, which belongs to the personal and professional life of Sergei Kirov. You can find the statue of Sergei Kirov, designed and built by the famous Soviet sculptor Nikolay Tomskiy, in Kirovsky Square during your tour to St. Petersburg. The monument is about 15 meters high and is surrounded by some of the best examples of early Soviet architecture.
The assassination of Sergei Kirov was an excuse for Joseph Stalin to carry out a major intra-party purge in Leningrad, which also claimed the lives of ordinary people. Many Communist Party leaders in Leningrad were exiled, imprisoned, or executed during this Great Purge. Many ordinary people were also detained or executed under various pretexts, such as having relatives among those people or having long backgrounds with noble families. One of them was the son of the famous Soviet poet, Anna Akhmatova. He was imprisoned because the Cheka had shot his father and Anna Akhmatova's ex-husband for being alleged anti-revolutionary. Anna Akhmatova, who spent days waiting in long lines to get news about his son, wrote of those crowded prisons of the time: "Like a useless appendage, Leningrad, swung from its prisons." You can find more about Anna Akhmatova in Anna Akhmatova Memorial Museum, which locates inside the Fountain House or Sheremetev Palace during your travel to St. Petersburg.
One architectural style used in the Soviet Union during the Stalin era and declined in popularity simultaneously was Constructivist architecture. There are many examples of this style of architecture in St. Petersburg, mostly in line with the goals of communism in St. Petersburg. An example of this style of architecture can be found in the common house for political prisoners during the era of the Russian empire. Constructed on Trinity Square, the building was a gift to those imprisoned in the Russian Empire's political prisons before the revolution. In this house, you could find stylish buildings with central heating and private bathrooms previously only visible in Russia's capitalist life. Of course, none of the houses had kitchen facilities, and the residents went to the dining halls in the building to eat, which was one of the ways of promoting communal life and communism. You can still find one of the best examples of these buildings in St. Petersburg in Trinity Square during your Russian tour programs. A lesser example of this style of the home was communal apartments that grew in response to the lack of housing in St. Petersburg. There was no luxury living in these communal apartments, and only one room was given to each family. Many examples of these communal apartments can still be seen on the St. Petersburg tour, which have no longer used as they previously used during the Soviet era.
One of the best examples of Stalinist architecture in St. Petersburg that you can see during your travel to Russia is the Soviet House building on Moskovsky Street. This magnificent building was supposed to be the home of the executive offices in Leningrad. However, its construction was completed only shortly before World War II and was never used for its original purpose. Of course, another reason for building this magnificent building was to concentrate the city's political and executive power away from the current city center at that time. This magnificent building was designed and constructed in 1936 by a Soviet architectural team led by Nikolai Tomskiy. One of the famous statues of Vladimir Lenin has been erected in front of the building, which you can see during your tour to Russia.
One of the best ways to enjoy your trip to Russia and especially to visit St. Petersburg is to get acquainted with St. Petersburg's history, for which you can visit our weblog on the Star Travel group. We, as one of the top Russia tour operators, also provide useful tips about how to travel to Russia, which can be found on our website.
