St. Petersburg, Russia: A city of Art

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…ts. The city's change in names reflects Russia's often turbulent history. It has been Petrograd and Leningrad and only recently, with the demise of Russia's communist system, has it reclaimed its original title. The story of Russia, from the czars through the totalitarianism of Stalin and to the recent struggles toward democracy and a free-market economy, are embedded in the city. To visit it now is to observe firsthand a crucial period in Russian history.