How many names has St Petersburg had

Asks kerry

A. It has had four name changes and three names from St Petersburg to Petrograd to Leningrad and back to St Petersburg.

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Q. Why has it changed so much

A. The city of St Petersburg was named after Peter the Great and founded in 1703 - the city kept this name up until the early 20th Century. During WWI it changed its name to Petrograd some say because it was too German-sounding, but mainly to signify that the power of Tsarist Russia had been overthrown in the Russian Revolution of 1917. St Petersburg was the capital of Tsarist Russia. It was later changed to Leningrad as a mark of respect to Lenin and did not change back to St Petersburg again until 1991 when Communism collapsed and the USSR was broken up into separate states.

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Q. What is the city like to visit today

A. Visiting St Petersburg today is a weird experience as the city is a real mix of rich and poor - all of which is mirrored in the run-down grandiose streets that once signified wealth and affluence and today could do with a lick of paint. It city itself is very grand, built around the mouth of the River Neva, it is full of wide boulevards, grand architecture and palaces. Its centre is in the famous area of Nevsky prospekt, full of waterside walkways and elegant boulevards. It is a beautiful city that has a lot of spirit, architecture, culture and sadly, beggars.

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Q. What would you recommend visiting

A. There is a lot to see and do here, try and fit in some of the following if you have the time:

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Mariinskiy Theatre: this 19th Century theatre is one of the most famous in the world and known to most of us in the West as the home of the Kirov Ballet. A visit here is a must on any trip to the city - you can buy tickets at the box office for most performances, but expect to pay well over the odds as a tourist. It will be money well spent.

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Winter Palace: located in the centre of the city in Palace Square, you cannot miss the great Winter Palace as it is a huge green, white and gold Rococo building that was home to the Russian Tsars from the early 1760s to 1917. Today it is more famous as the home of the Hermitage Museum - considered one of the best in the world.

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Hermitage Museum: many people visit St Petersburg just to visit this museum and many tourists say that they did nothing else during their trip other than visit the Hermitage every day. It is believed to contain nearly three million works of art. And of course it houses many great works of art by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Rubens, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. Its third floor is dedicated to modern art from the 19th Century onwards and includes work by Gaugin, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Matisse and Picasso.

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Russian Museum: located inside the Mikhaylovskiy Palace this museum was opened in 1888 and contains the best collection of Russian art in the world.

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Church on Spilled Blood: this church is often featured on postcards from the city as its multicoloured domed rooftop stand out in the city's skyscape. It was built on the site of Alexander II's assassination (construction began in 1882) from which it took its name.

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Alexander Nevsky Monastery: the monastery dates back to 1713 (founded by Peter the Great naturally) and houses the Trinity Cathedral and is most famous today for its two cemeteries. The Tikhvin Cemetery is the resting place of some of Russia's greats including Dostoyevsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky and the Lazarus Cemetery is the oldest in the city.

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Peter and Paul Fortress: situated on the small Zayachy Island in the River Neva, opposite the Winter Palace this fort was built in 1704 to protect the city. It houses a cathedral built in 1733 and the Prison museum (which has imprisoned Dostoevsky, Gorky and Trotsky).

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Summer Palace: when compared to other palaces in the city this is a very modest building situated in the corner of Summer Gardens the oldest park in the city. The Palace dates back to 1704 and was the first to be built for Peter the Great.

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Pushkin's Apartment: you can visit the former home of the Russian poet, the main highlight is his library, which contains over 5000 books in many languages.

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Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad : The Siege/Blockade of Leningrad was one of the most significant events of WWII. Located six miles from the city centre the monument is an ensemble of bronze statues, centred on a 48m-high obelisk and is a tribute to the eventual victory by the Russians over the invading Nazis.

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Vasilevsky Island: also in the River Neva, this is St Petersburg's largest island and is well worth visiting as it home to many of the city's museums - it houses the Sigmund Freud Museum of Dreams, the Kunstkammer (Museum of Anthropology & Ethnography), the Museum of Zoology and the Geological Museum.

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Peterhof: located outside St Petersburg this is a great day trip if you're staying in the city for a while. It was once Peter the Great's palace and on a sunny day looks as if it is made of solid gold - it can be reached by train or hydrofoil from the city. While you're here you'll not only get to look around the palace but also see the Grand Cascade at the entrance to the park and is beautiful waterfalls; Monplaisir which was actually designed by Peter the Great; the country house of Marly Palace and the Cottage Palace.

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Q. When is the best time to visit

A. Winter is the quietest time and as the city experiences some of the mildest weather in Russia (temperatures only go down to -15oC on the coldest days) it is one of the best times to visit. However, if you want to experience something different visit at the end of June and experience White Nights - when there is 24 hour daylight for approximately 10 days at the end of the month and the White Night Dance Festival to celebrate it.

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By Karen Anderson