# St. Petersburg



## Etcetera

Hi all! 
In bookshops here, there are a lot of guides to St. Petersburg in different languages, and I can't but wonder how differently the name of my beloved city can sound!
In Russian it is *Санкт-Петербург *(Sankt-Peterburg), and this name is of German origin. No wonder the German *Sankt-Petersburg *sounds so close to the Russian name.
In Finnish, it's *Pietari*.
In Italian - *San Pietroburgo*.
What about other languages?


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## jazyk

Portuguese: São Petersburgo


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## betulina

Hi Etcetera,

In Catalan it's Sant Petersburg (the accent falls on the U).

In Spanish, San Petersburgo.


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## Etcetera

betulina said:
			
		

> Hi Etcetera,
> 
> In Catalan it's Sant Petersburg (the accent falls on the U).


Hi Betulina, 
then, the Catalan pronunciation is rather close to Russian, because in Russian the accent falls on the last syllable, too.


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## werrr

Contemporary Czech official name is *Sankt-Petěrburg* (sometimes we say only *Petěrburg*) but the most usual is *Petrohrad* (= original official name).


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## Etcetera

werrr said:
			
		

> Contemporary Czech official name is *Sankt-Petěrburg* (sometimes we say only *Petěrburg*) but the most usual is *Petrohrad* (= original official name).


Hi Werrr,
could you please explain what do you mean by 'original official name'? In fact, the city's original name, given to it by Peter the Great, was Sankt-Peterburg; the city became Petrograd (Петроград, as it's spelt in Cyrillic) in 1914 and remained Petrograd for only ten years.


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## werrr

I mean original Czech official name. Yes, it's problematic since we've such official names since 1918. But the word Petrohrad was used by K.H.Borovský (1821-1856) that means definitely before 1914. I think it's result of Czech language purification (replacing of German words) during Czech National Revival.


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## Etcetera

Thanks a lot! That's so interesting, I didn't know about it!
The reasons for changing the city's name in 1914 were just the same. With the outbreak of the World War I, the Russian government decided to replace the 'German' name with something more Russian-like. 
We still have a disctrict called Petrogradskaya storona in St. Petersburg, and one of the metro stations is also called Petrogradskaya.


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## Maja

Etcetera said:
			
		

> In Russian it is *Санкт-Петербург *(Sankt-Peterburg)


Same in Serbian, but also called Петроград/Petrograd!


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## robbie_SWE

In Romanian it's "Sankt Petersburg". It's the same in Swedish. 

поздравления (hope that's right??!!  )

 robbie


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## almostfreebird

In Japan we say *サンクトペテルブルク*(sanktopeteruburuk), 
and also say *セント・ピーターズバーグ*(sentopeetaazubaag).

And I guess a lot of people in Japan don't notice *Санкт-Петербург *was *Ленинград*.

P.S Those phonetic symbols I put are not really correct.


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## se16teddy

In Russian, the city has the informal nick-name of Piter (Питер), and it has borne that nick-name at least since I first went there in the early 80s. It is comforting to know that that in some sense at least the locals don't bother with all the politically inspired official name changes!  http://www.piter.nev.ru/


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## Etcetera

Hi Teddy,
yeah, we do call our city Piter, and this name can be seen in works by Belinsky, for example, - so it's not a recent invention. 
As for our attitude towards the city's name... No, no, you shouldn't say we don't bother about it at all! In fact, most citizens were just glad when in 1991 the name St. Petersburg was restored. Some people, who were born before 1980, still call the city Leningradm though - so does my Mum, for example. But it's nothing more then a matter of habit.
As for young people, they prefer to call the city Piter or Peterburg. I myself prefer the second. 

And here, in my opening post, you can read about how the latest change of the city's name still affect some aspects of the citizen's daily life, so to say.


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## ireney

In Greek it's Αγία Πετρούπολη Ayia Petroupoli (saint town/city of Peter)


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## panjabigator

I think that in India, it would pronounced as it is in Indian English.


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## Etcetera

ireney said:
			
		

> In Greek it's Αγία Πετρούπολη Ayia Petroupoli (saint town/city of Peter)


So, it's a literal translation of the city's name. And it sounds so charming!


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## Josh_

The Arabic word for Peter is very close to the original Greek (Petros).  You may remember the former Secretary General of the UN, Boutros Boutros Ghali.

So Saint Petersburg in Arabic is:

*سانت بطرسبرغ
*saant butrusburgh


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## Dalian

Mandarin:

圣彼得堡 sheng bi de bao


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## ukuca

In Turkish:
*St. Petersburg* (now)
or *Leningrad *(when under the socialist regime)


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## Dzanta

In Estonia we say Sankt-Petersburg, but, more often, just Peterburg or Piter (even native estonians).


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## Whodunit

Etcetera said:
			
		

> Thanks a lot! That's so interesting, I didn't know about it!
> The reasons for changing the city's name in 1914 were just the same. With the outbreak of the World War I, the Russian government decided to replace the 'German' name with something more Russian-like.
> We still have a disctrict called Petrogradskaya storona in St. Petersburg, and one of the metro stations is also called Petrogradskaya.


 
You are right. There were many changes in famous Russian cities. St. Petersburg and Volgograd are two of them.

from 1703 on = Sankt Petersburg
1914-1924 = Petrograd
1924-1991 = Leningrad
from 1991 on = Sankt Petersburg

Because of WWI, the name was "Russified" (Russianized?) to "Petrograd", and later to "Leningrad", since Lenin became Premier of the Soviet Union (leader of the Bolshevik party).


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## cherine

Josh Adkins said:
			
		

> The Arabic word for Peter is very close to the original Greek (Petros). You may remember the former Secretary General of the UN, Boutros Boutros Ghali.
> So Saint Petersburg in Arabic is:
> *سانت بطرسبرغ*
> saant butrusburgh


I agree with Josh. But there's a couple of variations :
سانت --> سان saant-->saan 
بطرسبرغ --> بطرسبرج Butrusburg (the spelling I gave is the one used in Egypt, because the ج is pronounced g not j)
So, in most Egyptian media, it's سان بطرسبرج saan botrosborg


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## Etcetera

Whodunit said:
			
		

> Because of WWI, the name was "Russified" (Russianized?) to "Petrograd", and later to "Leningrad", since Lenin became Premier of the Soviet Union (leader of the Bolshevik party).


All is correct. 
I'd like to add this information (it's from another thread in Cultural Discussions):


> Sankt-Peterburg is the name given to our city by its foundator Peter the Great, who's still the most celebrated Russian emperor among Petersburgers.
> Besides, from the name _Petrograd _one could possibly assume that the city was named after Peter the Great himself. But it isn't so! He gave this name to the city after Apostle Peter, his patron saint. That's why the city's called not just Peterburg, but *Sankt-Peterburg*.


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## almostfreebird

In Japan I learned Peter the great as *ピョートル大帝*{pyootoru taitei(the great)}. 

Isn't it the right pronunciation?


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## optimistique

In the Netherlands we call your city *Sint Petersburg* or *Leningrad*. 
Not very original, but with Dutch pronounciation it does sound different.


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## Etcetera

Optimistique, could you please tell us how it does sound? I don't ask for a transcription, just want to know what it is like.


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## Whodunit

almostfreebird said:
			
		

> In Japan I learned Peter the great as *ピョートル大帝*{pyootoru taitei(the great)}.
> 
> Isn't it the right pronunciation?


 
And what does that have to do with "St. Petersburg"?


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## übermönch

Whodunit said:
			
		

> And what does that have to do with "St. Petersburg"?


Well, _St.Petersburg is a creation of Peter the Great_. Peter really really wanted to make an advanced european nation from his domain - that is why he forced the Russian nobility to cut their beards and started the great northern wars. Having gained access to the baltic sea he built a new capital for his empire in western style. He named it St.Petersburg for that it was easier to pronounce and remember for western merchants whom he really wanted to see there.


			
				almostfreebird said:
			
		

> In Japan I learned Peter the great as *ピョートル大帝*{pyootoru taitei(the great)}.
> 
> Isn't it the right pronunciation?


Yeah, Peter is Pyotr/Pötr (Пётр) in Russian and thus Pyootoru is very close.


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## Whodunit

übermönch said:
			
		

> Well, _St.Petersburg is a creation of Peter the Great_. Peter really really wanted to make an advanced european nation from his domain - that is why he forced the Russian nobility to cut their beards and started the great northern wars. Having gained access to the baltic sea he built a new capital for his empire in western style. He named it St.Petersburg for that it was easier to pronounce and remember for western merchants whom he really wanted to see there.


 
If I'm not mistaken, the German Wikipedia article disagrees with that: (as you know German, I don't need to translate it)



> Anders als oft angenommen wird, hat Peter der Große die Stadt nicht nach sich selbst benannt, sondern nach seinem Schutzheiligen, dem Apostel Simon Petrus. Nachdem die Festung kurzzeitig den niederländischen Namen _Sankt-Pieterburch_ trug, wurde sie schon früh in das deutsche _Sankt-Peterburg_ umbenannt


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## panjabigator

How about for the rest of Whodunit


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## Anatoli

Dalian said:
			
		

> Mandarin:
> 
> 圣彼得堡 sheng bi de bao



大连, 你好!

With tones  :
Shèng Bǐdébǎo


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## Whodunit

panjabigator said:
			
		

> How about for the rest of Whodunit


 
Okay, if you really want it. 

_Not like many assume, __Peter the Great__ did not name the town after himself, but after his patron saint, apostle __Simon Peter__. After the citadel has borne the Dutch name "Sankt-Pieterburch" for some time, it was early renamed German Sankt-Peterburg._


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## übermönch

Sure he didn't name it after himself. Although church wasn't very powerful by that time it'd be very strange, even for a tsar, to call oneself a _saint_. Nevertheless, St.Petersburg is a creation of Peter I. and it's often associated with him; that's what I wanted to stress.


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## Fernando

In Spanish:

San Petersburgo

Leningrado (during USSR)

Petrogrado (when it was named this way)


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## Etcetera

übermönch said:
			
		

> Sure he didn't name it after himself. Although church wasn't very powerful by that time it'd be very strange, even for a tsar, to call oneself a _saint_. Nevertheless, St.Petersburg is a creation of Peter I. and it's often associated with him; that's what I wanted to stress.


 Click!


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## optimistique

Etcetera said:
			
		

> Optimistique, could you please tell us how it does sound? I don't ask for a transcription, just want to know what it is like.


Of course You have to know that there is not a uniform Dutch pronounciation, but I'll give you mine, the Southern one (which is the most beautiful, in which all foreigners agree with me).

_Sint _sounds more or less like the English _syn_- from synthesizer, plus a 't'.

_Peters _like_ Pétersse_ if it were French, with the last 'e' mute, and the middle 'e' as in French 'de', with the accent on Pé-, and with a German 't' (which is, I suppose, similar to a Dutch one).

_burg_ is written as one, but pronounced as two syllables. The first is like French 'de', only with a 'b' instead of a 'd'. The second (rig) starts with the Northern French 'r', then the vowel from English 'r*i*ch' and it ends in the -ch from High German 'ich' (or the Russian 'x').


I hope you can at least imagine the tiniest bit how it sounds. It's always hard to describe a pronunciation.


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## Whodunit

optimistique said:
			
		

> and it ends in the -ch from High German 'ich' (or the Russian 'x').


 
I don't think the sound [ç] (as it is in "ich") exists in either Russian or Dutch. I guess you mean the one in German and Scottish "Lo*ch*".


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## Etcetera

Thank you Optimistique!
The Dutch pronunciation seems to be very interesting - frankly, I somehow fancied it to be very much like German.


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## Thomas F. O'Gara

Etcetera, I share a love of the city with you - I met my wife there when I was a student.  For better or worse, however, that means that for me it will always be Ленинград.


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## optimistique

Whodunit said:
			
		

> I don't think the sound [ç] (as it is in "ich") exists in either Russian or Dutch. I guess you mean the one in German and Scottish "Lo*ch*".



No! Really? You mean you never pronounce 'ich' as [Ix]? I thought it was just the Nordrein-Westfalians that pronounced it like [ç]. Then we have some bad German teachers here, because everybody here uses a [x] for the 'ch'.

In any case, I mean the sound corresponding to the phonetic symbol [x], of which I've just read that it is in German/Dutch 'la*ch*en', but it should also be the sound of the Russian letter x. So I think you understand, Etcetera


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## sdcp

Petrohrad in Slovak

Szentpétervár in Hungarian


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## Etcetera

optimistique said:
			
		

> No! Really? You mean you never pronounce 'ich' as [Ix]? I thought it was just the Nordrein-Westfalians that pronounced it like [ç]. Then we have some bad German teachers here, because everybody here uses a [x] for the 'ch'.


So that's why our German teachers at school spoke German differently!  I myself usually pronounced 'ich' as [Ix], but some students preferred the second (Nordrein-Westfalian?) variant. 



> In any case, I mean the sound corresponding to the phonetic symbol [x], of which I've just read that it is in German/Dutch 'la*ch*en', but it should also be the sound of the Russian letter x. So I think you understand, Etcetera


Yes, I do.  Thanks again!


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## Whodunit

optimistique said:
			
		

> No! Really? You mean you never pronounce 'ich' as [Ix]? I thought it was just the Nordrein-Westfalians that pronounced it like [ç]. Then we have some bad German teachers here, because everybody here uses a [x] for the 'ch'.


 
Your teachers were wrong when they said that it is High German to pronounce a "ch" like [x] after e, *i*, ä, ö, and ü. It is pronounced like [x] after a, o, and u only. I hope we are talking about standard German and not about dialects. 



			
				Etcetera said:
			
		

> So that's why our German teachers at school spoke German differently!  I myself usually pronounced 'ich' as [Ix], but some students preferred the second (Nordrein-Westfalian?) variant.


 
It's not spoken that way in Nordrhein-Westfalen only! I daresay that everyone from Thuringia to to Frisian Islands (i.e. all the North Germany area) pronounces "ich" as [iç]. 



> In any case, I mean the sound corresponding to the phonetic symbol [x], of which I've just read that it is in German/Dutch 'la*ch*en', but it should also be the sound of the Russian letter x. So I think you understand, Etcetera


 
Yes, "lachen" uses [x], because the "ch" follows an "a" (= dark vowel).


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## janecito

In Slovene everyone always say just *Peterburg*. Officially you can put the Sankt in front as well:*Sankt Peterburg* (quite Russian, ah?  only the stress is on the first E and not on the U as in Russian). The name *Petrograd *also exist, but is not used.

Inhabitants of the city are called *Peterburžan *(masc.sg.) and *Peterburžanka *(fem.sg.).


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## zaby

In French it is *Saint-Pétersbourg*


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## Etcetera

janecito said:
			
		

> In Slovene everyone always say just *Peterburg*. Officially you can put the Sankt in front as well:*Sankt Peterburg* (quite Russian, ah?  only the stress is on the first E and not on the U as in Russian). The name *Petrograd *also exist, but is not used.
> 
> Inhabitants of the city are called *Peterburžan *(masc.sg.) and *Peterburžanka *(fem.sg.).


We, too, say just Peterburg more often. The informal name of the city is Piter.
As for inhabitants, they're called петербуржец and петербурженка respectively. Our languages are so close!


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## amikama

Apparently the Hebrew name of St. Petersburg has more than one version. *סנט פטרסבורג* (_sant petersburg_) and *סנט פטרבורג* (_sant peterburg_) are the common versions, while *סנקט פטרסבורג* (_sankt petersburg_) and *סנקט פטרבורג* (_sankt peterburg_) are much less used.


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## Etcetera

Amikama, could you please give us a transliteration of the Hebrew words? Unfortunately, I don't know how to read in Hebrew... at least yet.


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## amikama

Etcetera said:
			
		

> Amikama, could you please give us a transliteration of the Hebrew words? Unfortunately, I don't know how to read in Hebrew... at least yet.


I gave the transliteration in _Italic letters_


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## Insider

In Ukrainian it will be *Санкт-Петербург*. By the time, it hadn't been changed we called it - *Ленінград.*


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## Etcetera

amikama said:
			
		

> I gave the transliteration in _Italic letters_


Sorry.  I somehow omitted it...


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## MarX

Hi!

I honestly don't know what St. Petersburg is called in Indonesian.

*San Petersburg*, perhaps??

Sorry. 

Salam,


MarX


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