we re leningrad and on this issue, they were undignified scuffles. guard outraged at the challenge. translation: no one, not even ourselves, believed we would succeed in changing the city's name because the opposition was very strong. this was the last stronghold of communists. lenin and his legacy. i remember 24—hour vigils outside our home, where old communists shouted, we will not allow you to dump lenin's name! when pollsters predicted the result at 49-50, when pollsters predicted the result at 49—50, on the eve of the referendum, the orthodox church published its opinion. i quote, leningrad is an ideological construct, imposed upon the name of saint peter, in whose honour the city was named. a russian orthodox service was held on the steps of the cathedral, closed by the communists. church leaders want the name to bear the name of st peter. translation: do you know what our guiding light was? the words of saint peter himself, the impossible does happen. this was a surprising result, a slim but safe majority, voted yes to the referendum question