dan

Leningrad was the name of St. Petersburg most of the years of the U.S.S.R. However, it wasn't either for the first years of the Soviet regime. During WWI, the name was changed to Petrograd because it was felt that the current name sounded too German. It was then changed to Leningrad in 1924. So, the actual revolution took place in Petrograd.

dan

I think I lost a posting. Anyway, the statue is Peter the Great and was commissioned by Catherine the Great.

Kay

Oh well done, Dan! Anyone know what "kreml" (kremlin) means? And who stayed in that famous hotel room overlooking Moscow's Red Square right after the Bolshevik Revolution?

dan

I am going to guess that Lenin stayed in the hotel. I know that he was out of the country when the revolution began - so maybe on the return to Russia he stayed there?. No luck on kreml. All I know is that in German it is the name for the Kremlin.

Kay

Yup, it was Lenin, Dan. And I'm just going to throw in the definition of kremlin for free, since it's just down to you and me now....kremlin means fortress.

Joanne

Sailing with the meltami winds in the Cyclades June of 1995, we came upon Monemvassia, a magnificent Grecian "rock of Gibralter". At the top of the rock, we explored the ancient Ottoman ruins.

Beth

oh boy.. I hope I can answer Joanne without making a foolish mistake again... <BR> <BR>Monemvasia is on the pelopenese, its not an island. And the ruins are Byzantine, not Ottoman. <BR> <BR>How'd I do?

Joanne

Beth, Great!!! Yes on Byzantine ruins, yes on Peloppanese (sp?), and yes on not an island! There is still one little error in my posting, although it is a stretch. Oh what the heck. The meltemi winds are usually in July and August.

topper

to the top again?

Joanna

There is another error in your posting Joanne... <BR>Ottoman ruins could never be described as "ancient". Even calling Byzantine ruins ancient is stretching it a bit.

s.fowler

A good "oldie" -- to add to the summer confusion

Nancy

I think Fodorites were wittier in those days, what has happened? I don't think readers could pull this off now, posters just reach for the quick snippet and usually snippy!