The building we see today was built in the 1890s where the Bolshoi Theatre of Saint Petersburg had stood. It still has the grand staircase and landing from that historic theatre. As the city changed its name in the 20th century, the conservatory was renamed "Petrograd Conservatory" (Петроградская консерватория) and then the "Leningrad Conservatory" (Ленинградская консерватория).