Two of the cities featured in this book—contemporary St. Petersburg and Mumbai—have gone by different names at different points in their histories. The cities will be referred to by the name in use during the period under discussion (e.g., “St. Petersburg in the time of Catherine the Great”; “the Nazi siege of Leningrad”).
One of the most captivating aspects of St. Petersburg, Shanghai, and Mumbai is that much of their historic architecture remains extant today. Buildings that have been destroyed will be described in the past tense (on the bells of St. Petersburg’s Tercentenary Church, “reliefs were embossed of each member of the royal family”); buildings that still stand will be described in the present tense (Mumbai’s “Regal [Cinema] façade boasts bas-relief masks of tragedy and comedy”).
All quotations from outside sources are cited in endnotes. All other quotations come from in-person interviews conducted by the author.