Yo Sir!
Funny story. Truth to be told, back then everyone was spied on...book or not.
Orwell is one of my all time favorite writers: nobody knew the dark side of the human nature as he did. Even tho “Animal Farm” has been labeled as a book against the communist regime, i disagree with that view and Orwell opposed it himself. IMHO that was a universal lesson about the most inner nature of any society at any place and time in history. It always ends like that, no matter where and when.
P.S. Leningrad was formely known as Saint Petersburg as well. They just reinstated the old name after the regime collapsed.