The statue is gone and the plaza since renamed for the nearby Bolshoi Theater. After the collapse of the U.S.S.R., citizens groups decided to send relics of the Soviet era to the dustbin of history. Today the sculpture of Sverdlov stands in Park Iskusstv, a kind of outdoor museum-of-exile for former Soviet heroes.

The Metropol was returned to its original function as a hostelry for visiting dignitaries in the 1930s and restored to its art nouveau grandeur in the late 1980s, so there's little left of the areas where my late great-uncle lived and worked. A plaque on an outside wall - the one facing a dramatic statue of Karl Marx, as it happens - describes the role Sverdlov played in establishing the government there.

One night Jordan and I sat at the Metropol bar sampling vodka and soaking up the historic atmosphere. (The concept of "drinking age" seems to be unknown in Russia.) In the elegantly restored restaurant nearby, a jazz band played.

After a couple of drinks I asked the young bartender, who spoke a few words of tentative English, whether he knew of Yakov Sverdlov. He drew a blank. I pointed to the wall where the plaque was, tried a few words like "family" and "history" and "Bolshevik." But he seemed to think I was inquiring about a guest at the hotel.

In a way, of course, I was.

To continue our family tour we took the overnight train to St. Petersburg, traveling second class. That meant Jordan and I shared a tiny but handsome sleeping compartment with two others.

St. Petersburg is a spectacular, pulsing historical diorama, constructed from the ground up in the 18th century by Peter the Great as Russia's answer to the grand capitals of Europe. Our apartment was on Nevsky Prospekt, the city's main artery, a street rich with history, coursing with glamorous pedestrians and lined with sushi restaurants, blini joints, and banks.

First on our itinerary was the Hermitage. Everything you've heard about it is true. One of the biggest museums in the world, it is built around a collection of art begun in 1764 by Catherine the Great. But we were there to see parts of the building itself: the Winter Palace, the home to the czars and, after the Romanovs were evacuated, the seat of the nation's flimsy Provisional Government. It operated there for several months while Sverdlov and others worked from the Kshesinskaya Mansion across the river, organizing the overthrow. Today the Small Dining-Room, the place where the Red Guard finally arrested the hiding Provisional leaders, is preserved largely as it was on that day. The hands of the clock show 2:10, marking the time of morning on Oct. 26 when the Bolsheviks took command.

Not too far from the Winter Palace is the Field of Mars (named for the war god, not the planet). It features the Monument to Revolutionary Fighters, a tribute to fallen members of the Red Guard. Regardless of cause or ancestral connection, it's hard to resist feelings of reverence in the presence of an eternal flame and low stone slabs bearing names and dates. Following the practice of visitors to the monument, Jordan and I tossed a couple of kopek coins into the eternal flame. I forgot to make a wish.

Snipping Russia's Red Tape

Getting there

Russia doesn't make it easy for American travelers. To get a visa, you need an invitation. A hotel will issue an invitation - if you make a reservation.

Many do as we did: hire a Russian travel agency. We used Go to Russia (888-263-0023, www.gotorussia.com), with offices in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Moscow. Full visa service costs about $190 per person. Agencies will provide "visa support" - i.e., will secure that all-important invitation - for about $30. From there you'll need to apply for the visa with the Russian consulate.

Really getting there

United recently began nonstop service to Moscow from Washington Dulles. Round-trip fares are about $800. Other airlines offer connecting service at about $800 to $1,000.

Americans are advised to avoid cabs and use only cars they've previously arranged. We dutifully booked through our agency. The driver met us and took us to our apartment for about $50.

Where to stay

Moscow lodging is said to be the most expensive in the world. Yet Hotels.com lists numerous choices between $100 and $200 in Moscow and St. Petersburg. (St. Petersburg generally is more affordable.) We decided to rent apartments in both cities, a service offered by our agency and many others. Our remote, dreary Moscow flat had a Khrushchev-meets-Ikea vibe; our St. Petersburg apartment was a spacious, Euro-designed loft right on Nevsky Prospekt, the city's main artery. Both cost about $160 per night; prices range from $140 to $220, depending on location, length of stay and season.

Getting around

We took the overnight train between Moscow and St. Petersburg. First-class fare provides a private cabin; one-way fares are $150-$230, depending on time of day and number of stops. (Travel time ranges from eight to 14 hours.) Second class offers four tight but handsome, well-appointed berths. Unless you're a foursome, you'll share with strangers. Fares are $90-$180. Third-class "dormitory" service, which the Web site www.trainsrussia.com recommends only "for the most budget conscious and adventurous travelers," costs $30 to $50.