Call of Duty: Modern Warfare takes place in a fictional version of the real world. Several of the Modern Warfare maps are based on real locations, giving the game its unique sense of realism.
Fans love to search for real-life versions of every map. From the Ferris wheel in Chernobyl to the Stadium inVerdansk, fans have found real-life buildings that may have inspired their digital replicas. One fan visited a city called Saint Petersburg, which many fans believe inspired St. Pretrograd's map, and took several photos. Although these are not confirmed to be the inspiration for the map, the resemblance is uncanny.
Reddit user Grune_Holle posted the images after their recent trip to Saint Petersburg, Russia. They were able to match two possible locations that serve as a good match to screenshots from Modern Warfare. In the first set, the bridge and statues seem in the right place. There is a building on the left side with a sign connected to an arch that matches the image almost perfectly. The real-life version does feature cats with gold wings as opposed to a lion with a ball, but the overall perspective of the image shows its uncanny resemblance.
The second set of images are further from accuracy but they still get the general point across. The gold-roofed building on the left matches the building in the game. Fans who visited the location commented on the post saying that the cathedral is amazing in real life, although fans can not visit it in the game.
One interesting fact has to do with the name of Saint-Petersburg itself. The only time historically that the city was called St. Petrograd was during WW1 and the Russian Civil War. This creates an interesting context with the Modern Warfare world itself, connecting this city to the game but giving ti a historically relevant renaming.
There is little doubt in fan's minds that Saint-Petersburg and Modern Warfare's St. Petrograd are the same city with the variations being explained through alternate history. The way that architecture has evolved and changed gives the impression of a different governmental body and brings into question the history of the map itself.
Either way, fans appreciate the beautiful recreation, with some player beliving the in-game Modern Warfare screenshots are more astounding then real life. Images and comparisons like this only go to show the true attention to detail that Activision and Infinity Ward have given this title.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.