Until 1874 it was owned by the Russian Academy of Sciences, and thereafter it was transferred to the Ministry for National Education.

Under the editorship of Hofrat de:Clemens Friedrich Meyer (1852–1874) the paper received a modern appearance.

In 1878 it was rented out to the Baltic German journalist de:Konstantin Paul Gerhard von Kügelgen (1843–1904), who combined it with the Nordische Presse (Northern Press).

After his death, his children de:Paul von Kügelgen (1875–1952) and de:Karl Konrad Emil von Kügelgen (1876–1945) continued to run the newspaper.

At the end of 1914, the St. Petersburger Zeitung ceased publication due to the First World War.