The Russian Revolution which began in October 1917 caused fighting between the Red Army and the White Army and for the next couple of years various parts of Russia came first under the control of one faction then of the other. Lipa's family went to Petrograd, the name that St Petersburg had been given in 1914 when there was strong anti-German feeling in Russia, but Lipa was too young to understand the difficulties that his parents went through at this time.
Ang Russian Revolution na nagsimula sa Oktubre 1917 na sanhi labanan sa pagitan ng Red Army at ang White Army at para sa susunod na ilang taon ng iba't-ibang bahagi ng Russia unang dumating sa ilalim ng control ng isang alitan at pagkatapos ng iba pang mga. Cebu ng pamilya napunta sa Petrograd, ang pangalan na St Petersburg had been given sa 1914 kapag may malakas na anti-Aleman ng damdamin sa Russia, ngunit Cebu ay masyadong bata para maintindihan ang mga problema na nagpunta sa pamamagitan ng kanyang mga magulang sa oras na ito.