Coat of arms

Petrozavodsk

Petrozavodsk

Petrozavodsk literally means Peter's Factory as an iron foundry was established here to produce provisions for Peter the Great's Northern War. Today the city is the capital of the Republic of Karelia and makes a good base for further exploring the region. As a popular tourist destination, there are plenty of excursions on offer here, including to Kondopoga, Kizhi, Valaam and even the Solovetsky Islands.


Basic facts
Name in Russian
Петрозаводск
Status
Capital of the Republic of Karelia
Location
On Lake Onega
Distance
430km north-east of St Petersburg, 1,015km north of Moscow
Time Zone
Moscow Time
Population
272,101 people (2014)
Founded
1703
Former Names
Shuysky Zavod, Petrovskaya Sloboda, Äänislinna
City Day
Last Saturday in June