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At the beginning of the 18th century, the history of Petrozavodsk began on the west coast of Lake Onega – the capital of one of the most beautiful northern regions of Russia, with countless lakes and waterfalls, dense pine forests, and natural mountain parks.

The city was founded in 1703 on the orders of Peter I. Petrozavodsk had several names: Shuisky Sawod, Petrovskaya Sloboda. In the 1940s, during the Finnish occupation, it was called Äänislinna (from Finnish – "Onega Fortress") and Onegaborg (from Swedish – "Castle on the Onega Shore").

Petrozavodsk began with the construction of a weapons factory. Until 1703, the Shujski Pogost was located at the site of the future city. The factory was originally also called Shujski, but just a year later it was renamed Petrovsky – in honour of the emperor.

The main products of the Petrovsky weapons factory were cannons and cannonballs. The guns were even installed on the earthworks surrounding the factory, turning it into a real fortress. Around the factory, administrative, economic, and residential buildings grew – thus the Petrovskaya Sloboda was formed. Soon, the Petrovsky factory became one of the largest enterprises in Russia, employing hundreds of weapon masters. In the Petrovskaya Sloboda, there were about six hundred residential buildings, including townhouses and merchant estates, and trade rows and temples were built here.

After the end of the Northern War and the defeat of the Swedes, cannon production gradually shifted from the Petrovsky factory to the Urals, where most of the weapons workers also moved. The factory on Lake Onega switched to producing household metal goods and cast iron elements for decorating the banks of St. Petersburg. It was only under Catherine II that weapons production flourished again, and a new factory was established, named Alexander Nevsky. It was at the Alexandrovsky factory that the first narrow-gauge railway in Russia was built. Here, steam engines were produced, and measuring units were exclusively manufactured. The Sloboda was granted city status as Petrozavodsk in 1777. It had a city plan typical of Catherine's time – with a central circular square and radiating streets from there.

In the 19th century, Petrozavodsk was the centre of the Olonets Governorate. The city expanded actively, with new residential houses, temples, and administrative buildings being constructed. A telegraph was built in Petrozavodsk, and later there was also a telephone exchange with several dozen numbers. Just before the October Revolution, the Murmansk railway was extended to Petrozavodsk, and a railway station was opened. Under Soviet rule, new factories and plants, a theatre, a philharmonic, and a university were established in the city. It continues to transform even today: new residential complexes, modern monuments, and public spaces are being created. The honorary noscript "City of Military Glory" was awarded to Petrozavodsk in 2015. The birthday is celebrated on the last Saturday in June.

📍 Coordinates of the location (map point) available here

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