Petrozavodskprint

General City Information

Like many other cities in Russia Petrozavodsk was founded by Peter the Great. Initially, the factory was built on his orders in 1703. The site was founded on the bank of Onega Lake somewhat 420 km North-East from St. Petersburg in the delta of the rivers Lososinka and Neglinka. A settlement called Petrovskaya was built. In 1777 it became a town with the name Petrozavodsk.

Today it is the capital of the Republic of Karelia. It’s an administrative, scientific, cultural, and tourist center of the region. It easily reached from St. Petersburg by night train. The town is a lovely place with approximately 280.000 inhabitants. This is about as much as 35% of the whole Karelian population!

The most popular meeting place for the Karelians and an attraction for the tourists is the Onega quay, which became an open-air museum. There you can see the sculptures, which were given to the town by its seven partner cities. It takes only 1.5 hours by wing boat to reach Kishi—the famous island. From the end of May to the end of September the wing boats are departing daily. The island, which is a monument to Russian timber architecture, doesn’t have any motor traffic. A visit to Kishi is one of the most exciting day trips one might make from Petrozavodsk. There you will witness traditional life set amongst timber buildings of the 18th century.

Karelia is known for its picturesque settings and its healing waters. The first spa in Russia was “Marzianbad” built as far back as the 18th century. The second well-known resort is Kivatsh. It is only 60 km away from Petrozavodsk. It is a health center and a national park.

We are happy to offer you an invitation letter free when you book your accommodation with us!