Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Overview

History

The first mention refers to the Cossack explorers, who in 1697 built the first fortification on the site of the future city. In June 1740, by order of Vitus Bering, the navigator Ivan Elagin and a team of builders landed in Avacha Bay to draw up a map of the area and select a place and build housing for a large expeditionary team. And already on October 17, ships entered the bay Alexey Chirikov and Vitus Bering, who were named after the apostles Peter and Paul.

The date of October 17, 1740 is considered the date of the foundation of the city Petropavlovsk, named after two ships Chirikov and Bering.

In 1912, the city became known as Petropavlovsk Harbor was the only city on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but already in 1924 the name came to be changed to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, to avoid confusion with one of the major cities of Kazakhstan.

What to see

There are many natural attractions near the city. Among them is the famous Valley of Geysers on the territory of the Kronotsky State Biosphere Reserve. In the city itself, it is worth visiting the modern museum of Okeanrybflot JSC, Kamchatka Military Historical Museum, Kamchatka Regional United Museum, Kamchatka Regional Art Museum, Geological Museum, monuments to Bering and La Perouse.