Petrozavodsk is the capital of the Republic of Karelia. The history of the town lying on the west-ern shore of the Onega Lake dates back to 1703 when Peter the Great ordered the construction of an iron foundry and a cannon factory on the shores of the lake. Iron production technology utilized there made the facility the most advanced in Europe of the 18th century. They played an important role in creation of the Baltic Fleet and contributed to termination of the Northern War. Stat-ues of Peter I are now the town’s landmarks. The town embankment facing the Gulf of Petrozavodsk is a unique display of Karelian granites and marbles and extravagant postmodernist sculptures presented by twin town of Petrozavodsk from over the world. A birch grove marks the place where the first church of Petrozavodsk was built in 1703. Petrozavodsk is the home to the Karelian Musical Theatre, Public Library of Karelia and a branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Don’t miss coach tours to the natural gem of Karelia – the Kivach Waterfall and to the resort “Martsyalnye Vody” founded by Peter the Great in 1719.