In 1721, Tsar Peter the Great laid the foundation for what would become the Petrodvorets Watch Factory. He established the Peterhof Lapidary Works. It wasn’t about watches then. It was about crafting exquisite objects from precious stones, adorning the palaces of the Tsars. Imagine skilled artisans meticulously shaping gems, their hands bringing forth sparkling treasures. The Petrodvorets Watch Factory’s journey is a testament to adaptation and resilience. Fast forward to World War II. The factory, a symbol of artistry and precision, was tragically destroyed during the Siege of Leningrad. But from the ashes, it rose again. In 1945, Stalin, aiming to lessen the USSR’s reliance on Western imports, directed the factory to produce watches. The Pobeda and Zvezda brands were born within these walls, marking a new chapter. The Petrodvorets Watch Factory, or Raketa as it later became known, didn’t just make watches. It built a community. At its peak, 8,000 people worked here. The factory complex included hospitals, schools, and even nuclear bunkers. These bunkers, a stark reminder of the Cold War tensions, were designed to protect the entire workforce in case of a nuclear attack. Can you imagine the scale of this place, a city within a city? The Petrodvorets Watch Factory’s legacy extends beyond its walls. Raketa watches adorned the wrists of cosmonauts, polar explorers, and members of the Red Army. The factory even produced watches with English dials for export to 38 countries. From crafting precious stones for tsars to equipping explorers and soldiers with precision timepieces, the Petrodvorets Watch Factory’s story is one of transformation and endurance. It stands as a reminder of a rich past, a symbol of a nation’s ambition, and a testament to the enduring human spirit.
М. К. Прудников
Born into a peasant family in 1913, Mikhail Prudnikov’s journey began in a small village nestled within the Tomsk Governorate.