SAINTS, MYSTICS AND VILLAINS OF PETERSBURG

Going round the coastal places most suffered from flooding on the Peterhof road, Alexander I has visited one settlement which has been absolutely destroyed by the water. The ruined peasants have gathered round the emperor and bitterly cried.

Alexander caused from their circle one old man, "Everything, the father tsar, all was lost! Here at aftova (slang) the house has carried away all both with stuff, and with a stomach, at aftova two horses, four cows has flooded, at AFTOVA ..."

"Well, - told the emperor, is all at Aftova, and at others that was lost?" Then peasants have explained to Alexander that the old man used "aftovo" instead of "it".

Laughing over the error, a tzar has ordered to build village on a high embankment and to name its Avtovo. But in old, before-Petersburg times, as topographical plans of a XVII-th century testify, among others there was a rather poor Finnish small village of Autovo, more or less small settlements huddling not far from a gulf.

As researchers believe, the name it goes back to the Finnish word "auto" that means "heathland".

Probably, the inhabitants of Autova did not guess that in several versts from their huts frontiers move, the civil accessory of inhabitants varies, the new capital is erected, and their destiny is defined also.

The earths were fastly distributed to Russian noble families, for buildings of country private residences, travelling and pleasure palaces, breakdowns of gardens and kitchen gardens.

The population of roadside villages increases and becomes multinational that in general was peculiar to young Petersburg.

Gradually Finnish Autovo is Russified to Avtovo. Its borders are moved apart and become indistinct.

To the beginning of 20 centuries Avtovo together with others settlements becomes suburbs of northern capital.

Source: Three centuries of St.Petersburg: Encyclopaedia