Original: Bering reached Avacha Bay on July 10 , 1740 and laid the foundation stone for the harbor town , naming the new settlement '' Petropavlovsk '' ( Peter + Paul ) after his two ships , the St. Peter and the St. Paul , built in Okhotsk for his second expedition .
Simplified: It was founded by Vitus Bering in 1740 and was named after ships the St. Peter and the St. Paul .