Arkhangelsk

Arkhangelsk (population 390,000) is a regional center in Northwestern Russia, located on both banks of Northern Dvina river near its mouth on the White Sea, about 1100 km to the north of Moscow and about 1500 km northeast of Saint Petersburg.

The city was founded in 1584 and became the first Russian port playing the major role in trade with Europe until the foundation of Saint Petersburg in 1703. Since then, Arkhangelsk has been developing as a provincial city. The second negative impact on its importance arose with the foundation of Murmansk, a trans-polar non-frozen seaport at Barents Sea, in the beginning of the 20th century. However, honour came to the city during the years of World War II, when Arkhangelsk was the key destination point for Allied sea convoys which helped the Soviet Union to confront Hitler's aggression.

Arkhangelsk claims itself the capital of Russian North. This is a bit pretentious, but reasonable at least in the matter of cultural life, which is very active compared to most cities of the same size in Russia.

The economy of Arkhangelsk is based on timber trade and the paper industry. The city has a large commercial and fishing port.

Located off the beaten path of major tourist flow, Arkhangelsk can be a transit point during a trip to Solovki, but is also worth a separate visit.

The most comfortable time to see Arkhangelsk is summer. During May, June, and July the sun seems to spend 24/7 in the sky. This is actually not so: Arkhangelsk is 300 km south of the Arctic Circle, so it doesn't have polar days or polar nights. But prepare to be awakened by sun peering through you window at 2 AM in summer. The other side of this is 2-4 hours of light per day in winter.

Spring is late (snowfalls in May are quite usual), summer is relatively warm (+20-25C), first snow comes in October or November, winters are harsh (-20-30C, windy). From November to May, the Northern Dvina and White Sea are covered with ice, and ship navigation is possible with icebreakers only.

Arkhangelsk had been founded in 1584, but until 20th century nearly all buildings were wooden. That is why there are not so many examples of old architecture here. Outside of the center buildings become very typical, but the core part of the city has some diversity.

Orientation is easy from Lenin Square, where Arkhangelsk's only skyscraper is built. This 24-floor administrative building is seen from many parts of the city and can act as a lighthouse for a traveller. Streets called ulitsa (улица) are positioned perpendicularly to the river, those are called prospekt (проспект) are parallel to the river. Area of interest is limited by Dvina's embankment (Naberezhnaya) in the west, Kuznechevsky Bridge in the north, Obvodny Kanal prospekt in the east, and the Sea and River Station (Морской и Речной Вокзал) in the south. Most of attractions e.g. views, buildings, museums, restaurants, theatres etc. are located within this shape.

• Northern Dvina's embankment and around. Arkhangelsk is the theme of the Russian 500-ruble banknote, and walking through the embankment you can find all the sites printed on it. For example, the monument of Peter The Great (photo below). Other monuments are generally belong to Soviet period, including the canonical Lenin's monument at the relevant square. There is also a couple of interesting churches around Naberezhnaya, including the former German Kirche (now used as city concert hall). River views and ships also compensate Arkhangelsk's architectural scarcity. Most of Arkhangelsk's street events are organized at Naberezhnaya, in summer the embankment is the favorite place of walking for locals. To find places for eating / drinking go to Troitsky prospekt. Natural history museum and the gallery of arts are located at Lenin Square.
• Wooden Arkhangelsk. Wooden buildings are being gradually moved out of the city, but still Arkhangelsk contains many sections of such 1-2 floor houses. Some of them look beautiful, others are more like slums, but anyway wooden Arkhangelsk is a certain point of interest and worth a walking visit. Even some sidewalks are still made of wood, crunching under feet. Most beautiful and well-maintained wooden buildings are concentrated at Chumbarova-Luchinskogo street (улица Чумбарова-Лучинского) which is planned as a "museum street" by the city authorities.

Northern Dvina's embankment and around. Arkhangelsk is the theme of the Russian 500-ruble banknote, and walking through the embankment you can find all the sites printed on it. For example, the monument of Peter The Great (photo below). Other monuments are generally belong to Soviet period, including the canonical Lenin's monument at the relevant square. There is also a couple of interesting churches around Naberezhnaya, including the former German Kirche (now used as city concert hall). River views and ships also compensate Arkhangelsk's architectural scarcity. Most of Arkhangelsk's street events are organized at Naberezhnaya, in summer the embankment is the favorite place of walking for locals. To find places for eating / drinking go to Troitsky prospekt. Natural history museum and the gallery of arts are located at Lenin Square.

Wooden Arkhangelsk. Wooden buildings are being gradually moved out of the city, but still Arkhangelsk contains many sections of such 1-2 floor houses. Some of them look beautiful, others are more like slums, but anyway wooden Arkhangelsk is a certain point of interest and worth a walking visit. Even some sidewalks are still made of wood, crunching under feet. Most beautiful and well-maintained wooden buildings are concentrated at Chumbarova-Luchinskogo street (улица Чумбарова-Лучинского) which is planned as a "museum street" by the city authorities.

• Solombala Island (Соломбала). Northern Dvina's delta is full of flat islands, several of them form parts of Arkhangelsk, and Solombala is the most known of such parts. Traditional port district, it's filled with the mixture of old wooden houses and modern blocks, unkempt, but colourful. Arkhangelsk competes with Veliky Ustyug to be called the home of Ded Moroz (Farther Frost, Russian version of Santa), and in Solombala you can find "Ded Moroz's village": a kind of entertainment area with Russian traditional facilities for family leisure (like winter snow coasts for kids).
• Malye Korely (Малые Корелы). Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM. An open-air museum of Russian North's wooden architecture. The museum area is situated on the high bank of a small picturesque river and is filled with impressive wooden houses, churches etc. Malye Korely is claimed to be the European-largest open-air architectural museum. Located in a village just outside the city, it's an easy target for a day or a half-day trip. You can also stay there for a night or two in a recently built hotel complex performed in traditional Russian style. Winter gives the opportunity of skiing and sledging in Malye Korely (rent of equipment is possible). Easiest way to reach Malye Karely is to catch a taxi, but you can also try to go by a local bus No. 104 from Sea and River Station (Морской и Речной Вокзал). Admission:.

Solombala Island (Соломбала). Northern Dvina's delta is full of flat islands, several of them form parts of Arkhangelsk, and Solombala is the most known of such parts. Traditional port district, it's filled with the mixture of old wooden houses and modern blocks, unkempt, but colourful. Arkhangelsk competes with [[Veliky Ustyug]] to be called the home of Ded Moroz (Farther Frost, Russian version of Santa), and in Solombala you can find "Ded Moroz's village": a kind of entertainment area with Russian traditional facilities for family leisure (like winter snow coasts for kids).

Malye Korely (Малые Корелы). Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM. An open-air museum of Russian North's wooden architecture. The museum area is situated on the high bank of a small picturesque river and is filled with impressive wooden houses, churches etc. Malye Korely is claimed to be the European-largest open-air architectural museum. Located in a village just outside the city, it's an easy target for a day or a half-day trip. You can also stay there for a night or two in a recently built hotel complex performed in traditional Russian style. Winter gives the opportunity of skiing and sledging in Malye Korely (rent of equipment is possible). Easiest way to reach Malye Karely is to catch a taxi, but you can also try to go by a local bus No. 104 from Sea and River Station (Морской и Речной Вокзал). Admission:.

• Walk through Northern Dvina embankment, see kilometers of water and feel strong wind in any season.
• Have some drink in city coffees.
• Visit one of the city festivals (summer: street theatres from all Europe, winter: ice sculpture festivals)
• Arkhangelsk is called to be cultural capital of Russian North, so plunge into local culture: pay attention to the natural history museum and the gallery of arts, spend an evening at a classical organ concert in a music hall inside a former church.
• Try Northern Dvina's beach in summer (bathing is not recommended due to environmental reasons, but still allowed and possible).
• Spend a couple of hours on a skating-rink or take a skiing day-off in winter.
• Get out to see severe Northern nature, rural settlements, and wooden temples.

Shopping infrastructure in Arkhangelsk is being developed, but yet hasn't achieved the level of 400 000 people regional center. Most of goods are brought from Moscow or St. Petersburg, so they are more expensive than in these cities. There are some local tourist goods to buy:

• Local wooden souvenirs made of birchbark
• Northern sweets named kozuli (козули)
• Picked berries (cranberries, blackberries etc.) and mushrooms. Check local markets in autumn.

• Biblio-cafe, Lenin square. A nice caffeterie in the heart of the city. Shared with a library and performed with old books and writers' portraits on walls. Lovely place for a cup of coffee.
• Treskoed, prospekt Chumbarova-Luchinskogo, 8, +7 8182 44-03-02. An authentic restaurant of traditional Arctic fish cuisine. Menu includes both Russian and Norwegian dishes, the prices are reasonable, and all information is accessible in English and Norwegian.

Biblio-cafe, Lenin square. A nice caffeterie in the heart of the city. Shared with a library and performed with old books and writers' portraits on walls. Lovely place for a cup of coffee.

Treskoed, prospekt Chumbarova-Luchinskogo, 8, +7 8182 44-03-02. An authentic restaurant of traditional Arctic fish cuisine. Menu includes both Russian and Norwegian dishes, the prices are reasonable, and all information is accessible in English and Norwegian.

• Norway, Pomorskaya Street, 16, +7 8182 43-20-03, +7 8182 65-10-43, +7 921 720-9077. Mon 10AM - 4PM, Thu 1PM - 5PM.

Norway, Pomorskaya Street, 16, +7 8182 43-20-03, +7 8182 65-10-43, +7 921 720-9077. Mon 10AM - 4PM, Thu 1PM - 5PM.

Solovetsky Islands are a group of islands in the White Sea, about 200 km northwest from Arkhangelsk, famous because of its monastery (Solovetsky Monastery). Its massive stone walls together with severe northern nature form stunning views. The site is included into UNESCO World Heritage List.

During the Stalin era, Solovetsky Monastery was used as a concentration camp and acted as a cornerstone of gulags.

Now the monastery role is back but you still need a permit to visit islands. Expect at least 4 days to spend there, and take a lot of anti-mosquito spray with you during summer.

There is a direct flight from Arkhangelsk's Vaskovo (Васьково) airport to Solovki (1-2 times a week). During the summer season there is also irregular ship connection. Ask local travel agents for more information.

Pinega (Пинега) is a river in Arkhangelsk region (say 300 km from the city), locally known for beautiful gypsum caves on its banks. Pinega is reachable by bus, extreme lovers can try local train No. 666 (the road to hell as it is), but most probably the best way is to organize the trip via local travel agents.

Siyskiy Monastery is about 200 km to the south from Arkhangelsk, accessible by car. Beautiful site inside taiga.

Severodvinsk, pop. 200 000 is the capital of Russian nuclear submarine production. The city is 35 km away from Arkhangelsk and is easily reachable by car or by bus. If you're not a Russian citizen, you probably need a permit to enter Severodvinsk. There is nothing exceptional in the city's typically Soviet view unless you have a governmental pass to see submarine wharf. White Sea coast is packed into an ugly embankment.