Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
En name	Arkhangelsk Oblast
Ru name	Архангельская область
Anthem	Anthem of Arkhangelsk Oblast
Anthem ref
Political status	Oblast
Political status link	Oblasts of Russia
Federal district	Northwestern
Economic region	Northern
Adm ctr type	Administrative center
Adm ctr name	Arkhangelsk
Adm ctr ref
Pop 2010census	1185428
Pop 2010census rank	43rd
Urban pop 2010census	75.9%
Rural pop 2010census	24.1%
Pop 2010census ref
Pop 2002census	1336539
Pop 2002census rank	40th
Urban pop 2002census	75.2%
Rural pop 2002census	24.8%
Pop 2002census ref
Area km2	587400
Area km2 rank	8th
Established date	September 23, 1937
Established date ref
License plates	29
Iso	RU-ARK
Gov as of	March 2011
Leader title	Governor
Leader title ref
Leader name	Ilya Mikhalchuk
Leader name ref
Legislature	Assembly of Deputies
Legislature ref
Website	http://www.dvinaland.ru/
Date	August 2010 }}

Arkhangelsk Oblast (, ''Arkhangelskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea.

Arkhangelsk Oblast also has administrative jurisdiction over Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Nenetsia). Including Nenetsia, Arkhangelsk Oblast has an area of 587,400 km². Population (including Nenetsia):

Arkhangelsk, with a population of 348,716 as of the 2010 Census, is the administrative center of the oblast. The second largest city is the nearby Severodvinsk, home to Sevmash, the main shipyard for the Russian Navy.

Among the oldest cities of the region are Kholmogory, Kargopol, and Solvychegodsk; there are a number of Russian Orthodox monasteries, including the Antoniev Siysky Monastery and the World Heritage Site of the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea.

Plesetsk Cosmodrome is one of three spaceports in Russia (the other two are Kapustin Yar in Astrakhan Oblast and Svobodny in Amur Oblast).

History

The area of Arkhangelsk Oblast was settled by Finno-Ugric peoples since prehistory, and most of the toponyms in the region are in fact Finno-Ugric. It was subsequently colonized by the Novgorod Republic. Kargopol has been first mentioned in the chronicles in 1146, Shenkursk — in 1315, Solvychegodsk was founded in 14th century. Not later than 13th century the Novgorod merchants already reached the White Sea. The area was attractive in the first instance because of the fur trading. The Novgorodians penetrated the area using the waterways, and this is why most of the ancient (and, as a matter of fact, of the modern) settlements were located into the main river valleys. The main historical areas of Arkhangelsk land were Poonezhye () along the Onega, the Dvina Land along the Northern Dvina, Pinezhye () along the Pinega, Mezen Lands along the Mezen, and Pomorye () at the White Sea coast. The main waterway was the Northern Dvina, and Novgorod merahcnts used the Volga and its tributary, the Sheksna, along the Slavyanka River into Lake Nikolskoye, then the boats were taken by land to Lake Blagoveshchenskoye, from there downstream along the Porozovitsa River into Lake Kubenskoye and further to the Sukhona and the Northern Dvina. Portages from the Northern Dvina Basin led further to the Mezen and the Pechora. After the fall of Novgorod in 1478, all these lands went to the Great Duchy of Moscow. Until 1703, the Northern Dvina served as the main export trading route of Muscovy. The local centers were Veliky Ustyug and Kholmogory, however, during 17th century, Kholmogory lost its significance, and its role was gradually replaced by Arkhangelsk. In 1708, when the governorates were established by Tsar Peter the Great, Arkhangelsk became the seat of one of the seven governorates of the Russian Empire.

At the same time, Arkhangelsk lands were one of the most remote areas in Russia. This fact was attractive for monks fleeing the crowds. In 1436, Solovetsky Monastery was founded, and it quickly became one of the richest and the most influential Russian monasteries. Other monasteries followed. For instance, Kozheozersky Monastery, founded in 1552, still remains one of the most remote Russian Orthodox monasteries. After the great schism in Russian Orthodox Church, known as Raskol, occurred in 1653, the area attracted many Old Believers, the defenders of one of the parties, who were persecuted by the state. Later, the Old Believers in Arkhangelsk Oblast are all but disappeared, fleeing to more remote locations like Siberia.

In 1703, with the construction of St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, which did not have an advantage of being close to Europe, nor being a non-freezing harbour (as Murmansk, built later) lost its significance as the main trading harbour of Russian Empire. However, in the beginning of 20th century Arkhangelsk was a very important starting point for Russian Arctic expeditions. For instance, in 1830s Pyotr Pakhtusov sailed twice from Arkhangelsk to investigate and map Novaya Zemlya. In 1932 the ''Icebreaker Sibiryakov'' under the command of Vladimir Voronin, sailing from Arkhangelsk, crossed the Northern Sea Route in a single navigation.

In 1918 and 1919, Arkhangelsk Governorate became one of the most active battlegrounds of the Civil War in Russia. August 2, 1918 Arkhangelsk was occupied by British and American troops, allied with the White movement. Administratively, they established Northern Oblast with the center in Arkhangelsk. This episode of the Civil War is known as North Russia Intervention. The troops advanced to the south, occupied the station of Obozerskaya in September 1918, and moving along the Northern Dvina and the Vaga Rivers. The southernmost points occupied by the allies were Shenkursk and Verkhnyaya Toyma. The allies were hoping that the Aleksandr Kolchak's forces would move in the direction of Kotlas, however, the Whit Army was unable to advance in this direction. In January 1919, after the Battle of Shenkursk, the allied forces were driven out of the Shenkursk area. Battles around the station of Plesetskaya followed. On February 20, 1920, the Red Army entered Arkhangelsk. By that time, all allied troops were already evacuated.

In 1930s, the Soviets carried out the same experiments in economics as elsewhere in Soviet Union. The peasants and fishermen were forcibly organized into collective farms. These were heavily subsidized, which eventually brought the agriculture to the collapse in 1990s, when the subsidies stopped. Arkhangelsk Oblast was and remains attractive as an area for exile, forcible resettlement, and prison camps. Actually, the first prison camp, Solovki Prison Camp, was created in 1920 on the premises of the former Solovetsky Monastery. Novaya Zemlya from 1950s, when its population (mostly Nenets) was strongly recommended to leave, became the military ground for nuclear bomb testing.

Arkhangelsk Oblast proper was established in 1937. Before 1991, the high authority in the oblast was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Arkhangelsk Oblast CPSU Committee (who in reality had the biggest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the oblast Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected.

The economic crisis of 1990s, after the fall of Soviet Union, stroke Arkhangelsk Oblast very badly. Despite the fact that timber, which constitutes the basis of the economy of the oblast, always was and remains in much demand, the population (especially rural population) of Arkhangelsk Oblast steadily declines, and many villages are deserted or on the verge of being abolished.

First secretaries of the Arkhangelsk Oblast CPSU Committee

In the period when they were the most important autority in the oblast (1937 to 1991), the following first secretaries were appointed

1937 Dmitry Alexeyevich Kontorin, executed during the Great Purge;

1937-1939 Alexander Filippovich Nikanorov, executed during the Great Purge;

1939-1945 Georgy Petrovich Ogorodnikov;

1945-1948 Boris Fyodorovich Nikolayev;

1948-1955 Ivan Sergeyevich Latunov;

1955-1960 Saveliy Prokhorovich Loginov;

1960-1967 Konstantin Alexandrovich Novikov;

1967-1983 Boris Veniaminovich Popov;

1983-1989 Pyotr Maksimovich Telepnyov;

1989-1990 Yuriy Alexandrovich Guskov;

1990-1991 Anatoly Ivanovich Gromoglasov.

Governors

Since 1991, governors were sometimes appointed, and sometimes elected,

1991-1996 Pavel Nikolayevich Balakshin, head of the administration, appointed;

1996-2004 Anatoly Antonovich Yefremov, elected;

2004-2008 Nikolay Ivanovich Kiselyov, elected;

2008- Ilya Filippovich Mikhalchuk, appointed.

Geography and ecology

Arkhangelsk Oblast, which includes Nenets Autonomous Okrug, borders Kirov Oblast, Vologda Oblast, the Republic of Karelia, the Komi Republic, and the White, Pechora, Barents and Kara seas. Cape Fligely in Franz Josef Land (the northermost point of Russia, Europe and Eurasia) and Cape Zhelaniya in Novaya Zemlya (the easternmost point of Europe) are both located within Arkhangelsk Oblast.

Arkhangelsk Oblast is located on the East European Plain, and most of it represents forested hilly landscape. The north-eastern part belongs to the Timan Ridge, a highland mostly situated east from the oblast. The Nenets Autonomous Okrug is essentially a flat tundra (Bolshezemelskaya Tundra) with several hill chains like Pay-Hoy. The Arctic islands including Novaya Zemlya and Franz Joseph Land are mountainous with glaciers and eternally snow-covered. This region has a genetically distinct population of polar bears associated with the Barents Sea area.

Almost all of the area of the Oblast belongs to the basin of the Arctic Ocean, with the major rivers being (west to east) Onega River, Northern Dvina River (with the major tributaries the Vychegda, the Vaga, and the Pinega), Kuloy River, Mezen River, and Pechora River (with the tributary of the Shapkina River). A minor area in the west of the Oblast, most notably the basin of the Ileksa River, drains into the Lake Onega and eventually to the Baltic Sea. A very minor area in Kargopolsky District in the south-west of the Oblast drains into the Kema River which belongs to the basin of the Caspian Sea. The area in the Onega River basin containg the biggest lakes in the oblast, such as Lake Lacha, Lake Kenozero, Lake Undozero, and Lake Kozhozero. The tundra of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug also contains a number of bigger lakes. The river basin of the Pinega is characheristic of the karst, with a number of caves in the region.

The White Sea coast within the Oblast is split into the Onega Bay (where the Onega is the major tributary), the Dvina Bay (the Northern Dvina), and the Mezen Bay (the Mezen and the Kuloy). Solovetsky Islands, as well as a number of smaller islands, are located in the Onega Bay. The Onega Bay and the Dvina Bay are separated by the Onega Peninsula. The Mezen Bay is separated from the main body of the White Sea by Morzhovets Island.

Almost all of the oblast is covered by taiga, the coniferous forest dominated by pine, spruce, and larch. Large areas in the middle of taiga are devoid of trees and covered by swamps. In the floodplains of the rivers, there are meadows.

A number of areas in Arkhangelsk Oblast have been designated as protected natural areas. These are subdivided into national parks, nature reserves (zapovedniks), and zakazniks of the federal level. The following protected areas have been designated,

Kenozyorsky National Park;

Russkaya Arktika National Park (which included previously established Franz Joseph Land Zakaznik);

Vodlozersky National Park (shared with the Republic of Karelia);

Pinezhsky Nature Reserve;

Siysky Zakaznik.

Kenozersky and Vodlozersky National Parks have the status of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In addition, there are two protected areas in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, adjacent to each other, Nenetsky Nature Reserve and Nenetsky Zakaznik. It was planned that one more national park, Onezhskoye Pomorye National Park, would be opeed at the coast of the Onega Peninsula to protect pristine forests, however, the creation of the park was delayed and is not currently on the agenda.

Administrative divisions

The oblast is administratively divided into six cities and towns under the oblast's jurisdiction (Arkhangelsk, Koryazhma, Kotlas, Novodvinsk, Onega, and Severodvinsk), one city under the federal jurisdiction (Mirny), twenty-one districts (one of which is Novaya Zemlya), and two island territories (Franz Josef Land and Victoria Island). Another six towns (Kargopol, Mezen, Nyandoma, Shenkursk, Solvychegodsk, and Velsk) have the status of the towns of district significance.

Nenets Autonomous Okrug, which is administratively subordinated to the oblast, is administratively divided into one district (Zapolyarny District) and one town of okrug significance (Naryan-Mar).

Restricted access

Huge areas in the limits of the oblast are included into the border security zone, intended to protect the borders of Russian Federation from unwanted activity. These restricted areas include all islands in the Arctic Ocean and in Barents Sea, Morzhovets Island, and most of the White Sea coast in Mezensky District. In particular, the area includes the town of Mezen and the urban type settlement of Kamenka. In order to visit the zone, a permit issued by the local FSB department is required.

Economy

Industry

Arkhangelsk Oblast is one of the industrial regions of Russia. The region has a developed fishery, forestry, woodworking, cellulose, and paper industry. There are large reserves of natural resources: Lumber, oil, bauxite, titanium, gold, manganese, and basalt. In 2011, the paper production and related industries were responsible for 55% of all industrial production of the Oblast, food production — 11%, timber processing (excluding paper production) and furniture production — 12%.

The principal industrial enterprises in Arkhangelsk Oblast are shipyards in Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk (including Sevmash), pulp and paper mills in Koryazhma and Novodvinsk, and bauxite extraction plant in Severoonezhsk. Almost any town has some timber works.

Agriculture

Fishery traditionally was the main means of subsistence in the Pomor villages at the White Sea coast. During the Soviet times, the fishermen were organized into collective farms, and the fishery was heavily subsidized. In 1990s the subsidies were stopped, and the fishery went into a serious crisis, some of the villages were deserted.

In the valleys of the main rivers, there is some cattle breeding and crop and potato growing, which is, however, difficult because of the cold climate. Ustyansky District is notable for bee-keeping. Two notable breeds originate from Arkhangelsk Oblast. The Kholmogory cattle, from Kholmogory and Arkhangelsk countryside, mostly black and white, was particularly stable against cold climate in Northern Russia and eventually spread well beyond the Arkhangelsk Region. The Mezen horses, breeded in the Mezen River valley, are rather small but suitable for difficult work and easily survive cold winters.

Transport

The area of current Arkhangelsk Oblast has always been located on the trading routes connecting central Russia to the White Sea, and, in fact, in 17th century the White Sea was the main sea export route for Russia. The whole course of the Northern Dvina is navigable, as well as the lower course of some of its tributaries, most notably the Vychegda, the Vaga, and the Pinega. The Mezen is also navigable in the lower course. The Onega is not navigable except for the two relatively short stretches because of the rapids. However, except for the lower course of the Vychegda and some parts of the Northern Dvina, there is currently very little or no regular passenger navigation on these rivers. They are used for cargo traffic though.

In 1765, a road was built between Saint-Petersburg and Arkhangelsk, mainly for postal service. The road still exists and passes Kargopol and Plesetsk, however, it is mostly not paved. One of the principal highways in Russia, M8, connects Moscow and Arkhangelsk, and passes Velsk. This highway is paved and heavily used. On general, the road network is grossly underdeveloped. Only several all-season highways, in addition to M8, cross the oblast boundaries: the one (partially unpaved) connecting Kotlas with Syktyvkar; the one (paved) connecting Kotlas to Veliky Ustyug and eventually with Vologda and Nikolsk, the one (paved) from Konosha southwards, and two (unpaved) from Kargopol to Pudozh and to Solza and Belozersk. Most of the local roads are unpaved. Until 2008, there were no all-season roads connecting the main road network with the north-east of the oblast, including the town of Mezen and the selo of Leshukonskoye, and there are still no roads into the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, on the left bank of the Onega downstream from Severoonezhsk, and very few roads on the right bank of the Northern Dvina. Many rivers can only be crossed by ferry boats, which means they can not be crossed during the ice melting period. There is regular bus service on the main roads.

The principal railway line in the oblast is the railroad connecting Moscow and Arkhangelsk. The piece between Vologda and Arkhangelsk was constructed in 1890s and passed through previously uninhabited areas between the valleys of the Northern Dvina and the Onega. The railroad construction gave the momentum to the population and exploitation of these areas. A branch from Konosha eastwards to Kotlas and further to Vorkuta was constructed in 1940s to facilitate the transport of coal from the Komi Republic. From Kotlas, another branch continues south to Kirov. A branch from Obozersky to the west, to Onega and further to Belomorsk, was built during the World War II to secure the transport of goods from the harbour of Murmansk to central Russia. A piece of railroad between Arkhangelsk and Karpogory was also built in 1970s and is expected to become part of the Belkomur project — a railway line connecting Arkhangelsk via the Komi Republic with the Perm Krai and the Ural mountains. Almost the entire rail network belongs to the Northern Railway, which west of Onega connects to the Oktyabrskaya Railway. There is also a railway line from Severoonezhsk west to Yangory (an extension of the line from Puksa to Navolok), which belongs to the Department of Corrections. A big number of narrow gauge railways have been built in 1950s and 1960s to facilitate the transport of timber, but since then most of these became unprofitable and have been destroyed.

In 1970s and 1980s the aviation was active, with all district centers connected to Arkhangelsk with regular flights, Kotlas being the second important hub. Currently, it has almost disappeared. There are two airports in Arkhangelsk, but regular flights are only carried out to the destinations which do not have rail or road connections, such as Novaya Zemlya, Solovetsky Islands, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Onega Peninsula, and the north of the oblast. The exceptions with functioning airports are Mezen, Leshukonskoye, and Onega.

The oil transport system, Baltic Pipeline System, runs through the oblast, with two oil-pumping station located at Urdoma and Privodino.

Demographics

According to the 2002 Census, ethnic Russians, at 1,258,938, made up 94% of the population. Other prominent ethnic groups in the region include Ukrainians at 27,841 (2%), Belorussians at 10,412 (0.8%), and Nenets at 8,326 (0.6%). The rest of the respondents identified with 114 ethnic groups, with each group making up less than 0.5% of the population. A small number of respondents (2,212) chose not to state their ethnicity.

Population: 1,336,539

*''Urban'': 999,591 (74.8%)

*''Rural'': 336,948 (25.2%)

*''Male'': 630,011 (47.1%)

*''Female'': 706,528 (52.9%)

Females per 1000 males: 1,121

Average age: 36.5 years

*''Urban'': 35.3 years

*''Rural'': 39.3 years

*''Male'': 33.3 years

*''Female'': 39.3 years

Number of households: 509,035 (with 1,302,734 people)

*''Urban'': 379,212 (with 975,832 people)

*''Rural'': 129,823 (with 326,902 people)

Vital statistics for 2007 (see Total fertility rates by federal subjects of Russia#Natural Growth by Federal Subjects in 2007):

Birth rate: 11.77 per 1000 (Average for Russia is 11.30)

Death rate: 14.67 per 1000

Net immigration: -3.7 per 1000

NGR: -0.29% per Year

PGR: -0.66% per Year

Births (2008): 15,404

Deaths (2008): 18,653

A notable subgroup of Russian population are the Pomors, who reside along the White Sea coast and in the valleys of major rivers, speak Pomor dialects and are in fact the descendants of the Novgorod population who colonized the Russian North in 12th-13th centuries. In 2002 Census, approximately 6500 residents of Arkhangelsk Oblast indicated their ethnicity as Pomors.

Arts and culture

Architecture

Arkhangelsk Oblast is famous for its wooden buildings which include churches, chapels, peasant houses and farms, and city houses. The choice of wood as the construction material is natural for a region almost exclusively covered by taiga and still being one of the biggest timber producers. Some of these buildings date from 17th century. Churches and chapels are considered particularly fine, and almost all of these constructed prior to 1920s have been declared the cultural heritage at the federal or local levels. More than 600 buildings (both of timber and stone) are protected on the federal level. An open-air ethnographic museum was open in the village of Malye Korely close to Arkhangelsk, with the purpose of preserving this heritage.

The most notable wooden churches are triple church ensembles, which consist of two churches (a bigger, not heated, church used in the summer, a smaller, heated church used in the winter, and a bell-tower). Not more than a dozen of these triple wooden ensembles survived, the best known being the one located in the Kizhi Pogost in the Republic of Karelia and is classified as World Heritage. Most of these ensembles are located in the Arkhangelsk Oblast, in particular, in the villages of Lyadiny (Kargopolsky District), Varzogory and Abramovskaya (Onezhsky District). Other notable wooden churches are located in Kargopolsky (Oshevenskoye, Krasnaya Lyaga, Saunino and others), Verkhnetoyemsky (Soyezerskaya Pustyn), Onezhsky, Primorsky, and Plesetsky (Porzhensky Pogost) districts. Despite being listed as cultural heritage, most of these buildings are neglested and regularly burn down. As a matter of fact, the majority of the churches considered as masterpieces has been lost. For instance, Verkhnemudyugsky Pogost in Onezhsky District, a triple church ensemble, burned down in 1997.

The oblast preserves some of the best stone architectural ensembles in Russia. The ensemble of the Solovetsky Monastery (founded 1436, the earliest surviving buildings stem from 16th century) has been designated as the World Heritage. The town of Kargopol contains a number of white-stone churches, the earliest of which, the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, originates from 1552. The Presentation Church (1688–1712) in Solvychegodsk is an acclaimed baroque masterpiece and one of the five surviving Stroganov baroque churches.

Arts

The monasteries facilitated the development of icon painting which existed in the area well until 19th century. No single unified icon style arose, and icons produced in current Arkhangelsk and Vologda Oblasts are commonly known as Northern icon painting (''Северные письма''). Icons were produced in Solovetsky, Antoniev Siysky, Kozheozersky and other monasteries, as well as in the towns of Kholmogory and Solvychegodsk. Solvychegodsk icon painting was sponsored by Stroganovs and generated the Stroganov icon painting school, which in the end of 17th century was principally active in Moscow.

The icon-painting techniques were transferred to the traditional wood painting which has been known from 17st centuries in the valleys of the Northern Dvina (Nizhnyaya Toyma, Borok, Puchuga, Permogorye), the Pinega, and the Mezen. It was used to decorate all kinds of wooden surfaces such as, for example, spinning distaffs or chests, and employed geometrical figures as well as images of plants, animals, and humans. The Arkhangelsk traditional wooden painting is special since the surface was prepared in a particular way before the painting started, similar to icons.

Despite the fact that several notable Russian artists including Vasily Vereshchagin traveled into the region in 19th century, the professional (non-icon) painting did not develop in Arkhangelsk until 1890s. Alexander Borisov, Stepan Pisakhov, and Tyko Vylka, all of them landscape painters interested in Northern and Arctic landscapes, are considered as the founders of Arkhangelsk painting.

Various handicrafts were developed in the area. The most notable ones are the Kholmogory bone carving, existing from 17th century, and Kargopol toys, moulded painted clay figures of people and animals.

Literature

Russian North, and, in particular, Arkhangelsk Oblast is an area notable for its folklore. Until the middle of 20th century, fairy tales and bylinas were still performed on the daily basis by performers who became professionals. Some of them, like Mariya Krivopolenova, were invited to perform in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg and achieved prominence. One of the first Arkhangelsk folklore collector was Alexander Hilferding, who actually died in Kargopol during his journey. Starting from 1890s, folkloric expeditions have been organized to the White Sea area, and later to other areas of the Arkhangelsk Governorate, in order to write down the tales and the bylinas, in particular, in Pomor dialects. In 1920s, mostly due to the efforts of Anna Astakhova, these expeditions became systematic. The results have been published. By 1960s, the performing art was basically extinct. These folkloric motives and fairy tales inspired the literary works of Stepan Pisakhov and Boris Shergin, who were both natives of Arkhangelsk.

Protopope Avvakum, a 17th century monk, who led the opposition (''raskol'') against the reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church, was in 1664 exiled for two years in Mezen, and in 1667 was imprisoned in Pustozyorsk, currently in Nenets Autonomous Okrug, for 14 years before being burned alive. Avvakum is an author of about sixty literary works, including the ''Life of Avvakum'', most of which were written in Pustozyorsk and are considered among the most notable Russian literary pieces of 17th century.

Mikhail Lomonosov, a polymath, and a poet, who created the basis of the modern Russian literary language, was born in 1711 in the village of Denisovka, close to Kholmogory, though he left the area to pursue his studies at the age of 18 and spent most of his career in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. Denisovka was later renamed into Lomonosovo in his honour.

Aleksey Chapygin, a historical novelist, was born in what is now Kargopol District. His first novels describe the peasant life of the Arkhangelsk Governorate.

In 20st century, two of the authors of the Village prose movement in Soviet Literature, which described predominantly the rural life, were tightly connected with Arkhangelsk Region: Fyodor Abramov was born in the peasant family in the village of Verkola in Pinezhsky Uyezd, and Aleksander Yashin lived in Arkhangelsk for some time. In their literary works, as well as in the works of Yury Kazakov, a short story writer who traveled extensively in the Russian North, the life of Arkhangelsk peasants features prominently. The name of one of the Kazakov's books of short stories is ''Poedemte v Lopshengu'' — Let us go to Lopshenga; Lopshenga is a selo on the White Sea coast.

Some of the Nenets authors lived in Nenets Autonomous Okrug. In particular, Tyko Vylka was born in Novaya Zemlya and was even the chairman of the Novaya Zemlya Island Soviet. Vasily Ledkov lived in Naryan Mar.

Sports

One sport in which the oblast achieved prominence is bandy. The Vodnik Bandy Club from Arkhangelsk nine times became the Russian champion (1996–2000 and 2002–2005) and won the Bandy World Cup in 2003 and 2004.

References

Notes

Sources

External links

Official website of Arkhangelsk Oblast

Category:States and territories established in 1937

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Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
En name	Arkhangelsk
Ru name	Архангельск
Coordinates	64°32′″N40°32′″N
Map label position	right
Holiday	Last Sunday of June
Holiday ref
Federal subject	Arkhangelsk Oblast
Adm inhabloc jur	Arkhangelsk Town of Oblast Significance
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Adm ctr of	Arkhangelsk Oblast, Primorsky District
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Inhabloc cat	City
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Urban okrug jur	Arkhangelsk Urban Okrug
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Mun admctr of	Primorsky Municipal District
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Leader title	Mayor
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Leader name	Viktor Pavlenko
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Representative body	City Council of Deputies
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Area km2	294.42
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Pop 2010census	348716
Pop 2010census rank	50th
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Pop 2002census	356051
Pop 2002census rank	48th
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Established date	1584
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Postal codes	163000-163071
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Dialing codes	8182
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Website	http://www.arhcity.ru/
Date	August 2011 }}

Arkhangelsk (), formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river and numerous islands of its delta. Arkhangelsk was the chief seaport of medieval Russia, until 1703. It is served by Talagi Airport and the smaller Vaskovo Airport. The city is located at the northern end of a long railroad, connecting it to Moscow via Vologda and Yaroslavl. Population:

History

Early history

The area where Arkhangelsk is situated was known to the Vikings as Bjarmaland. Ohthere from Hålogaland told from his travels circa 800 of an area by a river and the White Sea with many buildings. This was probably the place later known as Arkhangelsk. According to Snorri Sturluson there was a Viking raid on this area in 1027, led by Tore Hund.

In 1989, an unusually rich silver treasure was found by the mouth of Dvina, right next to present day Arkhangelsk. It was probably buried in the beginning of the 12th century, and contained articles that may have been up to 200 years old at that time.

Most of the findings are made up by a total of of silver, mostly coins. Jewelry and pieces of jewelry hail from Russia or neighbouring areas. Most coins were German, but there was also a smaller number of Kufan, English, Bohemian, Hungarian, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian coins.

It is hard to place this find historically until further research is completed. There are at least two possible interpretations. It may be a treasure belonging to the society outlined by the Norse source material. Generally such finds, whether from Scandinavia, the Baltic area or Russia, are closely tied to well-established agricultural societies with considerable trade activity.

Alternatively, like the Russian scientists who published the find in 1992, one may see it as an evidence of a stronger force of Russian colonisation than previously thought.

Novgorod Russians arrive

In the 12th century, the Novgorodians established the Archangel Michael Monastery in the estuary of the Northern Dvina.

The main trade center of the area at that time was Kholmogory, located southeast of Arkhangelsk, up the Dvina River, about downstream from where the Pinega River flows into the Dvina. Written sources indicate that Kholmogory existed early in the 12th century, but there is no archeological material to illuminate the early history of the town. It is not known whether this settlement was originally Russian, or if it goes back to pre-Russian times. In the center of the small town (or Gorodok) that is there today is a large mound of building remains and river sand, but it has not been archeologically excavated.

Norwegian-Russian conflict

Arkhangelsk came to be important in the rivalry between Norwegian and Russian interests in the northern areas. From Novgorod, the Russian interest sphere was extended far north to the Kola Peninsula in the 12th century. However, here Norway enforced taxes and rights to the fur trade. A compromise agreement entered in 1251 was soon broken.

In 1411, Yakov Stepanovitch from Novogorod went to attack Northern Norway. This was the beginning of a series of clashes, and in 1419 Norwegian ships with 500 soldiers entered the White Sea. The "Murmaners", as the Norwegians were called (cf. Murmansk), plundered many Russian settlements along the coast, among them the Archangel Michael monastery.

Novgorod managed to drive the Norwegians back. However, in 1478 the area was taken over by Ivan III and passed to Muscovy with the rest of Novgorod Republic.

Trade with England, Scotland and the Netherlands

Three English ships set out to find the Northeast passage to China in 1553; two disappeared, and one ended up in the White Sea, eventually coming across Arkhangelsk. Ivan the Terrible found out about this, and brokered a trade agreement with the ship's captain. Trade privileges were officially granted to English merchants in 1555, leading to the founding of the ''Company of Merchant Adventurers'', which began sending ships annually into the estuary of the Northern Dvina. Dutch merchants also started bringing their ships into the White Sea from the 1560s. Scottish and English merchants also traded in the 16th century; however, by the 17th century it was mainly the Dutch that sailed to the White Sea area.

Founding and further development

In 1584, Ivan ordered the founding of New Kholmogory (which would later be renamed after the nearby Archangel Michael Monastery).

At the time access to the Baltic Sea was still mostly controlled by Sweden, so while Arkhangelsk was icebound in winter, it remained Moscow's almost sole link to the sea-trade. Local inhabitants, called Pomors, were the first to explore trade routes to Northern Siberia as far as the trans-Urals city of Mangazeya and beyond.

In 1693, Peter I ordered the creation of a state shipyard in Arkhangelsk. A year later the ships ''Svyatoye Prorochestvo'' (Holy Prophecy), ''Apostol Pavel'' (Apostle Paul) and the yacht ''Svyatoy Pyotr'' (Saint Peter) were sailing in the White Sea. However he also realized that Arkhangelsk would always be limited as a port due to the five months of ice cover, and after a successful campaign against Swedish armies in the Baltic area, he founded St. Petersburg in 1704.

In 1722 Peter I decreed that Arkhangelsk should no longer accept goods more than it was sufficient for the town itself (for the so-called domestic consumption). It was due to the tsar's will to shift all international marine trade to St. Petersburg. This factor contributed a lot to the deterioration of Arkhangelsk that continued up to 1762 when this decree was canceled.

Arkhangelsk declined in the 18th century as the Baltic trade became ever more important. In the early years of the 19th century, the arrest and prolonged detention by the Russian authorities of John Bellingham, an English export representative based at Arkhangelsk, was the indirect cause of Bellingham later assassinating British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval.

Arkhangelsk's economy revived at the end of the 19th century when a railway to Moscow was completed and timber became a major export. The city resisted Bolshevik rule from 1918 to 1920 and was a stronghold of the anti-Bolshevik White Army supported by the military intervention of British-led Entente forces along an Allied expedition, including a North American contingent known as the Polar Bear Expedition.

During both world wars, Arkhangelsk was a major port of entry for Allied aid. During World War II, the city became known in the West as one of the two main destinations (along with Murmansk) of the Arctic Convoys bringing supplies to assist the Russians who were cut off from their normal supply lines. During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Archangelsk was one of two cities (the other being Astrakhan) selected to mark the envisaged eastern limit of Nazi control. The military operation was to be halted at this A-A line, but never reached it in reality as the German forces failed to capture either of the two cities as well as Moscow.

Today, Arkhangelsk remains a major seaport, now open year-round due to improvements in icebreakers. The city is primarily a timber and fishing center.

On March 16, 2004, 58 people were killed in an explosion at an apartment block in the city.

Architecture and monuments

Mikhail Lomonosov came from a Pomor village near Kholmogory. A monument to him was installed to a design by Ivan Martos in 1829. A monument to Peter I was designed by Mark Antokolsky in 1872 and installed in 1914.

A maritime school, technical university and a regional museum are located in the city. After its historical churches were destroyed during Joseph Stalin's rule, the city's main extant landmarks are the fort-like Merchant Yards (1668–84) and the New Dvina Fortress (1701–05). The Assumption Church on the Dvina embankment (1742–44) was rebuilt in 2004.

A remarkable structure is also Arkhangelsk TV Mast, a tall guyed mast for FM-/TV-broadcasting built in 1964. This tubular steel mast has six crossbars equipped with gangways, which run in two levels from the mast structure to the crossbars. On these crossbars there are also several antennas installed (image).

An unusual example of local "vernacular architecture" was the so-called Sutyagin house (Небоскрёб Сутягина, 'Sutyaguin's skyscraper'). This 13-story, tall residence of the local entrepreneur Nikolai Petrovich Sutyagin was reported to be the world's, or at least Russia's, tallest wooden house. Constructed by Mr. Sutyagin and his family over 15 years (starting in 1992), without formal plans or a building permit, the structure deteriorated while Mr. Sutyagin spent a few years in prison on racketeering charges. In 2008 it was condemned by the city as a fire hazard, and the courts ordered it to be demolished by February 1, 2009. On December 26, 2008, the tower was pulled down, and the remainder of the building was dismantled manually by early February 2009.

Climate

Arkhangelsk experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dfc'').

Administrative divisions

Administratively, Arkhangelsk is incorporated as a town of oblast significance (one of the six in Arkhangelsk Oblast). It also serves as the administrative center of Primorsky District, by which it is completely surrounded but is not administratively a part of. Municipally, it is incorporated as Arkhangelsk Urban Okrug.

Administratively, Arkhangelsk is divided into nine city territorial okrugs,

Isakogorsky (Исакогорский);

Lomonosovsky (Ломоносовский);

Maymaksansky (Маймаксанский);

Mayskaya Gorka (Майская Горка);

Oktyabrsky (Октябрьский);

Severny (Северный);

Solombalsky (Соломбальский);

Tsiglomensky (Цигломенский);

Varavino-Faktoriya (Варавино-Фактория).

Economy

Nordavia (formerly Aeroflot Nord), an airline, has its head office on the grounds of Talagi Airport in Arkhangelsk.

Education and culture

Archangelsk is home to the following education institutes:

Pomorskiy State University

Northern State Medical University

Arkhangelsk State Technical University

Makarov state Maritime Academy

A branch of the All-Russian Distance Institute of Finance and Economics

The cultural life of Archangelsk includes:

The Archangelsk Lomonosov Drama Theatre

Arkhangelsk Philarmonia

Arkhangelsk Youth Theatre

Arkhangelsk Oblast Museum

Arkhangelsk Art Museum

Stepan Pisakhov Museum

Literature

Russian North, and, in particular, Arkhangelsk area is an area notable for its folklore. Until the middle of 20th century, fairy tales and bylinas were still performed on the daily basis by performers who became professionals. Starting from 1890s, folkloric expeditions have been organized to the White Sea area, and later to other areas of the Arkhangelsk Governorate, in order to write down the tales and the bylinas, in particular, in Pomor dialects. In 1920s, mostly due to the efforts of Anna Astakhova, these expeditions became systematic. By 1960s, the performing art was basically extinct. These folkloric motives and fairy tales inspired the literary works of Stepan Pisakhov and Boris Shergin, who were both natives of Arkhangelsk.

Sports

Bandy is the biggest sport in the city. Vodnik was the best team in the Russian Bandy League for almost a decade. Arkhangelsk hosted the Bandy World Championships in 1999 and 2003.

Notable people from Archangelsk

Yuliya Fomenko, Athlete (middle distance runner)

Timur Gaidar, Admiral

Ilya Halyuza, Footballer

Nadezhda Kosintseva, Woman chess player (IM)

Tatiana Kosintseva, Woman chess player (GM), younger sister of Nadezhda (above mentioned)

Alex Kravchenko, who in 2007 became the first Russian citizen to ever win a World Series of Poker bracelet, and went on to come in 4th place at the WSOP main event to become the all-time leading money winner among Russian players.

Mikhail Lomonosov, Polymath, discoverer of the atmosphere of Venus.

Vladimir Malaniuk, Chess player (GM)

Mikhail Pletnev, Pianist and conductor, Gold Medallist of the 1978 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow

Stepan Pisakhov, Writer

Boris Shergin, Writer

Anatoli Tebloyev, Footballer

International relations

Twin towns - Sister cities

Arkhangelsk is twinned with:

Portland, Maine>Portland, Maine, United States.

* Mulhouse, France.

* Vardø, Norway.

* Naryan-Mar, Russia.

Kiruna, Sweden.

* Słupsk, Poland.

* Oulu, Finland. ''(since 1993)''

* Ljusdal, Sweden.

* Emden, Germany.

* Piraeus, Greece.

References

Notes

Sources

Further reading

Ogorodnikov Stepan. (1890) Очерк истории города Архангельска в торгово-промышленном отношении (Очерк истории города Архангельска в торгово-промышленном отношении) at Runivers.ru in DjVu and PDF formats

External links

Official web site of Arkhangelsk City Administration The Regional Museum Arkhangelsk Oblast Museum of Fine Arts

Category:Populated coastal places in Russia Category:Port cities and towns in Russia Category:White Sea Category:Arctic convoys of World War II Category:Populated places established in 1584 Category:Cities of Military Glory

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