Arkhangelsk



Arkhangelsk (population 350,000 in 2018) is a regional center in Northwestern Russia, located on both banks of Northern Dvina river near its mouth on the White Sea, about 1250 km by road to the north of Moscow and about 1100 km northeast of Saint Petersburg. It is part of the Silver Ring of cultural and historical centers of Northwestern Russia.

Understand
The city was founded in 1584 and became the first Russian port playing the major role in trade with Western 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 that helped the Soviet Union confront German aggression.

Arkhangelsk claims to be 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.

Climate
The most comfortable time to see Arkhangelsk is summer. During May, June, and July the sun seems to stay 24/7 in the sky. This is actually not the case: 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 your window at 02:00 in the summer. The other side of this is 2-4 hours of light per day in the winter.

Spring is late (snowfalls in May are quite usual), summer is relatively warm (+20 to 25°C); the first snow comes in October or November and winter is harsh (-10 to -20°C and windy). From November to May, the Northern Dvina and White Sea are covered with ice, and ship navigation is possible only with icebreakers.

By plane
Arkhangelsk has two airports: Talagi for interregional flights and Vaskovo for flights within Arkhangelsk region. Talagi airport is about a 25-min drive from the city centre. The going rate for a taxi to the airport is about ₽200 but in the opposite direction, enterprising cab drivers ask for around ₽400. Buses 12 and 12к get you from Talagi to city centre for a mere ₽28 but takes almost an hour and the timetable is not optimal.

By train
A slightly more adventurous traveler will probably opt for the train, which from Moscow's Yaroslavsky Vokzal takes about 23 hours with one to two trains per day. A train journey from Saint Petersburg clocks in at around 27 hours with up to three services per week, other cities with direct trains to Arkhangelsk includes Kotlas and Murmansk. Also, there is one international train service from Minsk, the capital of Belarus, once a week taking three nights. As in most northern Russian cities extra trains to and from the Black Sea usually appears during the summer months, catering to domestic tourists but open for anyone to use. Schedules change from year to year so check beforehand.



By car
1200 km by M8 road from Moscow via Yaroslavl and Vologda, and you are in Arkhangelsk (couple of hundreds km more if you drive from St Petersburg). The road is paved, but its quality could be much better.

By ship
Archangelsk is a significant commercial and fishing port acting as well as a gateway to Northern Sea Path (Северный морской путь). But there are no any regular ship connections with Arkhangelsk excluding river commuter ships.

Get around
Arkhangelsk is spread for 42 km via Northern Dvina river and has even several islands with no bridge connection included into its metropolitan zone. So getting around certain districts can be complicated. But all main attractions are located in the center and can be explored by foot.

Public transportation is represented with buses and marshrutki (shared minibuses). It is difficult to use without knowing Russian.

River transport is active during the summer season to connect river island vicinities with the city center.

Commuter trains service connects several suburbs with the city, but is interesting mainly for locals keeping their dachas. Each destination usually have one train in the morning and one in the evening.

Getting around by car or taxi is probably the best way to explore Arkhangelsk. Taxis are inexpensive and could be found near most attractions. Car rental service is represented by local providers only.

All means of transport including taxis reduce their activity significantly after evening rush-hours. This can be especially sensitive in winter, so do not allow yourself to stay half an hour on a -30 °C frost. Order a taxi by phone.

City Centre
Arkhangelsk had been founded in 1584, but until the 20th century nearly all buildings were wooden. That is why there are not so many examples of old architecture here. Outside of the centre, 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. The 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 the attractions, e.g. views, buildings, museums, restaurants, theatres, etc., are within this area.





Do

 * Walk through Northern Dvina embankment, see kilometers of water and feel strong wind in any season.
 * Have something to drink in city cafes.
 * 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.

Buy
Shopping infrastructure in Arkhangelsk is being developed, but yet hasn't achieved the level of a 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.

Sleep
Most tourists visit Arkhangelsk as a transit point to Solovetsky Islands, so the sleeping infrastructure there is quite scarce and oriented mostly on business visitors.

Budget:



Midrange:



Consulates

 * Flag of Norway.svg

Go next
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.