Timme st | All about Arkhangelsk and Arkhangelsk region

I will try to write all the stuff in the informal way, without a description of city's great historical past, its political and economic meanings in the life of Russia and etc.

I'll try to do it in the easy way to tell you about the city of an Angel – about Arkhangelsk.

A little bit of history: the city was founded in 1584 by the order of the tzar Ivan IV “Redoubtable”(or “Terrible”). Firstly it was called Novoholmogory (New Holmogory). Afterwards it was renamed Arkhangelsk (Archangel) from the monastery of Archangel Michael situated in the center of the settlement. It is the first sea commercial port in Russia. It is the place of the first great victory of the Russian navy over Swedish one. It was happened near Novodvinskaya fortress in the Northern Dvina's mouth. Arkhangelsk is the point of departure of different expeditions headed by Chichagov V.J., Litke F.P., Pahtusov P.K., Rusanov V.A., Sedov G.J., and others. At the time of the Civil war at the early 1920s Arkhangelsk was occupied by American and English forces. While our country was fighting with fascist Germany Arkhangelsk had been the only port in West Russia free of occupants and our allies had been able to supply the USSR with weapon and provision.

And now let's talk about modern Arkhangelsk, about Arhara (a short name of our city). It is presently a little city in the North of Russia. There are around 370,000 habitants there . Not too much .

I am destroying the first myth of Arkhangelsk — there are no white (polar) bears walking around. There are no brown ones too. Some elks appeared in the streets of the city, but it was long ago.

Arkhangelsk is a mixture of faceless blocks and slummy wooden houses. Nevertheless there are some streets being able to tell interesting stories of the old city.

First of all it is the Chumbarovo-Luchinskogo street. (Myth: our local government wishes to turn it in a likeness of Moscow's Arbat with nice fountains and lights). But now it is like a country road, without a hard cavering. There are too much mud there, but houses standing in the street are beautiful!. Most of them are wooden, some are really old and others are built in the style and the spirit of the pre-Revolutionary times. Also there is the wooden pavement (mostki).

Pomorskaya street has some old private residence too. There are museums in the most of them. The Museum of Stepan Pisahov (a northern story-teller and an artist), The Museum of an art familiarization of Arctic and The Museum —Country-seat. There are two nice little side-streets nearby. It is the Teatral'nyj side-street and Bankovskij side-street (Myth: there was a shooting of the historical tv-serial “Sibirjachka” in the Bankovskij s-st.). There are some remarkable buildings. They are destroyed a little, you know, the Time is cruel and there are no money as usual. It ' s Russia :). Also the Church of St. Nicolas is too nice, what is situated opposite the Palace of Pioneers.

The oldest building in the city is the Gostinyj Dvor (Guest yard), or rather its remains in the Embankment of the Northern Dvina. (Myth: you can see the gate what Peter I “Great” walked through) . It is the fact — the most part of the fortress is destroyed by the modern city and the remains look awful. As I told above our government has no money for it:(.

It is necessary to talk about our Embankment. It is a place of rest for our dwellers. Just walk up and down it, you wont regret! (Myth: they say the granite, from what the Embankment consists, is radioactive! Maybe it is a joke:)) . In summer it is heaps of cafes with shashlyki and beer. In summer it is a multitude of cyclists and runners. And at last, summer is white nights what you don't want to spend for sleeping. In winter it is a snowy river spaciousness — too beautiful — and a small group of skiers:)

Pur-Navolok Cape. The place of Arkhangelsk's foundation.
Embankment of the Northern Dvina (photo by Jurij)

Not far away from the city the village Malye Karely is situated. It is a museum of wooden architecture. When you are among the old wooden Pomor houses and there is the ringing of bells everywhere you can get a sense of the ancient Russian tale! Also different celebrations are conducted there. Russian women and men in the Pomor clothes entertain museum's guests with their performance. Besides Malye Karely is an expanse for skiers and snowborders! And the expanse for common guys liking the sliding down the hills.

Our people like sport, especially active one. Therefore our city has an golden bandy team “Vodnik”! So I can say northerners are friendly . Unspiteful . Who really loves the sport can't be spiteful, but we also have outcolders (bad guys) — it is the North, you know!

In any case the city will be branded in your mind. Maybe it will be nice recollection may be bad, it depends on you only.
But if you have not been in Arkhangelsk, come to our little city! Welcome!

At the left - the city from the river, at the right - Troitsky pr. (photo by Jurij)

At the left - Kuznechevsky bridge, at the right - Krasnoflotsky bridge (photo by Jurij)

If you have some nice or bad impressions on Arkhangelsk and our region, please, send it to me:), I will publish your opinion then.