Arkhangelsk

Arkhangelsk (English)
Архангельск (Russian)
—  Inhabited locality  —
Arkhangelsk view from Vysotka.jpg
View of Arkhangelsk at night
Map of Russia - Arkhangelsk Oblast (2008-03).svg
Location of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia
Arkhangelsk is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk
Coordinates:
Coat of Arms of Arkhangelsk (Arkhangelsk oblast) (1998).png
Holiday Last Sunday of June
Administrative status
Country Russia
Federal subject Arkhangelsk Oblast
Administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast,
Primorsky District
Municipal status
Urban okrug Arkhangelsk Urban Okrug
Mayor Viktor Pavlenko
Representative body City Council of Deputies
Statistics
Area 294.42 km2 (113.68 sq mi)
Population (2002 Census) 356,051 inhabitants[1]
- Rank 48th
- Density 1,209 /km2 (3,130 /sq mi)[2]
Time zone MSK/MSD (UTC+3/+4)
Founded 1584
Postal code(s) 163000 - 163071
Dialing code(s) +7 8182
Official website

Arkhangelsk (Russian: Арха́нгельск), or 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 far north of European Russia. City districts spread for over 40 kilometers (25 mi) along the banks of the river and numerous islands of its delta. Arkhangelsk was the chief seaport of medieval Russia. It is served by Talagi Airport and the smaller Vaskovo Airport. The city is located at the end of a 1,133 km (704 mi) long railroad, connecting it to Moscow via Vologda and Yaroslavl. Population: 356,051 (2002 Census);[1] 415,921 (1989 Census).[3]

Contents

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 1.6 kg (3.53 lb) 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 75 km (46.60 mi) southeast of Arkhangelsk, up the Dvina River, about 10 km (6.21 mi) 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

Location

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

In 1553, 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 dominated 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

Plan of New Dvina Fort in Arkhangelsk

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.

Icon of Archangel Michael, shown as protector of Arkhangelsk

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.[4]

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.

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

"Sutyagin House", claimed to be the world's tallest wooden single-family house

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 Stalin's rule, the city's main extant landmarks are the fort-like Merchant Yards (1668–84) and the[5] (1701–05). The Assumption Church on the Dvina embankment (1742–44) was rebuilt in 2004.

A remarkable structure is also Arkhangelsk TV Mast, a 151 meters (495 ft) 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, 44-metre (144 ft) tall[6][7] 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.[6][8]

On December 26, 2008, the tower was pulled down,[9][10] and the remainder of the building was dismantled manually by the early February.[11][12]

Climate

Climate data for Arkhangelsk
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: Pogoda.ru.net[13]

Economy

Nordavia (formerly Aeroflot Nord), an airline, has its head office on the grounds of Talagi Airport in Arkhangelsk.[14]

Education and Culture

Archangelsk is home to the following education institutes:

The cultural life of Archangelsk includes

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.[15]

Notable people from Archangelsk

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Arkhangelsk is twinned with:[16]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек (Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. http://perepis2002.ru/ct/html/TOM_01_04_1.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-19. 
  2. ↑ The value of density was calculated automatically by dividing the 2002 Census population by the area specified in the infobox. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox does not necessarily correspond to the area of the entity proper or is reported for the same year as the Census (2002).
  3. ↑ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров. (All Union Population Census of 1989. Present population of union and autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and okrugs, krais, oblasts, districts, urban settlements, and villages serving as district administrative centers.)" (in Russian). Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года (All-Union Population Census of 1989). Demoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics. 1989. http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus89_reg.php. Retrieved 2007-12-13. 
  4. ↑ "Detroit's Polar Bears and their confusing war". The Detroit News. http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=178&category=life. Retrieved July 12, 2007. 
  5. ↑ New Dvina Fortress
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sutyagin House, Arkhangelsk, Russia: Standing tall. WorldArchitectureNews.com, Wednesday 7 Mar 2007. (Includes photo)
  7. ↑ According to other sources, 12 stories, 38 m (124.67 ft)
  8. ↑ Ponomaryova, Hope (26 June 2008). "Гангстер-хаус: Самый высокий деревянный дом в России объявлен вне закона [Gangster house: Russia's tallest wooden house is now outlawed]" (in Russian). Rossiiskaya Gazeta. Moscow, Russia. http://www.rg.ru/2008/06/26/gangster.html. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
  9. ↑ "В Архангельске провалилась первая попытка снести самое высокое деревянное здание в мире [Arkhangelsk The first attempt to demolish the tallest wooden building in the world failed in Arkhangelsk]" (in Russian). NEWSru.com Realty (Недвижимость). Moscow, Russia. 26 December 2008. http://realty.newsru.com/article/26Dec2008/wooden. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
  10. ↑ mihai055 (December 26, 2008). "Сутягин, снос дома [Demolition of Sutyagin's house]" (in Russian) (Flash video). YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa_Ahn29Myw. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
  11. ↑ "В Архангельске разрушено самое высокое деревянное здание в мире [The tallest wooden building in the world has been destroyed in Arkhangelsk]" (in Russian). NEWSru.com Realty (Недвижимость). Moscow, Russia. 6 February 2009. http://realty.newsru.com/article/06Feb2009/sutyagin. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
  12. ↑ "От самого высокого деревянного строения в мире осталась груда мусора [Only a heap of debris is left from the world's tallest wooden building]" (in Russian) (flash video and text). Channel One Russia. Moscow, Russia: Web-службой Первого канала. 6 February 2009. http://www.1tv.ru/newsvideo/137558. Retrieved 2009-12-29. 
  13. ↑ "Pogoda.ru.net" (in Russian). http://pogoda.ru.net/climate/22550.htm. Retrieved September 8, 2007. 
  14. ↑ "Contact Us." Nordavia. Retrieved on 29 June 2010. "Legal address: Russian Federation, 163053, Arkhangelsk, Talagi Airport." - "Контакты." Address in Russian: "163053, г. Архангельск, Аэропорт "Архангельск"."
  15. ↑ Video from a home game against Baykal-Energiya from Irkutsk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uAVZxVEoe0
  16. ↑ "Информация о городах-побратимах" (in (Russian)). www.arhcity.ru. 2007-10-26. http://www.arhcity.ru/?page=232/0. Retrieved 2009-09-17. 
  17. ↑ "Twin towns". www.ouka.fi. http://www.ouka.fi/kansainvalisyys/english/ystavyyskaupungit.html. Retrieved 2009-11-07. 

External links

24-story building in Arkhangelsk

Bridge across the Dvina River

Assumption Church (1742–44)

Naval Cathedral (1760–76)

The Archangel Monastery (1685–99)

The Trinity Cathedral (1709–65)

View of Arkhangelsk Quay in 1826

19th-century view of Arkhangelsk

Northern Dvina Quay

Arkhangelsk's monument to Peter the Great is represented on the 500-rouble banknote

Mark V tank in Arkhangelsk, captured by the RKKA during the British intervention in Russia.

A traditional city manor in a preserved district of Arkhangelsk

A view on a Russian Navy boat from the embankment of the Northern Dvina river