Arkhangelsk Oblast
Encyclopedia
Arkhangelsk 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 spaceport
s in Russia (the other two are Kapustin Yar
in Astrakhan Oblast
and Svobodny
in Amur Oblast
).
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 the 14th century. Not later than in the 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. Portage
s 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 the 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. On 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 River
s. 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 Plesetsk
aya 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.
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 bear
s 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 swamp
s. 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 park
s, nature reserves (zapovedniks), and zakaznik
s of the federal level. The following protected areas have been designated,
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 opened 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.
(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
).
, 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.
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.
, 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.
In 1765, a road was built between Saint-Petersburg and Arkhangelsk, mainly for postal service. The road still exists and passes Kargopol
and Plesetsk
, and it has been paved in 2011. 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
.
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.
Vital statistics for 2007 (see Total fertility rates by federal subjects of Russia#Natural Growth by Federal Subjects in 2007):
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.
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.
Two of the towns in the oblast - Kargopol and Solvychegodsk - are classified as historical towns by the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation, which implies certain restrictions on construction in their historical centers.
, 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 known since the 17th century 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 the 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 handicraft
s were developed in the area. The most notable ones are the Kholmogory bone carving
, existing since the 17th century, and Kargopol toys
, moulded painted clay
figures of people and animals.
. Until the middle of the 20th century, fairy tales and bylina
s 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 the 20th century, two of the authors of the Village prose
movement in Soviet Literature, which predominantly described 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.
. 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.
Federal subjects of Russia
Russia is a federation which, since March 1, 2008, consists of 83 federal subjects . In 1993, when the Constitution was adopted, there were 89 federal subjects listed...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(an oblast
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
). It includes the Arctic
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
archipelagos of Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
and Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
, as well as the Solovetsky Islands
Solovetsky Islands
The Solovetsky Islands , or Solovki , are an archipelago located in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, Russia. The islands are served by the Solovki Airport. Area: ....
in the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
.
Arkhangelsk Oblast also has administrative jurisdiction over Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a federal subject of Russia .It has an area of 176,700 km2 and population of 42,628 as of the preliminary results of the 2010 Census , 21,296 of whom live in Naryan-Mar, the administrative center.-Geography and ecology:The arctic ecology of this...
(Nenetsia). Including Nenetsia, Arkhangelsk Oblast has an area of 587,400 km². Population (including Nenetsia):
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
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...
, 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
Severodvinsk
Severodvinsk is a city in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the delta of the Northern Dvina River, west of Arkhangelsk. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . Municipally, it is incorporated as Severodvinsk Urban Okrug. The city was founded as...
, home to Sevmash
Sevmash
JSC PO Sevmash is a shipbuilding company based in Severodvinsk, a port city on Russia's White Sea. The name Sevmash is an abbreviation of Severnoye Mashinostroitelnoye Predpriyatie , i.e. "Northern Machine-Building Enterprise". Sevmash is the largest shipbuilding enterprise in Russia and today the...
, the main shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
for the Russian Navy.
Among the oldest cities of the region are Kholmogory
Kholmogory
Kholmogory is a historic village and the administrative center of Kholmogorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on the left bank of the Northern Dvina, along the Kholmogory Highway, 75 km southeast of Arkhangelsk and 90 km north of the Antonievo-Siysky Monastery. The name...
, Kargopol
Kargopol
-Culture and recreation:Today, Kargopol is a sleepy historical town adjoining the Kenozyorsky National Park. It is best known in Russia for Kargopol toys , which are small, simple clay figures painted in traditional style....
, and Solvychegodsk
Solvychegodsk
Solvychegodsk is a town in the southern part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right-hand bank of the Vychegda River northeast of Kotlas. Administratively, it is a part of Kotlassky District. Municipally, it is incorporated as Solvychegodskoye Urban Settlement of Kotlassky Municipal...
; there are a number of Russian Orthodox monasteries, including the Antoniev Siysky Monastery and the World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
of the Solovetsky Islands
Solovetsky Islands
The Solovetsky Islands , or Solovki , are an archipelago located in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, Russia. The islands are served by the Solovki Airport. Area: ....
in the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
.
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport, located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 km south of Arkhangelsk.-Overview:...
is one of three spaceport
Spaceport
A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories...
s in Russia (the other two are Kapustin Yar
Kapustin Yar
Kapustin Yar is a Russian rocket launch and development site in Astrakhan Oblast, between Volgograd and Astrakhan. Known today as Znamensk , it was established 13 May 1946 and in the beginning used technology, material, and scientific support from defeated Germany...
in Astrakhan Oblast
Astrakhan Oblast
Astrakhan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan.-Demographics:Population: Ethnic groups...
and Svobodny
Svobodny (launch site)
Svobodny was a Russian rocket launch site used since 1996 and located at 51 degrees north in the Amur Oblast. Originally constructed as a launch site for intercontinental ballistic missiles called Svobodny-18, it was planned as a replacement for Baikonur Cosmodrome, which became a foreign...
in Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , situated about east of Moscow on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers. It shares its border with the Sakha Republic in the north, Khabarovsk Krai and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the east, People's Republic of China in the south, and Zabaykalsky...
).
History
The area of Arkhangelsk Oblast was settled by Finno-Ugric peoplesFinno-Ugric peoples
The Finno-Ugric peoples are any of several peoples of Europe who speak languages of the proposed Finno-Ugric language family, such as the Finns, Estonians, Mordvins, and Hungarians...
since prehistory, and most of the toponyms
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
in the region are in fact Finno-Ugric. It was subsequently colonized by the Novgorod Republic
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
. Kargopol
Kargopol
-Culture and recreation:Today, Kargopol is a sleepy historical town adjoining the Kenozyorsky National Park. It is best known in Russia for Kargopol toys , which are small, simple clay figures painted in traditional style....
has been first mentioned in the chronicles in 1146, Shenkursk
Shenkursk
Shenkursk is a town and the administrative center of Shenkursky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vaga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkurskoye Urban Settlement of Shenkursky Municipal District. Population:...
— in 1315, Solvychegodsk
Solvychegodsk
Solvychegodsk is a town in the southern part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right-hand bank of the Vychegda River northeast of Kotlas. Administratively, it is a part of Kotlassky District. Municipally, it is incorporated as Solvychegodskoye Urban Settlement of Kotlassky Municipal...
was founded in the 14th century. Not later than in the 13th century the Novgorod merchants already reached the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
. 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
Onega River
The Onega is a river in Kargopolsky, Plesetsky, and Onezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. The Onega connects Lake Lacha with the Onega Bay in the White Sea southwest of Arkhangelsk, flowing in the northern direction. The discharge at the source is and at the mouth is . The river is ...
, the Dvina Land along the Northern Dvina, Pinezhye along the Pinega
Pinega River
The Pinega is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky, Pinezhsky, and Kholmogorsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Northern Dvina River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
, Mezen Lands along the Mezen
Mezen River
The Mezen is a river in Udorsky District of the Komi Republic and in Leshukonsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. Mezen is one of the biggest rivers of European Russia. It is long, and the area of its basin...
, and Pomorye at the White Sea coast. The main waterway was the Northern Dvina, and Novgorod merahcnts used the Volga
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
and its tributary, the Sheksna
Sheksna River
The Sheksna is a river in Belozersky, Kirillovsky, Sheksninsky, and Cherepovetsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It is a left tributary of the Volga River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
, 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
Lake Kubenskoye
Kubenskoe Lake is a large and shallow lake in Vologda Oblast of Russia, situated at the height of 109 metres above mean sea level, stretching for 60 km from north-west to south-east....
and further to the Sukhona
Sukhona River
The Sukhona is a river in the European pert of Russia, a tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The course of the Sukhona lies in Ust-Kubinsky, Sokolsky, Mezhdurechensky, Totemsky, Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky, and Velikoustyugsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It is long, and the area of its...
and the Northern Dvina. Portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
s from the Northern Dvina Basin led further to the Mezen and the Pechora
Pechora River
The Pechora River is a river in northwest Russia which flows north into the Arctic Ocean on the west side of the Ural Mountains. It lies mostly in the Komi Republic but the northernmost part crosses the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is 1,809 km long and its basin is 322,000 square kilometers...
. 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
Veliky Ustyug
Veliky Ustyug is a town in the northeast of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yug Rivers. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . It also serves as the administrative center of Velikoustyugsky District, by which it is completely...
and Kholmogory
Kholmogory
Kholmogory is a historic village and the administrative center of Kholmogorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on the left bank of the Northern Dvina, along the Kholmogory Highway, 75 km southeast of Arkhangelsk and 90 km north of the Antonievo-Siysky Monastery. The name...
, however, during the 17th century, Kholmogory
Kholmogory
Kholmogory is a historic village and the administrative center of Kholmogorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on the left bank of the Northern Dvina, along the Kholmogory Highway, 75 km southeast of Arkhangelsk and 90 km north of the Antonievo-Siysky Monastery. The name...
lost its significance, and its role was gradually replaced by Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
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...
. 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
Solovetsky Monastery
Solovetsky Monastery was the greatest citadel of Christianity in the Russian North before being turned into a special Soviet prison and labor camp , which served as a prototype for the GULag system. Situated on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, the monastery braved many changes of fortune...
was founded, and it quickly became one of the richest and the most influential Russian monasteries. Other monasteries followed. For instance, Kozheozersky Monastery
Kozheozersky Monastery
Kozheozersky Monastery is a Russian Orthodox monastery founded by Niphont of Kozheozero and Serapion of Kozheozero in 1550s. The monastery is located on a peninsula in Lake Kozhozero, in Onezhsky District in the north-west of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia...
, founded in 1552, still remains one of the most remote Russian Orthodox
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
monasteries. After the great schism in Russian Orthodox Church, known as Raskol
Raskol
Raskol |schism]]') was the event of splitting of the Russian Orthodox Church into an official church and the Old Believers movement in mid-17th century, triggered by the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in 1653, aiming to establish uniformity between the Greek and Russian church practices.-The Raskol:...
, occurred in 1653, the area attracted many Old Believers
Old Believers
In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
, 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
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
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
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, 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
Arctic policy of Russia
The Arctic policy of Russia is the domestic and foreign policy of the Russian Federation with respect to the Russian region of the Arctic. The Russian region of the Arctic is defined in the "Russian Arctic Policy" as all Russian possessions located north of the Arctic Circle...
. For instance, in 1830s Pyotr Pakhtusov
Pyotr Pakhtusov
Pyotr Kuzmich Pakhtusov was a Russian surveyor and Arctic explorer. He is credited with the first thorough survey of Novaya Zemlya....
sailed twice from Arkhangelsk to investigate and map Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
. In 1932 the Icebreaker Sibiryakov
Icebreaker Sibiryakov
The icebreaker Sibiryakov was a Soviet ship which was active in the Russian Arctic during the 1930s. She was built in 1909 in Glasgow and was originally the Newfoundland sealing steamer Bellaventure. After being purchased by Russia in 1916, she was renamed the Sibiryakov...
under the command of Vladimir Voronin
Vladimir Voronin (Captain)
Vladimir Ivanovich Voronin was a Soviet Navy captain, born in Sumsky Posad, in the present Republic of Karelia, Russia. In 1932 he commanded the expedition of the Soviet icebreaker Alexander Sibiryakov which made the first successful crossing of the Northern Sea Route in a single navigation...
, sailing from Arkhangelsk, crossed the Northern Sea Route
Northern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane officially defined by Russian legislation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait and Far East. The entire route lies in Arctic...
in a single navigation.
In 1918 and 1919, Arkhangelsk Governorate became one of the most active battlegrounds of the Civil War in Russia. On August 2, 1918 Arkhangelsk was occupied by British and American troops, allied with the White movement
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
. Administratively, they established Northern Oblast
Northern Oblast (1918-1920)
Northern Oblast was a territory in the northwest of Russia controlled by the White movement during the Russian Civil War. Its administrative center was Arkhangelsk....
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
Obozersky
Obozersky is an urban locality in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the upper Vaymuga River, a triburaty of the Yemtsa River in the Northern Dvina basin. Obozersky lies south of Arkhangelsk . The name of the settlement originates from Lake Obozero, located south of...
in September 1918, and moving along the Northern Dvina and the Vaga River
Vaga River
The Vaga is a river in Totemsky, Syamzhensky, and Verkhovazhsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and in Velsky, Shenkursky, and Vinogradovsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left and the biggest tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
s. The southernmost points occupied by the allies were Shenkursk
Shenkursk
Shenkursk is a town and the administrative center of Shenkursky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vaga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkurskoye Urban Settlement of Shenkursky Municipal District. Population:...
and Verkhnyaya Toyma
Verkhnyaya Toyma
Verkhnyaya Toyma is an airport in Russia located 1 km northeast of the rural locality of Verkhnyaya Toyma. It is a paved civilian airstrip serving the region northwest of Kotlas. It is capable of handling Yak-42 and An-24 aircraft...
. The allies were hoping that the Aleksandr Kolchak
Aleksandr Kolchak
Aleksandr Vasiliyevich Kolchak was a Russian naval commander, polar explorer and later - Supreme ruler . Supreme ruler of Russia , was recognized in this position by all the heads of the White movement, "De jure" - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, "De facto" - Entente States...
's forces would move in the direction of Kotlas
Kotlas
Kotlas is a town in the southeast of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Northern Dvina and Vychegda Rivers. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . It also serves as the administrative center of Kotlassky District, by which it is...
, however, the Whit Army was unable to advance in this direction. In January 1919, after the Battle of Shenkursk
Battle of Shenkursk
The Battle of Shenkursk, in January of 1919, was a major battle of the Russian Civil War. Following the Bolshevik victory at the Battle of Tulgas, the Red Army's next offensive action was against the Allied garrison of Shenkursk; located on the Vaga River...
, the allied forces were driven out of the Shenkursk area. Battles around the station of Plesetsk
Plesetsk
Plesetsk is an urban locality Plesetsk is an urban locality Plesetsk is an urban locality (a work settlement and the administrative center of Plesetsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated about northeast of Moscow and south of Arkhangelsk. Municipally, it is the administrative...
aya followed. On February 20, 1920, the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
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
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
from 1950s, when its population (mostly Nenets
Nenets people
The Nenets are an indigenous people in Russia. According to the latest census in 2002, there are 41,302 Nenets in the Russian Federation, most of them living in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Nenets Autonomous Okrug...
) 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
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
Committee (who in reality had the biggest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet
Soviet (council)
Soviet was a name used for several Russian political organizations. Examples include the Czar's Council of Ministers, which was called the “Soviet of Ministers”; a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia; and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union....
(legislative power), and the Chairman of the oblast Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, CPSU
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
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 PurgeGreat PurgeThe Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
; - 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 MikhalchukIlya MikhalchukIlya Filippovich Mikhalchuk , born 2 January 1957 in Kuybyshev, is a Russian politician and is the current Governor of Arkhangelsk Oblast.- References :...
, appointed.
Geography and ecology
Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a federal subject of Russia .It has an area of 176,700 km2 and population of 42,628 as of the preliminary results of the 2010 Census , 21,296 of whom live in Naryan-Mar, the administrative center.-Geography and ecology:The arctic ecology of this...
, borders Kirov Oblast
Kirov Oblast
Kirov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Kirov. Population: -History:In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Vyatka remained a place of exile for opponents of the tsarist regime, including many prominent revolutionary figures.In 1920, a number of...
, Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast
Vologda Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is Vologda. The largest city is Cherepovets.Vologda Oblast is rich in historic monuments, such as the magnificent Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Ferapontov Convent , medieval towns of Velikiy Ustyug and Belozersk, baroque...
, the Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
, the Komi Republic
Komi Republic
The Komi Republic is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is situated to the west of the Ural mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain...
, and the White, Pechora, Barents and Kara seas. Cape Fligely in Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
(the northermost point of Russia, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
) and Cape Zhelaniya
Cape Zhelaniya
Cape Zhelaniya . It lies at the northern end of Severny Island, in Novaya Zemlya, Russia. The whole area is a desolate place, exposed to bitter Arctic winters....
in Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
(the easternmost point of Europe) are both located within Arkhangelsk Oblast.
Arkhangelsk Oblast is located on the East European Plain
East European Plain
The East European Plain is a plain comprising a series of river basins in Eastern Europe. Together with the Northern European Plain it constitutes the European Plain. It is the largest mountain-free part of the European landscape.The plain spans approximately and averages about in elevation...
, and most of it represents forested hilly landscape. The north-eastern part belongs to the Timan Ridge
Timan Ridge
The Timan Ridge is a highland in the far north of European Russia. Most of the Timan Ridge is situated in the Komi Republic, but the northernmost part is in Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Arkhangelsk Oblast. The highest point in the Timan Ridge is Chetlassky Kamen .The Timan Ridge is situated west of...
, a highland mostly situated east from the oblast. The Nenets Autonomous Okrug is essentially a flat tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
(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 bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
s associated with the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
area.
Almost all of the area of the Oblast belongs to the basin of the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
, with the major rivers being (west to east) Onega River
Onega River
The Onega is a river in Kargopolsky, Plesetsky, and Onezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. The Onega connects Lake Lacha with the Onega Bay in the White Sea southwest of Arkhangelsk, flowing in the northern direction. The discharge at the source is and at the mouth is . The river is ...
, Northern Dvina River (with the major tributaries the Vychegda
Vychegda River
Vychegda is a river in the European part of Russia, tributary to the Northern Dvina. Its length is about . Its source is approximately west of the northern Ural Mountains. It flows roughly in western direction, through Komi Republic and Arkhangelsk Oblast. The largest city along the Vychegda is...
, the Vaga
Vaga River
The Vaga is a river in Totemsky, Syamzhensky, and Verkhovazhsky Districts of Vologda Oblast and in Velsky, Shenkursky, and Vinogradovsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a left and the biggest tributary of the Northern Dvina River. The length of the river is . The area of its basin...
, and the Pinega
Pinega River
The Pinega is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky, Pinezhsky, and Kholmogorsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Northern Dvina River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
), Kuloy River
Kuloy River (White Sea)
The Kuloy is a river in Pinezhsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributaries of the Kuloy are the Kyolda , the Nemnyuga , and the Soyana...
, Mezen River
Mezen River
The Mezen is a river in Udorsky District of the Komi Republic and in Leshukonsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. Mezen is one of the biggest rivers of European Russia. It is long, and the area of its basin...
, and Pechora River
Pechora River
The Pechora River is a river in northwest Russia which flows north into the Arctic Ocean on the west side of the Ural Mountains. It lies mostly in the Komi Republic but the northernmost part crosses the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is 1,809 km long and its basin is 322,000 square kilometers...
(with the tributary of the Shapkina River). A minor area in the west of the Oblast, most notably the basin of the Ileksa River
Ileksa River
The Ileksa is a river in Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Pudozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia in Russia. It is the principal tributary of Lake Vodlozero, and thus belongs to the basins of Lake Onega and of the Baltic Sea. It is long, and the area of its basin...
, drains into the Lake Onega
Lake Onega
Lake Onega is a lake in the north-west European part of Russia, located on the territory of Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast and Vologda Oblast. It belongs to the basin of Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and is the second largest lake in Europe after Lake Ladoga...
and eventually to the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. A very minor area in Kargopolsky District in the south-west of the Oblast drains into the Kema River
Kema River
The Kema is a river in Vytegorsky and Vashkinsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It flows out of Lake Kemskoye and is a tributary of Lake Beloye. It is long, and the area of its basin . The main tributary is the Indomanka River ....
which belongs to the basin of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. The area in the Onega River basin containg the biggest lakes in the oblast, such as Lake Lacha
Lake Lacha
Lake Lacha is a freshwater lake, located in the south of Kargopolsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia, south of the town of Kargopol. It is the biggest lake in Arkhangelsk Oblast. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...
, Lake Kenozero
Lake Kenozero
Lake Kenozero is a freshwater lake, located in the south-west of Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and the biggest one in Plesetsky District. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is . Lake Kenozero is the source...
, Lake Undozero
Lake Undozero
Lake Undozero is a freshwater lake, located in the west of Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and the second biggest one in Plesetsky District. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...
, and Lake Kozhozero
Lake Kozhozero
Lake Kozhozero is a freshwater lake, located in the south of Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is one of the biggest lakes in Arkhangelsk Oblast and biggest one in Onezhsky District. The area of the lake is , and the area of its basin is...
. 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
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
, with a number of caves in the region.
The White Sea coast within the Oblast is split into the Onega Bay
Onega Bay
The Onega Bay is located in [the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast in Northwestern Russia, west of the city of Arkhangelsk. It is the southernmost of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Dvina Bay, the Mezen Bay, and the Kandalaksha Gulf. The area of the bay is...
(where the Onega is the major tributary), the Dvina Bay
Dvina Bay
The Dvina Bay is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast in Northwestern Russia. It is one of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Mezen Bay, the Onega Bay, and the Kandalaksha Gulf. The two main river emptying into the Dvina Bay is the Northern Dvina River, while the two cities...
(the Northern Dvina), and the Mezen Bay
Mezen Bay
The Mezen Bay is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Northwestern Russia. It is one of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Dvina Bay, the Onega Bay, and the Kandalaksha Gulf. The Mezen Bay is the easternmost of these, as it lies to the south of...
(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
Onega Peninsula
The Onega Peninsula is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It protrudes into the White Sea, with Onega Bay to the south-west, and Dvina Bay to the north-east. The length of the peninsula is about , and the width varies between and .-Geography:...
. The Mezen Bay is separated from the main body of the White Sea by Morzhovets Island
Morzhovets Island
Morzhovets Island is an island in the southern limit of the Barents Sea. It is located in Mezen Bay, at the entrance of the White Sea thus separating the Barents Sea and the White Sea.Morzhovets lies only a few km above the Arctic Circle...
.
Almost all of the oblast is covered by taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
, the coniferous forest dominated by pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
, and larch
Larch
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...
. Large areas in the middle of taiga are devoid of trees and covered by swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s. 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 park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s, nature reserves (zapovedniks), and zakaznik
Zakaznik
Zakaznik is a type of protected area in Russia and other former Soviet republics such as Ukraine that meets World Conservation Union's category III, or more frequently category VII criteria....
s of the federal level. The following protected areas have been designated,
- Kenozyorsky National ParkKenozyorsky National ParkKenozyorsky National Park is the national park in the north of Russia, located in Kargopolsky and Plesetsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast. It was established December 28, 1991. Since 2004, the National Park has the status of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.- History :Kenozero was always a...
; - Russkaya Arktika National ParkRusskaya Arktika National ParkRusskaya Arktika National Park is a national park of Russia, which was established in June 2009. It covers a large and remote area of the Arctic Ocean, the northern part of Novaya Zemlya , and Franz Josef Land.-Geography:...
(which included previously established Franz Joseph Land Zakaznik); - Vodlozersky National Park (shared with the Republic of KareliaRepublic of KareliaThe Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
); - Pinezhsky Nature ReservePinezhsky Nature ReservePinezhsky Nature Reserve, Pinezhsky Zapovednik is the nature reserve in the north of Russia, located in Pinezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, on the right bank of the Pinega River and on both banks of the Sotka River, the source of the Kuloy River. It was established August 20, 1974...
; - Siysky ZakaznikSiysky ZakaznikSiysky Zakaznik is the federal zakaznik, a nature protected area, in the north of Russia, located in Kholmogorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, north-west of the selo of Yemetsk. It was established in 1963 and transferred to the federal jurisdiction December 30, 1988...
.
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 opened 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 jurisdictionCity of federal subject significance
City of federal subject significance is an umbrella term used to refer to a type of an administrative division of a federal subject of Russia which is equal in status to a district but is organized around a large city; occasionally with surrounding rural territories.According to the 1993...
(Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
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...
, Koryazhma
Koryazhma
Koryazhma is a town in the southeast of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Vychegda River east of Kotlas, at the confluence of the Bolshaya Koryazhemka River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Koryazhma Urban Okrug...
, Kotlas
Kotlas
Kotlas is a town in the southeast of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Northern Dvina and Vychegda Rivers. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . It also serves as the administrative center of Kotlassky District, by which it is...
, Novodvinsk
Novodvinsk
Novodvinsk is a town in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Northern Dvina River, south of Arkhangelsk. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance , while municipally, it is incorporated as Novodvinsk Urban Okrug...
, Onega, and Severodvinsk
Severodvinsk
Severodvinsk is a city in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the delta of the Northern Dvina River, west of Arkhangelsk. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . Municipally, it is incorporated as Severodvinsk Urban Okrug. The city was founded as...
), one city under the federal jurisdiction
Closed city
A closed city or closed town is a settlement with travel and residency restrictions in the Soviet Union and some of its successor countries. In modern Russia, such places are officially known as "closed administrative-territorial formations" ....
(Mirny
Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Mirny is a closed town in the west of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, serving the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance, while municipally, it is incorporated as Mirny Urban Okrug of Arkhangelsk Oblast...
), twenty-one districts (one of which is Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
), and two island territories (Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
and Victoria Island
Victoria Island (Russian Arctic)
Victoria Island is a small Arctic island situated at 80°9'N 36°46'E, halfway between the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard and the Russian archipelago of Franz Josef Land. This westernmost of all Russian Arctic islands is about 14 km² and almost completely covered with ice...
). Another six towns (Kargopol
Kargopol
-Culture and recreation:Today, Kargopol is a sleepy historical town adjoining the Kenozyorsky National Park. It is best known in Russia for Kargopol toys , which are small, simple clay figures painted in traditional style....
, Mezen
Mezen
-See also:*Administrative divisions of Arkhangelsk Oblast...
, Nyandoma, Shenkursk
Shenkursk
Shenkursk is a town and the administrative center of Shenkursky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vaga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Shenkurskoye Urban Settlement of Shenkursky Municipal District. Population:...
, Solvychegodsk
Solvychegodsk
Solvychegodsk is a town in the southern part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right-hand bank of the Vychegda River northeast of Kotlas. Administratively, it is a part of Kotlassky District. Municipally, it is incorporated as Solvychegodskoye Urban Settlement of Kotlassky Municipal...
, and Velsk) have the status of the towns of district significance.
Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a federal subject of Russia .It has an area of 176,700 km2 and population of 42,628 as of the preliminary results of the 2010 Census , 21,296 of whom live in Naryan-Mar, the administrative center.-Geography and ecology:The arctic ecology of this...
, which is administratively subordinated to the oblast, is administratively divided into one district (Zapolyarny District
Zapolyarny District
Zapolyarny District is an administrative district in Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The district consists of all the land with in the Okrug. The administrative centre of the district is Iskateley.-History:...
) and one town of okrug significance (Naryan-Mar
Naryan-Mar
Naryan-Mar is a sea and river port town and the administrative center of Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The town is situated on the right bank of the Pechora River, upstream from the river's mouth, on the Barents Sea. Naryan-Mar lies north of the Arctic Circle, south of Andeg and east of...
).
Restricted access
Huge areas in the limits of the oblast are included into the border security zoneBorder Security Zone of Russia
The Border Security Zone in Russia is the designation of a strip of land where economic activity and access are restricted without permission of the FSB. In order to visit the zone, a permit issued by the local FSB department is required. The restricted access zone The Border Security Zone in...
, 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
Morzhovets Island
Morzhovets Island is an island in the southern limit of the Barents Sea. It is located in Mezen Bay, at the entrance of the White Sea thus separating the Barents Sea and the White Sea.Morzhovets lies only a few km above the Arctic Circle...
, and most of the White Sea coast in Mezensky District. In particular, the area includes the town of Mezen
Mezen
-See also:*Administrative divisions of Arkhangelsk Oblast...
and the urban type settlement of Kamenka
Kamenka, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Kamenka is an urban locality in Mezensky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Mezen River at the mouth of the Kamenka River , some northwest of Mezen...
. In order to visit the zone, a permit issued by the local FSB department is required.
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
Sevmash
JSC PO Sevmash is a shipbuilding company based in Severodvinsk, a port city on Russia's White Sea. The name Sevmash is an abbreviation of Severnoye Mashinostroitelnoye Predpriyatie , i.e. "Northern Machine-Building Enterprise". Sevmash is the largest shipbuilding enterprise in Russia and today the...
), pulp and paper mills in Koryazhma and Novodvinsk, and bauxite extraction plant in Severoonezhsk
Severoonezhsk
Severoonezhsk is an urban locality in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located west of the town of Mirny, on the left bank of the Onega River. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Severoonezhskoye Urban Settlement, one of the eight urban settlements in the district...
. 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 farmsCollective farming
Collective farming and communal farming are types of agricultural production in which the holdings of several farmers are run as a joint enterprise...
, 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
Ustyansky District
Ustyansky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Ustyansky Municipal 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
Kargopol
-Culture and recreation:Today, Kargopol is a sleepy historical town adjoining the Kenozyorsky National Park. It is best known in Russia for Kargopol toys , which are small, simple clay figures painted in traditional style....
and Plesetsk
Plesetsk
Plesetsk is an urban locality Plesetsk is an urban locality Plesetsk is an urban locality (a work settlement and the administrative center of Plesetsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated about northeast of Moscow and south of Arkhangelsk. Municipally, it is the administrative...
, and it has been paved in 2011. One of the principal highways in Russia, M8
M8 highway (Russia)
The Russian route M8, also known as the Kholmogory Highway or Yaroslavl highway, is a major trunk road that links Moscow to the Russian North in general and the sea harbour of Arkhangelsk in particular...
, 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
Syktyvkar
-Twin towns/sister cities:Syktyvkar is twinned with the following sister cities: Cullera, Spain Debrecen, Hungary Los Altos, United States Lovech, Bulgaria Taiyuan, China-External links:* * * *...
; the one (paved) connecting Kotlas to Veliky Ustyug
Veliky Ustyug
Veliky Ustyug is a town in the northeast of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yug Rivers. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . It also serves as the administrative center of Velikoustyugsky District, by which it is completely...
and eventually with Vologda
Vologda
Vologda is a city and the administrative, cultural, and scientific center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the Vologda River. The city is a major transport knot of the Northwest of Russia. Vologda is among the Russian cities possessing an especially valuable historical heritage...
and Nikolsk
Nikolsk, Vologda Oblast
Nikolsk is a town and the administrative center of Nikolsky District of Vologda Oblast, Russia,, located on the right bank of the Yug River close to the point where it flows into the White Sea. Municipally, it is incorporated as Nikolskoye Urban Settlement in Nikolsky Municipal District...
, the one (paved) from Konosha southwards, and two (unpaved) from Kargopol to Pudozh
Pudozh
Pudozh is a town and the administrative center of Pudozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Vodla River east of Petrozavodsk. Population: 8,000 ....
and to Solza
Solza
Solza is a comune in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 35 km northeast of Milan and about 14 km west of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,570 and an area of 1.2 km².Solza borders the following municipalities: Calusco...
and Belozersk
Belozersk
Belozersk , known as Beloozero until 1777 , is a town and the administrative center of Belozersky District of Vologda Oblast, Russia, situated on the southern bank of Lake Beloye, from which it takes the name...
. 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
Vologda
Vologda is a city and the administrative, cultural, and scientific center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the Vologda River. The city is a major transport knot of the Northwest of Russia. Vologda is among the Russian cities possessing an especially valuable historical heritage...
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
Konosha
Konosha is an urban locality Konosha is an urban locality Konosha is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement and the administrative center of Konoshsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Konosha River, south of Arkhangelsk. It also serves as the administrative center of...
eastwards to Kotlas
Kotlas
Kotlas is a town in the southeast of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Northern Dvina and Vychegda Rivers. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance . It also serves as the administrative center of Kotlassky District, by which it is...
and further to Vorkuta
Vorkuta
Vorkuta is a coal-mining town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin at the Usa River. Population: - Labor camp origins :...
was constructed in 1940s to facilitate the transport of coal from the Komi Republic
Komi Republic
The Komi Republic is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is situated to the west of the Ural mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain...
. From Kotlas, another branch continues south to Kirov
Kirov, Kirov Oblast
Kirov , formerly known as Vyatka and Khlynov, is a city in northeastern European Russia, on the Vyatka River, and the administrative center of Kirov Oblast. Population: -History:...
. A branch from Obozersky
Obozersky
Obozersky is an urban locality in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the upper Vaymuga River, a triburaty of the Yemtsa River in the Northern Dvina basin. Obozersky lies south of Arkhangelsk . The name of the settlement originates from Lake Obozero, located south of...
to the west, to Onega and further to Belomorsk
Belomorsk
Belomorsk is a town and the administrative center of Belomorsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Onega Bay on the shore of the White Sea. Population:...
, was built during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to secure the transport of goods from the harbour of Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
to central Russia. A piece of railroad between Arkhangelsk and Karpogory
Karpogory
Karpogory is a rural locality and the administrative center of Pinezhsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pinega River. It also serves as the administrative center of Karpogorsky Selsoviet, one of the seventeen selsoviets into which the district is...
was also built in 1970s and is expected to become part of the Belkomur project — a railway line connecting Arkhangelsk via the Komi Republic
Komi Republic
The Komi Republic is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is situated to the west of the Ural mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain...
with the Perm Krai
Perm Krai
Perm Krai is a federal subject of Russia that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative center of the new federal subject...
and the Ural mountains
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
. Almost the entire rail network belongs to the Northern Railway
Northern Railway (Russia)
The Severnaya Railway is a railway network linking Moscow with Arkhangelsk on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. It runs through Arkhangelsk, Komi, Vologda, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, and Vladimir regions of the Russian Federation.The Yaroslavl Railway, owned by Savva Mamontov, was one of the first...
, which west of Onega connects to the Oktyabrskaya Railway
Oktyabrskaya Railway
The broad gauge Oktyabrskaya Railway or October Railway , which forms part of RZD, is the oldest railway in Russia, located in the north-west of the country. It stretches from Moscow's Leningrad Terminal in the south to Murmansk beyond the Arctic Circle in the north. The total length of the lines...
. There is also a railway line from Severoonezhsk
Severoonezhsk
Severoonezhsk is an urban locality in Plesetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located west of the town of Mirny, on the left bank of the Onega River. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Severoonezhskoye Urban Settlement, one of the eight urban settlements in the district...
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
Onega Peninsula
The Onega Peninsula is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It protrudes into the White Sea, with Onega Bay to the south-west, and Dvina Bay to the north-east. The length of the peninsula is about , and the width varies between and .-Geography:...
, and the north of the oblast. The exceptions with functioning airports are Mezen
Mezen Airport
Mezen Airport is an airport in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia located 4 km north of Mezen. It handles small transport planes. There are several weekly flights to Arkhangelsk and several flights per month to the remote locations of Mezensky District — the selos of Koyda, Moseyevo, and Safonovo.In...
, Leshukonskoye
Leshukonskoye Airport
Leshukonskoye Airport is an airport in the selo of Leshukonskoye, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It is located approximately east of Arkhangelsk, to which it is connected by regular passenger service.-Accidents and incidents:...
, and Onega.
The oil transport system, Baltic Pipeline System
Baltic Pipeline System
The Baltic Pipeline System is a Russian oil transport system operated by the oil pipeline company Transneft. The BPS transports oil from the Timan-Pechora region, West Siberia and Urals-Volga regions to Primorsk oil terminal at the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland.-History:The project started...
, runs through the oblast, with two oil-pumping station located at Urdoma
Urdoma
Urdoma is an urban locality in Lensky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Verkhnyaya Lupya River, a tributary of the Vychegda. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Urdomskoye Urban Settlement, the only urban settlement in the district...
and Privodino
Privodino
Privodino is an urban locality in Kotlassky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Northern Dvina River from Kotlas. Municipally, it is the administrative center of Privodinskoye Urban Settlement, one of the three urban settlements in the district. Population:...
.
Demographics
- 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
Pomors
Pomors or Pomory are Russian settlers and their descendants on the White Sea coast. It is also term of self-identification for the descendants of Russian, primarily Novgorod, settlers of Pomorye , living on the White Sea coasts and the territory whose southern border lies on a watershed which...
, who reside along the White Sea coast and in the valleys of major rivers, speak Pomor dialects
Pomor dialects
Pomor dialects are a group of Northern Russian dialects widespread among the Pomors of the former Arkhangelsk Governorate and northern parts of the Olonets and Vologda Governorates....
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.
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 taigaTaiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
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
Malye Korely
Malye Korely is a village in Primorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, in the north of Russia. The main sight of the village is an open-air museum, featuring the traditional wooden architecture of Arkhangelsk area...
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
Kizhi Pogost
Kizhi Pogost is a historical site dating from the 17th century on Kizhi island. The island is located on Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia , Russia. The pogost is the area inside a fence which includes two large wooden churches and a bell-tower...
in the Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
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
Onezhsky District
Onezhsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Onezhsky Municipal District...
). Other notable wooden churches are located in Kargopolsky (Oshevenskoye, Krasnaya Lyaga, Saunino and others), Verkhnetoyemsky
Verkhnetoyemsky District
Verkhnetoyemsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Verkhnetoyemsky Municipal District...
(Soyezerskaya Pustyn), Onezhsky, Primorsky
Primorsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Primorsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Primorsky Municipal District...
, 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
Solovetsky Monastery
Solovetsky Monastery was the greatest citadel of Christianity in the Russian North before being turned into a special Soviet prison and labor camp , which served as a prototype for the GULag system. Situated on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, the monastery braved many changes of fortune...
(founded 1436, the earliest surviving buildings stem from 16th century) has been designated as the World Heritage. The town of Kargopol
Kargopol
-Culture and recreation:Today, Kargopol is a sleepy historical town adjoining the Kenozyorsky National Park. It is best known in Russia for Kargopol toys , which are small, simple clay figures painted in traditional style....
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
Solvychegodsk
Solvychegodsk is a town in the southern part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right-hand bank of the Vychegda River northeast of Kotlas. Administratively, it is a part of Kotlassky District. Municipally, it is incorporated as Solvychegodskoye Urban Settlement of Kotlassky Municipal...
is an acclaimed baroque masterpiece and one of the five surviving Stroganov baroque churches.
Two of the towns in the oblast - Kargopol and Solvychegodsk - are classified as historical towns by the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation, which implies certain restrictions on construction in their historical centers.
Arts
The monasteries facilitated the development of icon painting which existed in the area well until the 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 SolovetskySolovetsky Monastery
Solovetsky Monastery was the greatest citadel of Christianity in the Russian North before being turned into a special Soviet prison and labor camp , which served as a prototype for the GULag system. Situated on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, the monastery braved many changes of fortune...
, Antoniev Siysky, Kozheozersky
Kozheozersky Monastery
Kozheozersky Monastery is a Russian Orthodox monastery founded by Niphont of Kozheozero and Serapion of Kozheozero in 1550s. The monastery is located on a peninsula in Lake Kozhozero, in Onezhsky District in the north-west of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia...
and other monasteries, as well as in the towns of Kholmogory and Solvychegodsk. Solvychegodsk icon painting was sponsored by Stroganovs
Stroganovs
The Stroganovs or Strogonovs , also spelled in French manner as Stroganoffs, were a family of highly successful Russian merchants, industrialists, landowners, and statesmen of the 16th – 20th centuries who eventually earned nobility.-Origins:...
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 known since the 17th century 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
Chest (furniture)
A chest is one of the oldest forms of furniture. It is typically a rectangular structure with four walls and a liftable lid, for storage. The interior space may be subdivided...
, 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 the 19th century, the professional (non-icon) painting did not develop in Arkhangelsk until 1890s. Alexander Borisov
Alexander Alexeyevich Borisov
Alexander Alexeyevich Borisov was a Russian painter notable for his Arctic landscapes.-Biography:Alexander Borisov was born in the village of Gluboky Ruchey in the north of Russia, now located in the Krasnoborsky District of the Arkhangelsk Oblast. He was one of the four children in the peasant...
, Stepan Pisakhov
Stepan Pisakhov
Stepan Grigorievich Pisakhov - Russian artist, writer, ethnographer, and fairy tale author.-Biography:Stepan Pisakhov was born into a family of a merchant; at the same time his father was a craftsman – a jeweler and engraver. After finishing a municipal school in Arkhangelsk Stepan studied in...
, and Tyko Vylka
Tyko Vylka
Tyko Vylka was the most famous Nenets painter and author, notable for his Arctic landscapes. He was also active in politics and has been elected the chairman of the Novaya Zemlya Island Soviet. Tyko Vylka has been a member of polar expeditions.Tyko in Nenets language means baby polar deer. Ilya is...
, all of them landscape painters interested in Northern and Arctic landscapes, are considered as the founders of Arkhangelsk painting.
Various handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
s were developed in the area. The most notable ones are the Kholmogory bone carving
Kholmogory bone carving
Kholmogory bone carving is a traditional handicraft practised in the villages of Kholmogorsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, in the north of Russia.The craft of bone carving was developed in the town of Kholmogory in 17th century...
, existing since the 17th century, and Kargopol toys
Kargopol toys
Kargopol toys are moulded painted clay figures of people and animals. It is one of the old Russian folk art handicrafts, which is produced in and around the town of Kargopol, Arkhangelsk Oblast, in the north of Russia. It started in 19th century in the areas west of Kargopol. The potters were not...
, moulded painted clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
figures of people and animals.
Literature
Russian North, and, in particular, Arkhangelsk Oblast is an area notable for its folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. Until the middle of the 20th century, fairy tales and bylina
Bylina
Bylina or Bylyna is a traditional Russian oral epic narrative poem. Byliny singers loosely utilize historical fact greatly embellished with fantasy or hyperbole to create their songs...
s were still performed on the daily basis by performers who became professionals. Some of them, like Mariya Krivopolenova
Mariya Krivopolenova
Mariya Dmitriyevna Krivopolenova was a Russian folklore performer and a storyteller.Mariya Krivopolenova was born as Mariya Kabalina in a peasant family on the Pinega River in the Northern Russia. In 1867, she got married and moved to the village of Shotogorka, also on the bank of the Pinega...
, 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
Kargopol
-Culture and recreation:Today, Kargopol is a sleepy historical town adjoining the Kenozyorsky National Park. It is best known in Russia for Kargopol toys , which are small, simple clay figures painted in traditional style....
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
Anna Astakhova
Anna Mikhaylovna Astakhova was a Russian scholar notable for her studies of the folklore of the Russian North.Astakhova was born in Kronstadt, close to Saint-Petersburg, in 1886, and graduated from the Women Pedagogical Institute in 1908. Until 1931, she worked as a schoolteacher, from 1931 as a...
, 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
Stepan Pisakhov
Stepan Grigorievich Pisakhov - Russian artist, writer, ethnographer, and fairy tale author.-Biography:Stepan Pisakhov was born into a family of a merchant; at the same time his father was a craftsman – a jeweler and engraver. After finishing a municipal school in Arkhangelsk Stepan studied in...
and Boris Shergin
Boris Shergin
Boris Viktorovich Shergin was a Pomor-Soviet writer and folklorist. He was born on July 28, 1896 in Arkhangelsk and died on October 31, 1973 in Moscow.-Biography:...
, who were both natives of Arkhangelsk.
Protopope Avvakum
Avvakum
Avvakum Petrov was a Russian protopope of Kazan Cathedral on Red Square who led the opposition to Patriarch Nikon's reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church...
, a 17th century monk, who led the opposition (raskol
Raskol
Raskol |schism]]') was the event of splitting of the Russian Orthodox Church into an official church and the Old Believers movement in mid-17th century, triggered by the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in 1653, aiming to establish uniformity between the Greek and Russian church practices.-The Raskol:...
) against the reforms of the Russian Orthodox Church, was in 1664 exiled for two years in Mezen
Mezen
-See also:*Administrative divisions of Arkhangelsk Oblast...
, and in 1667 was imprisoned in Pustozyorsk
Pustozyorsk
Pustozyorsk was the administrative center of Yugra and Pechora krais of Muscovy and Imperial Russia. It was situated in what is today Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia....
, 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
Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov was a Russian polymath, scientist and writer, who made important contributions to literature, education, and science. Among his discoveries was the atmosphere of Venus. His spheres of science were natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, art,...
, a polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
, and a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, who created the basis of the modern Russian literary language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, was born in 1711 in the village of Denisovka, close to Kholmogory
Kholmogory
Kholmogory is a historic village and the administrative center of Kholmogorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on the left bank of the Northern Dvina, along the Kholmogory Highway, 75 km southeast of Arkhangelsk and 90 km north of the Antonievo-Siysky Monastery. The name...
, 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
Aleksey Chapygin
Aleksey Pavlovich Chapygin was a Russian writer, and one of the founders of the Soviet historical novel.-Biography:Chapygin was born in the Olonets region. His northern peasant origins are reflected in his works. His first book of stories, Those Who Keep Aloof, and his novel The White Hermitage,...
, a historical novelist, was born in what is now Kargopol District. His first novels describe the peasant life of the Arkhangelsk Governorate.
In the 20th century, two of the authors of the Village prose
Village Prose
Village Prose was a movement in Soviet literature beginning during the Khrushchev Thaw, which included works that focused on the Soviet rural communities. Some point to the critical essays on collectivization in Novyi mir by Valentin Ovechkin as the starting point of Village Prose, though most of...
movement in Soviet Literature, which predominantly described rural life, were tightly connected with Arkhangelsk Region: Fyodor Abramov
Fyodor Abramov
Fyodor Aleksandrovich Abramov was a Russian novelist and literary critic. His work focused on the difficult lives of the Russian peasant class. He was frequently reprimanded for deviations from Soviet policy on writing....
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
Tyko Vylka
Tyko Vylka was the most famous Nenets painter and author, notable for his Arctic landscapes. He was also active in politics and has been elected the chairman of the Novaya Zemlya Island Soviet. Tyko Vylka has been a member of polar expeditions.Tyko in Nenets language means baby polar deer. Ilya is...
was born in Novaya Zemlya and was even the chairman of the Novaya Zemlya Island Soviet
Soviet (council)
Soviet was a name used for several Russian political organizations. Examples include the Czar's Council of Ministers, which was called the “Soviet of Ministers”; a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia; and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union....
. Vasily Ledkov lived in Naryan Mar.
Sports
One sport in which the oblast achieved prominence is bandyBandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
. The Vodnik Bandy Club from Arkhangelsk nine times became the Russian champion (1996–2000 and 2002–2005) and won the Bandy World Cup
Bandy World Cup
The Bandy World Cup is held every year in Ljusdal in Sweden. 2009 and 2010 it will be played indoors in Sandviken until Ljusdal get their indoor arena...
in 2003 and 2004.