Arkhangelsk
Overview
Arkhangelsk is a regional center in Northwestern Russia, located on both banks of Northern Dvina river near its inflow into the White Sea, about 1100 km to the north of Moscow.
The city was founded in 1584 and became the first Russian port playing the major role in trade with Europe until the foundation of St. Petersburg in 1703. During the World War II, Arkhangelsk was the key destination point for Allied sea convoys that helped the USSR to confront Hitler. Arkhangelsk is the theme on the Russian 500 rubles banknote, and you will find the sites printed on it walking along the Northern Dvina’s embankment. Other monuments generally belong to the Soviet times, including the iconic monument to Lenin on Lenin Square.
Fantastic river views and ships of its port compensate the city’s architectural scarcity. During the summer, the embankment is the favorite place for walks. Wooden buildings are being gradually moved out of the city, but Arkhangelsk still has many sections of such one or two-storey houses. Most beautiful and well-maintained wooden buildings are concentrated in Chumbarova-Luchinskogo street, planned as a “museum street” by the city authorities. One of the the city’s most favored highlights is Malye Korely, an open-air museum of wooden architecture of the Russian North, located on the bank of a small picturesque river, in a village just outside the city. Malye Korely claims to be Europe’s largest open-air architectural museum. Locals and travellers enjoy skiing and sledging there during the winter. Located off the beaten path of major tourist flow, Arkhangelsk is often regarded as a transit point during a travel to Solovki Islands.
Sights
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KARGOPOL AND KENOZERYE
Take an opportunity to visit Kargopol, one of the ancient Northern towns of the Arkhangelsk region. This area is famous for its unique stone and wooden architecture and Northern nature. Kargopol once was a strategic location on rich trade routes, which contributes to a special atmosphere of an old town. You can visit unique wooden churches in neighboring old villages, enjoy a walking city tour, admire the impressive Nativity Cathedral built in 1562, with its five cupolas and an exhibition inside; taste traditional Northern cuisine cooked in a Russian stove, and get acquainted with the cultural, historical and natural heritage of this region. The other gem of the Russian North is the Kenozero National Park, nestled amongst legendary ancient woodland. Explore the park trails and sites; learn about nature and wildlife as you go, admire numerous samples of wooden architecture, scenic landscapes and local traditions.
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MALYE KORELY
The largest Russian open-air museum, featuring the traditional wooden architecture of the Arkhangelsk region. It has preserved inimitable examples of traditional architecture
and demonstrates the way of life of the Russian North of the past. The museum is divided into segments, which reflects the arrangement of the buildings in northern villages of different parts of the Arkhangelsk region. Here one can meet all patterns of Pomor architecture – log houses, buildings with six walls, ancient churches and temples, storehouses built on piles like “a hut on the chicken legs”. The great amount of wooden wills also boggles the imagination. -
SOLOVETSKY ISLANDS
Solovki (or the Solovetsky Islands, or the Solovetsky Archipelago) are a group of islands in the White Sea. They are well known for the powerful stone fortress of the late XVIth century and a five-domed Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, built in 1566 by Novgorod architects. In 1923, the monastery became the place of mass exile of political prisoners and was turned into the Solovki Special Purpose Camp, the first and the largest one in the country, prototype of the Gulag. The largest pagan sanctuary in Northern Europe with labyrinths and barrows has been preserved on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. The labyrinth of about 25 meters in diameter is the largest stone labyrinth in the world. Another artifact is the canal system which the monks used to connect fresh lakes in the XVIth century, and which visitors can observe in row or motor boats. At Cape Beluzhiy you will have a unique opportunity to see white whales as close to the shore as nowhere else in the world.
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SEVERODVINSK
Severodvinsk is the second largest city of the Arkhangelsk region and the center of Russian atomic shipbuilding industry. The city is located on the White Sea. The most beautiful
sight of the city is the embankment of the Yagry Island with its pines and sandy dunes. Zaostrovye village is located near Arkhangelsk. The first mention of Zaostrovsky Parish dates back to the XVIth century. Today, the Zaostrovsky churchyard includes two magnificent temples. The wooden church of Zaosrovye is the real masterpiece of wooden architecture. The Sretenskaya Church is one of the two Russian churches that never ceased to function.
Hotels
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NOVOTEL ARKHANGELSK
Number of rooms: 89
Distance to the city centre: 1 km
Distance to the airport: 12 km
Address : 55 Naberezhnaya Severnoy Dviny, Arkhangelsk, Russia, 163000A new international hotel located in the business and cultural heart of Arkhangelsk, on the banks of the Northern Dvina river. NOVOTEL is an integral part of the major Delta business center and is just a stone’s throw from the new waterfront and the largest shopping and entertainment center in Arkhangelsk. This hotel is located close to the city’s main attractions, just a few minutes’ walk from the main transport hub, from which you can easily reach any part of the city. Its spacious rooms offer stunning panoramic views of the river and the surrounding countryside. .
The hotel boasts its own restaurant, REKA, serving International cuisine, the 24-hour SVETSKY bar, a fitness center and a free car park. Its facilities include a conference room with a maximum capacity of 165 pax., a fitness centre, parking and 24h reception.
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PUR-NAVOLOK HOTEL
Number of rooms: 164
Distance to the city centre: 1 km
Distance to the airport: 14 km
Address: 88 bld.1 Naberezhnaya of the Northern Dvina, Arkhangelsk, RussiaPUR-NAVOLOK Hotel is located in the centre of Arkhangelsk, on the North Dvina river and provides all that its guests value so much: comfortable rooms, the opportunity to taste delicacies of the Northern cuisine, and a great location. The hotel’s infrastructure includes a wellness centre with a gym, sauna and hammam, a swimming pool, a beauty salon, a souvenir shop, free parking, a restaurant and a top floor bar with a panoramic view on the Dvina river and the town’s quay.
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ADMIRAL HOTEL
Number of rooms: 10
Distance to the city centre: 1 km
Distance to the airport: 11 km
Address : 32 Northern Dvina embankment, Arkhangelsk, Russia 163002Admiral Hotel boasts a central location on the promenade of the Northern Dvina and easy access to all major highlights, as well as all its ten stylish, newly furnished rooms, each one offering free WiFi, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom, a wardroom, a minibar and dining area. Free private parking is available on-site, as well as continental buffet breakfast and airport transfers.
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DVINA HOTEL
Number of rooms: 322
Distance to the city centre: 1 km
Distance to the airport: 11 km
Address: 52 Troitsky Prospekt, Arkhangelsk, Russia 163000Located in the very heart of the city, near its best shopping malls, restaurants, and banking offices, Dvina Hotel is the highest hotel in Arkhangelsk that’s only 20-minutes’ drive from the city’s airport and offers stunning views on the city and the River Dvina. This modern and stylish hotel has clean comfortable rooms of different categories, including suites
with extra services and access to an executive lounge, customer-friendly rates, friendly staff, and meets expectations of the most demanding guests. The hotel’s facilities: a gym, a conference hall with the capacity of 40 pax, a meeting room, a restaurant and a lobby bar, ATMs of large Russian and international banks, electronic payment terminals, a luggage storage room. -
STOLITSA POMORYA HOTEL
Number of rooms: 164
Distance to the city centre: 6 km
Distance to the airport: 14 km
Address: 88 Northern Dvina Embankment, Arkhangelsk, Russia 163000STOLITSA POMORYA is a small and cozy hotel located on the Cape Pur Navolok, right in the Arkhangelsk historical city center. Comfortable rooms, a restaurant offering European cuisine, a wellequipped meeting room for up to 30 people, that can easity be transformed into a private event hall, and helpful staff – there is everything in this hotel for both business and leisure travellers. The hotel provides stunning views over the Dvina river.
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BELOMORSKAYA HOTEL
Number of rooms: 101
Distance to the city centre: 2 km
Distance to the airport: 10 km
Address: 3 Timme Str., Arkhangelsk, Russia, 163060The central location of Belomorskaya hotel allows its guests to easily reach any point of the city. You will enjoy all modern conveniences and easy access to pharmacies, a cinema, two shopping malls, a train station and bus stops with convenient interchange at any end of the city. All rooms are equipped with a TV, a bathroom with shower or bath and toiletries, and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. The guests will enjoy a beauty studio and free parking on-site. Dining options include a restaurant and a bar. Car rental services are also available.
