Arkhangelsk is the true cradle of shipbuilding in our country. Everything in the city is somehow connected with the sea and shipping. The city was founded in the time of Ivan the Terrible. Further, Peter the Great drew attention to Arkhangelsk and chose it as the sea gate of the state. The location of the city at the mouth of a full-flowing river contributed to the development of trade relations with foreign countries. Today the city of Arkhangelsk is immortalized on a bill of five hundred rubles. Severe winters and short, warm summers with its white nights form a unique microclimate of the city. Sea, forest and diamonds are the main treasures of Arkhangelsk. Although, in addition to natural attractions, there are places of interest in the city, especially the squares:
- The main square.
- Peace Square.
- Terekhin Square.
- Bridge area.
- Peoples' Friendship Square.
- Ice Arena.
- The main trading floor.
How to get there
Arkhangelsk can be reached by plane, train and car.
The fastest route runs through the sky. Aircraft fly from Moscow and the northern capital, Anapa, Sochi and several other cities of the country.
The railway station is located near the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution in Arkhangelsk. At the station come trains from Adler, Gomel, Minsk and other settlements. Trains also depart from the capital of our country. The journey takes twenty hours.
The road from Moscow to Arkhangelsk by car passes through such ancient cities as Sergiev Posad, Yaroslavl and others. Driving will have to spend from fifteen to twenty hours.
central square
Lenin Square in Arkhangelsk is the central square. It is located between Troitsky Prospekt, Voskresenskaya and Svobody Streets. For ten years, from 1963 to 1973, the main square of Arkhangelsk was laid on the site of the demolished old buildings. It is surrounded by famous buildings:
- Regional Assembly of Deputies of the Arkhangelsk region.
- Museum of Artistic Culture of the Russian North.
- Regional Museum of Local Lore of the Arkhangelsk Region.
- Northern Maritime Museum. It is located in the city center. The museum is located in the premises of the previously existing seaport, between several marinas. It was created by sailors in the 70s of the previous century. The museum later received state status. Unique objects of the cultural institution tell the whole story of the development of the northern territories since the time of Peter I.
- Shop "House of Books".
- Located on Lenin Square and the Center for Municipal Services of Arkhangelsk, located in the city hall.
- Arkhangelsk City Council of Deputies.
In pre-revolutionary times, the following architectural objects were located on Lenin Square in Arkhangelsk:
- Trinity Cathedral.
- Resurrection Church.
- Governor's house.
- City Duma building.
Unfortunately, all these buildings were either destroyed or reconstructed at the beginning of the last century. The main architectural attraction of the square was the tower of a twenty-four-story building, more than a hundred meters high. In the center of the square in the last century was a fountain. On the one hand, it looked like an anchor, and on the other hand - like a compass. Opposite the fountain was the Obelisk of the North. In 1988, a monument to Lenin V.I. was erected on Lenin Square in Arkhangelsk. The construction replaced the fountain, which was transferred to the drama theater. In 2009, an unnecessary fountain was dismantled and left in a malfunctioning condition on the Square of Trade Unions in Arkhangelsk.
Art Museum of the Russian North
The art center was created in the 60s of the previous century. It was based on a collection of artworks by the regional museum of local lore, consisting mainly of unique objects of local painters and portrait painters. The museum’s foundation also includes many valuable objects of ancient Russian art and the creations of Russian artists donated to the city by the Imperial Academy of Arts at the beginning of the last century, and the Russian Museum after revolutionary events. Then the collection was replenished with objects of Russian art from the Solvychegodsky Museum. Soon the fund of the city museum began to count about 1,500 valuable and unique creations. Today in the collection of the art center there are more than thirty thousand exhibits created from the XIV century to the present day.
The Museum of Fine Arts of the city of Arkhangelsk, unlike other cultural centers of our country, the collections of which are based on the gifts of domestic sponsors, gathered its fund through active work in the 60-80 years of the previous century.
Today, the museum houses collections of ancient, northern icon-painting and wood sculptures dated to the XIV-XVIII centuries. As well as a huge collection of exhibits of folk art of the North, including the national costumes of the northern peoples, woven fabrics, embroidered items, household items, decorated with the technique of wood and metal carving, as well as ceramic crafts. The collection of domestic art of the XVIII - early XX centuries includes the work of almost all widespread Russian artists. The museum owns the best collection of objects in our country with a unique Kholmogory bone carving. Exhibits are often exhibited in other museums in the country and abroad.
The Museum of Artistic Culture of the Russian North is not so much a repository of the values of folk art, but a center of cultural life in the city of Arkhangelsk.
Museum of Local Lore
The history of the local history museum of the city began at the end of the 19th century, when its first collections were collected. This event was preceded by a decree on the organization in all cities of permanent exhibitions of valuable products and industrial designs in the form of museums.
Museums should promote active competition between city dwellers, because each region tried to provide the most unique tools. Also, cultural institutions were supposed to acquaint all members of the royal family and traveling around the country with the peculiarities of one or another region, demonstrating household items and industry that characterize the main wealth of nature and the activities of residents of the country's cities.
Today, the Museum of Local Lore of Arkhangelsk is a large scientific and educational institution, a modern exhibition and methodological center with a large-scale warehouse of books and a library with its own professional restoration workshop. The museum has more than two hundred thousand units of objects, and is the largest book collection of the Arkhangelsk region.
A peculiarity of the museum of local lore is the placement of rarities, which are the main treasures of the museum and unique expositions, including international ones. In the Arkhangelsk Museum of Local Lore there are objects of unique artistic value for the entire state.
Among natural science collections, plates with traces of the fauna of the Vendian period and a collection of minerals dating back over 550 million years are of great value.
The Museum of Local Lore of Arkhangelsk has many partners that provide him with free intellectual and material support. These are scientists, scientific researchers, leading figures of art and science, teachers, ecologists. The sponsors of the museum of local lore of Arkhangelsk are the leading companies of our country from various industries working in the region.
The museum of local lore of Arkhangelsk celebrates its one hundred and eighty anniversary as the largest museum and center for tourists in the region, in which the largest ambitious natural-science, historical, and cultural exhibition is being formed. The traditional forms of work in the museum are actively combined with the use of modern technology, multimedia and interactive exhibitions. At the present stage, the main goals of the museum are to preserve the historical affection of the model of the museum of the local region, to activate the potential of resources (intellectual, financial) to solve the main problems of the development of the region and the city, and to promote Arkhangelsk as the center of the history of Pomerania and the gates of our country in the Arctic.
Legends of the Wandering Fountain
The fountain in the form of a compass with the astrolabe crowning it was installed in 1981 and timed this event to City Day. The fountain became popular among the inhabitants of the city, but did not stand long, eight years later, a huge sculpture of Lenin took its place. It is worth noting that this is the last statue of a leader installed in the USSR. The sculpture was immediately christened King Kong. The fountain moved to the Drama Theater.
There is a legend that the sculpture of Lenin replaced the fountain in order to devastate Arkhangelsk Square from the townspeople constantly walking here. Another legend says that the fountain was made at Severodvinsk Zvezdochka, and radiation-saturated scrap metal from nuclear submarines went to cast it. The version about the radioactivity of the fountain is one of the most popular stories of the city.
Twenty years later, the fountain again moved from the theater to the Square of Trade Unions. There, the building was erected behind a fence, away from residents and visitors of the city, at the foot of the cathedral. Most likely, after such a long downtime, the fountain will be disposed of.
Peace Square
In addition to the Central Square, tourists who arrived in Arkhangelsk must definitely visit the square symbolizing the victory in the Second World War. Where is Peace Square in Arkhangelsk?
It is located on the banks of the Northern Dvina River. The area is limited by the streets of the Northern Convoys and Peter Noritsyn, intersects the embankment of the Northern Dvina. On Peace Square in Arkhangelsk, a parade annually takes place in honor of the memory of the Second World War. For residents and visitors of the city, it is a symbol of Victory. There are the main monuments of the city. This is the Eternal Flame and the Victory Monument. These are the most significant and visited objects of Peace Square in Arkhangelsk, a photo of the Eternal Flame is presented below.
On the square every winter there is a demonstration of the entries "Songs Frozen". This competition is a continuation of centuries-old folk traditions. On the territory of the square near the building of the Mir cinema, a monument was erected in the form of a nineteen-meter stele from a concrete monolith, dedicated to the soldiers who fell during the Second World War. The shape of the structure symbolizes the banner. At the base of the stele, an arch with a through passage is cut out, in which eternal flame is visible. The facade of the monument faces the Northern Dvina, therefore, it is perfectly visible from the stele river. Below in the photo is Peace Square in Arkhangelsk and a view of the embankment.
Three metal sculptures are fixed on the granite pedestal of the monument - a woman, a soldier and a sailor.
Terekhin Square
There are a lot of beautiful squares in Arkhangelsk. One of them is named after the naval sailor, a participant in the active struggle for the power of the Soviets - A. Terekhin. In 1917 he was elected head of the Svyatogor icebreaker committee. During the revolutionary events of 1917, the crew of the ship, led by the commander, moved to the other side of the government. Later, the icebreaker was flooded by sailors at the time of the impending threat of a military invasion of the interventionists. After the invaders seized the city, most of the crew members of the icebreaker were arrested, A. Terekhin himself was executed in 1919.
Trade Union Square
At the beginning of the last century, Arkhangelsk literally drowned in temples. Until the 20s of the last century, an ensemble of churches stretched from the Archbishop's Street to the Solombalsky Bridge, along the Northern Dvina River, the center of which was the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk Monastery and the Trinity Cathedral. Then the Square of Trade Unions appeared there.
The most ancient temple of Arkhangelsk was the cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel Monastery. In the 20 years of the last century, the monastery was closed, and later the temple was completely demolished. At the beginning of this century, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia blessed the construction of a new cathedral. For more than ten years, the construction of the Cathedral in the name of St. Archangel Michael.
It is worth noting that many residents of the city protested against the construction of the cathedral on the Square of Trade Unions, as there was a monument to the "Valiant Defenders of the Soviet North of 1918-1920". In November 2005, the monument was moved to the site in front of the Sports Palace .
In the same year, the mayor supported the renaming of the Square of Trade Unions into the Cathedral Square of Arkhangelsk.
Stories and legends of the destruction of temples
Legends about the destruction of temples in the USSR occupy a significant place in the history of Arkhangelsk . The destruction of religious buildings is one of the gravest sins. Punishment for such an act will be necessary. In Arkhangelsk there were quite a few such cases. For example, old-town archangelists tell terrible stories that when they dismantled the Trinity Cathedral, the domes could not be dismantled for a long time, and during the destruction of the shrine, moans, screams, and cries were heard.
It is worth noting that there are many legends about the restoration of the shrine. They describe the divine status of the place where "divine powers" are being revived. The special status is confirmed by a sign from above. So, for example, there is a legend about the St. Nicholas Church and the bell ringing that was heard during the construction of the church. The ringing of bells is a confirmation of the holiness of the place.
Eugene Kokovin Square
In recent years, initiatives to rename the streets and squares of Arkhangelsk have become systemic. However, these innovations do not please the residents of the city.
The curator of the literary museum of Arkhangelsk, Boris Egorov, sent a letter to the city hall of the city of members of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation with a request to rename the Bridge Square of Arkhangelsk to the square named after Evgeny Kokovin. The issue is currently under consideration.
Peoples' Friendship Square
In Arkhangelsk, representatives of various peoples and faiths live next to each other. The main associations were included in the Council of Nationalities organized in the city. Representatives of the Council participate in annual forums, celebrations related to the city’s birthday, other events, as well as perform concerts and meet with young people.
Religious institutions of various faiths are already under construction and planned in Arkhangelsk. Recently, the city completed the construction of the Orthodox Michael the Archangel Cathedral, plans to build several churches, the construction of a synagogue, two mosques.
In recent years, fortunately, no serious conflicts have been recorded in the city on the basis of interfaith hostility. Although representatives of different religions have their own interests and plans. Participants in the national-cultural autonomy of Germany wish to make the Lutheran Church, a hall for organizing concerts with an organ, a regular place of worship. The Polish diaspora is seeking the foundation of a Catholic church in Arkhangelsk. It should also be said about the Old Orthodox Pomeranian Church, which has an interest in the construction of a church on the territory of the main city of Pomor.
Representatives of all faiths advocate decorating the Square of Friendship of Peoples in Arkhangelsk with the symbols of the peoples living here.
More recently, a new highway was built in Arkhangelsk that connects the Peoples' Friendship Square with the embankment.
Ice square
The square with the Titan Arena in Arkhangelsk is located in the city center, at the intersection of the main highways. This is the first entertainment complex of the European format in Arkhangelsk. The interior design of the shopping center was completed by an English team of architects. About 250 thousand people live in the zone, which is separated from the complex by fifteen minutes by car, which makes up 60% of the population of Arkhangelsk. The Titan Arena is located in the center of residential areas, near multi-story new buildings. Near the mall there is a public transport stop.
We describe the main characteristics of the "Titan Arena" in Arkhangelsk:
- This is the first project in the city in which domestic and international networks are represented.
- The area of the mall is 60 thousand square meters.
- Rental area is 31 thousand square meters.
- Parking is designed for 650 cars.
- The opening took place four years ago (2014).
The shopping gallery of stores will include more than one hundred well-known brands of quality products. The main tenants are supermarkets.
The center of gravity of the Titan Arena in Arkhangelsk has become an ice arena. There is also a cinema, a children's entertainment center and an outdoor area with cafes and restaurants.
Trade area
The entertainment center "Maxi" on the square in Arkhangelsk is located on the banks of a large river. This is one of the most popular shopping centers in the entire region.
We describe the main characteristics of the shopping center "Maxi" in Arkhangelsk:
- Three floors with shops located on them.
- Placement of the largest grocery hypermarket "Maxi".
- The presence of a family outdoor activity park.
- Accommodation adult and children's beauty studio.
- The presence of the sports club "Palestra".
- Availability of free parking for one thousand two hundred places.
The facade of the shopping center "Maxi" with a length of more than three hundred meters goes to the main thoroughfare of the city, connecting the main part of Arkhangelsk and residential areas in the east. Convenient access to the center from the main city highway provides an increase in the area of the carriageway at the mall.
The total area of the building of the Maxi complex in Arkhangelsk is 65 thousand square meters. On the ground floor there are: a large grocery store, a household home store, a perfumery supermarket and a shopping gallery of famous brands. On the next floor are the main tenants of the shopping segment. The children's goods store is located on the top floor of the shopping center.
On three floors of the Maxi shopping center there are: the Maxi grocery hypermarket of the same name, as well as more than 80 stores of the most famous international brands of clothes and shoes. The catering sector of the Maxi shopping center in Arkhangelsk includes various cafes and restaurants.
Among the entertainment facilities of the shopping center is the largest family park in the city and a sports club. The mall hosts various family events.
This is not the only popular place on the Market Square. Here you can find many other shopping centers and entertainment venues, as well as small boutiques and cozy cafes. For the convenience of pedestrians, specialized traffic lights, crossings and public transport stops are created.
About ten thousand citizens live in a ten-minute drive from the square. The location of the square makes it equally accessible to all residents, nearby there are twelve routes of public transport. For the convenience of owners of private cars, parking for 1200 cars is equipped near shopping centers.