Arkhangelsk, sometimes Archangel, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, in the north of Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea. The city spreads for over 40 kilometers (25 mi) along the banks of the river and numerous islands of its delta. Arkhangelsk was the chief seaport of medieval Russia until 1703. A 1,133-kilometer (704 mi) long railway goes from Arkhangelsk to Moscow via Vologda and Yaroslavl. The city is also served by the Talagi Airport and a smaller Vaskovo Airport. The population is at 349,000.
The town has a considerable number of architecturally and historically interesting buildings that indicate the former importance as a major trading center. 250 km away from Arkhangelsk on the White Sea are the Solovetsky Islands with world famous Orthodox monasteries located, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Annually a well-known regatta from the city to the islands takes place.
Nordavia (formerly Aeroflot Nord) airline has its head office on the grounds of the Talagi Airport in Arkhangelsk. Arkhangelsk was formerly home to Pomorsky State University and Arkhangelsk State Technical University which merged with several other institutions of higher learning in 2010 to form the Northern (Arctic) Federal University. Arkhangelsk is also home to the Northern State Medical University, Makarov state Maritime Academy, and a branch of the All-Russian Distance Institute of Finance and Economics.
After its historic churches were destroyed during Joseph Stalin‘s rule, the city’s main extant landmarks are the fort-like Merchant Yards (1668–1684) and the New Dvina Fortress (1701–1705). The Assumption Church on the Dvina embankment (1742–1744) was rebuilt in 2004. In 2008, it was decided that the city’s cathedral, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, which had been destroyed under the Soviets, would be rebuilt. The foundation stone was laid in November 2008 by the regional Bishop Tikhon. As of 2015, the walls are nearing completion, and the cathedral, situated near the city’s main bus station and river port, is expected to be completed and consecrated in 2017.
