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The appearance of Arkhangelsk had been conditioned by historical, political and social and economical reasons. By building the city here the Russian State had completed the defense system which ensured the safety of the sea trading route. Initially the town was called Novye Kholmogory (New Kholmogory) and up to the 18th century had played an important role in the international sea trading and economic life of Russia.
Arkhangelsk is the first sea port, a sea gate of Russia opened to the West. There is no other town in the Russian North which had been as famous in the past as Arkhangelsk. From time immemorial ship-building has been well developed on the White Sea coast. The Russian fleet was destined to be born here, and the famous ‘three-coloured’ flag of the Russian merchant fleet was first hoisted here. Peter the Great set out on his legendary tour from Arkhangelsk which was finished in the mouth of the Neva River with the foundation of Saint-Petersburg. Here came Russian and foreign merchants from many European countries to sell their goods.
Foreign merchants brought here satin from Amsterdam, velvet from Venetia, cloth from London, blankets from Danzig on board their ships, and bought flax, hemp (ropes of the hemp were considered the world’s best), fat, wax, mast timber. In the Zhabye (‘Toad’s’) Bog (at this place the Popov and Loginov streets start today) the foreigners built their houses and ware-houses. One hundred years after the town was founded its main sight was the huge Guests’ Yard known to all the merchants of Russia and Europe.
In 1693 the young Tsar Peter the Great first came to Arkhangelsk and founded the shipyard on the Island of Solombala where in June 1694 the first ship of the Russian fleet was launched, it was called «Svyatoi Pavel» (St.Paul). The same year Peter again came to Arkhangelsk and established the monopoly for state trading of the most important exported goods in the town which lasted till 1719.
Military activities of the Swedish Navy in the White Sea made Peter the Great think of building fortifications in the town. In May 1701 the construction of the Novodvinskaya Fortress began on his order. It was founded behind the Island of Solombala, down the Dvina River, in the river mouth to guard the town from enemy’s attacks from the sea. In June 25, 1701, the Fortress gave battle to the Swedish squad. It was the first victory of the Russian arms. In 1702 Peter the Great made Arkhangelsk an administrative centre of the land, six years later it became a Gubernia (‘region’) centre. It was Peter the Great who authorized the town’s coat of arms. In memory of his great influence on the development of the area a monument to Peter the Great was erected not far from the Guests’ Yard by M.M. Antokolsky, an outstanding Russian sculptor of the second half of the 19th century. The life-size bronze figure is interpreted as a true portrait of the Tsar and an embodiment of the power of the Russian State. The sides of the 5-meter-high foundation of grey granite bear four dates – 1693, 1694, 1702, 1911. The first three dates commemorate Peter’s the Great visits to Arkhangelsk, the last date is the date of erecting the monument (it was opened later, in 1914).
For centuries courageous Pomors had been leaving Arkhangelsk for the North, for the Arctic seas, to hunt for sea animals and to fish. It was them who had discovered the Islands of Kolguyev, Vaigach, Novaya Zemlya, Grumant (Spitsbergen).
Arkhangelsk is called ‘the gates to Arctic’ by right. Here were the expeditions of V.Chichagov and V. Rusanov, A. Sibiryakov and G. Sedov, P.Pakhtusov and F. Litke were equipped for long and dangerous voyages. Here the first research ship «Persey» (‘Perseus’) was built; it was intended for studying the northern seas and gave a start to the first Kara expeditions. The first air flights to explore the ices commenced the polar aviation in the country.
In 1932 on leaving Arkhangelsk the ice-breaker «Sibiryakov» entered the history as the first to go along the Northern Sea Route during one navigation season. From this city the last expedition of the heroic five - I.Papanin, O.Schmidt, V.Vize, P.Samoilovich, V. Voronin – went to the north to become the first world drifting research station team.
During the Great Patriotic War the White Sea Navy Flotilla was based in Arkhangelsk. As in the First World War Arkhangelsk became the main port to accept military assistance from Europe and America.
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