In Russia – with love. Arkhangelsk. Not to be confused with Astrakhan

They say Lomonosov walked from there. Now there is no such need. There is an airport in Arkhangelsk, to my surprise, with air bridges and a small smoking room in the business lounge. The flight is an hour and a half. By car from Moscow – about 10 hours, through Yaroslavl, Vologda and 500 kilometers of emptiness. But on a very high quality road.

The city is a little strange. Apparently, for many years it spontaneously collapsed, and the authorities watched indifferently. Now, it seems, they got down to business, but somehow chaotically, in pieces. The most notable buildings are shopping malls.

The fate of northern wooden architecture is sad. In the city, the last buildings are slowly rotting and burning down. Developers really need this land. Apparently, it is believed that an exemplary pedestrian with a dozen or two historical buildings is quite enough for the memory of a unique architectural culture.

Here, of course, there is some isolation from the “mainland”, and Pomorie developed, basically, by itself. Local historians said that before Ivan the Terrible, no one had any idea about the existence of vast lands and a whole people that reveres the Russian Tsar and recognizes his power.

The city of the Archangel is named after the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk Monastery that existed here. That is why the inhabitants are called Arkhangelsk people. The confusion joke was born during Yeltsin’s election campaign in 1996. Arriving here to meet with voters, Boris Nikolayevich immediately greeted them: “Hello, dear Astrakhan!” It would seem that a simple reservation, but here it is very well remembered.

A forty-minute drive from Arkhangelsk is Severodvinsk with its military industries. Together, these two cities are one of the most important outposts of our northern borders. Moreover, in Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk is considered their suburb, and in Severodvinsk – on the contrary.

If you suddenly catch a short summer, then it is in Severodvinsk that you will find beautiful sandy beaches. With pines. It looks like our former Baltic states. But in winter there is a very strong wind, although creaking frosts as such are quite rare.

If you want entertainment, then it’s back to Arkhangelsk. There are several quite decent (including prices) restaurants. At the forefront, of course, is the fish. The fantasies of the chefs turn it into intricate dishes. For the first time, I came across a combination of, for example, halibut and baked beets. I even repeated it at home – I liked it so much.

Of course, you can find a variety of products from the White Sea algae. Edible, cosmetic and perfumery. Marmalade and chocolate, soaps and creams, toothpastes and face masks… Ladies have something to look at and twist in their hands.

With hotels – as usual. Several fading Soviet hotels, inns and a single chain hotel. Good level. The French chain is proud to be its northernmost hotel.

For all its ambiguity, Arkhangelsk is slowly becoming a fashionable city. It hosts many film festivals and business forums. The tourist road to Solovki also goes from here. True, in May they are going to close the main airport for six months. What and how will fly here is not very clear yet. And there is only one road, you can’t even drive directly to St. Petersburg.

Be that as it may, the not very distant “island” Arkhangelsk is waiting for guests. The main thing is not to confuse it with Astrakhan.

Alexey Vishnevetsky.

Author’s photo