Arkhangelsk

Archangelsk is located on the shores of the Northern Dvina river. The city was founded in 1584 by order of Russian tsar Ivan IV. Convenient location and the city closeness to the White Sea made Archangelsk, the first Russian port, the center of trading with the states of Western Europe. Nowadays Archangelsk is the largest forest port in the world. It is surrounded by the timber resources, which are fairly called the green gold. Archangelsk is also center of tourism. Historical and architectural monuments and places, connected with life and work of outstanding persons, poetic nature and beautiful landscapes attract to Archangelsk the tourists from all over the world. Two sights deserve special attention. They are Solovetskie islands, which are unique archipelago in the White Sea, and Malie Koroli - the museum of wooden architecture under the open air.