Arkhangel'sk, also Archangel, city, northern European Russia, capital of Arkhangel'sk Oblast, on the Northern Dvina (Severnaya Dvina) River, near the White Sea (Beloye More). It is a major seaport, although icebound in winter months. The city is also a trade and processing center for an important timber-producing region. A maritime school, a forestry institute, and a regional museum are located here.
Arkhangel'sk was the chief Russian seaport from its founding (1584) as Novo-Kholmogory until the building of the Baltic port of Saint Petersburg in 1703. It received its present name in 1613. The city declined in the 18th century, but trade revived at the end of the 19th century, when a railroad to Moscow was completed. During World Wars I and II Arkhangel'sk was a major port of entry for Allied aid. The city resisted Bolshevik rule during 1918 to 1920 and was a stronghold of the anti-Bolshevik White army, supported by Allied forces. Population (1999 estimate) 367,200.
