May-September 2024

The First Day

Arrival in Arkhangelsk from Moscow (Airport TALAGI). Meeting at the airport, transfer to the city.

Lunch at restaurant “Pochtovaya Kontora”

Sightseeing tour “Arkhangelsk as the first port in Russia”.

The city of Arkhangelsk takes a considerable place in the row of important Russian cities. The city was founded because of the nearby sea.  The history, contemporary life, sightseeing of Arkhangelsk is introduced during the excursion.

Coming to the shop at the Arkhangelsk Algae Plant, the only one Russian enterprise extracting and processing the Arctic algae, used for both food and natural cosmetics.

Accommodation in Pur-Navolok Hotel, transfer to the city pier.

17:30 Boarding to a paddle-wheel steamer “N. V. Gogol”

18:00-20:00 Two-hour tour on the Northern Dvina River on an old paddle-wheel steamer “N.V. Gogol” with radio excursion “Arkhangelsk – the city on the Northern Dvina River”

 (the capacity of the steamer is 120 people. Built in 1911, she is included in Russian Book of Records)

The city of Arkhangelsk is located on two banks of the Northern Dvina River including 12 big islands in its delta, and is stretched for more than 40 km along the River. From the boards the ship you can admire the wonderful views of the city main attractions located on two river banks. Two-hour tour is the best opportunity to appreciate the greatness, uniqueness and beauty of the Northern Dvina River.  Our guides tell you about the glorious history of the city and modern everyday life.

Excursion around the steamer (20 minutes: the history of the paddle-wheel steamer, visiting the engine department and the captain’s bridge cabin).

Transfer to the hotel after the voyage.

20:30 Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Free time after.

The Second Day

Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant. 

09:30 Leaving for Malye Korely.

10:15 Country excursion around the Museum of Wooden Architecture and Folk Culture “Malye Korely” (25 km from Arkhangelsk). This museum has a unique collection – 120 monuments of wooden monuments from the whole  Arkhangelsk Region  (churches, chapels, mills, out – and household buildings). This is the biggest Russian museum in the open air, where the wooden constructions are a part of a natural landscape). You are greeted with welcome bread and salt, excursion around Kargopol-Onega sector of the Museum.

 During the excursion you can see Russian wooden architecture of the XVI – XX centuries, feel the exceptional talents of local carpenters, see some elements of Russian Northern folk culture, learn  the secrets of traditional technologies of wooden buildings, get to know how the household was organized, what was the very old way of heating the house, the traditional way of living and peculiarities of every day peasant life in the southwestern part in the Arkhangelsk Region.

Master-classes on folk crafts (you can choose):

·        “Tetjorki” – baking spring rite cookies.

·        “Printed cloth” – sharing the secrets of traditional handcraft.

·         “Painting on wood in Mezen manner” – learn the technique of folk craft.

Free time for watching other sectors of the Museum, shopping for souvenirs.

13:00 Lunch at the restaurant “Malye Korely” in the Tourist Center.

14:00 Leaving for Arkhangelsk.

14:45 Visiting the Historical and Architectural Complex “Arkhangelsk Merchant Yards”. Today the funds of the museum has more than 265 artifacts, which present nature, history and culture peculiarity of Pomor area. Here are some rarities, for example, Gospel by Tyapinsky of 1570, collection of artifacts from Willem Barents wintering of 1598, artifacts belonged to August personage and famous statesmen (Peter the First, Tsarevna Sofia, Metropolitan Philaret, Patriarch Nikon, Mikhail Lomonosov, St. John of Kronstadt and some others).  There are artifacts of considerable art importance: Kholmogory bone-carving, facial golden and silver embroidery, a number of city relics like the stored coach of “Berlin” type, used to carry the Braunschweig Family etc.

Coming back to the hotel on the Embankment of the Northern Dvina River.

Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

The Third Day

Pedestrian excursion along the Chumbarov-Luchinsky street which is a kind of open air city museum, where the artifacts are urban wooden houses of the end of the XIX – beginning of the XX century, the oldest house built in 1848 is conserved here. During the travelling on foot you can see the sculpture compositions devoted to a northern fairy-tales’ writer, also the monument to Russian women-keepers of hearth and home, and other monuments bringing us to the history of the Russian North.

YOU CAN CHOOSE:

§ Master-class on painting of traditional Pomor kozulja, an Arkhangelsk spicy cake. In Arkhangelsk area lots of traditional crafts have been kept. You can try one of them at a tasty master-class on painting kozuljas. It is believed that kozylja brings luck and can be served as an amulet. It is also a good and tasty gift for any holiday!

§ Visiting Pomor ARTel. Interactive excursion program “ On a visit to Sylanty Pomorich”

During the program guests of the house get acquainted with the Arkhangelsk merchant Sylanty Pomorich, his family and the history of Arkhangelsk merchantry. You can listen to a local fairy-tales, even music performed on the saw, participate in the improvising folk instrument orchestra. The host of the family tells who they called “plovers”, what was important to bring to fishing and what kind of free time a fishman had. The excursion is devoted to Pomor culture, to everyday life of Pomor family.

§  Visiting “the Arctic Embassy” - a contemporary multifunctional interactive site for those who are willing to know more about Arctic. The exposition is located in the building of the Northern Shipping Company. It presents archeological findings from archipelagoes Nova Zemblya and Franz Joseph Land. Some of the archeological findings dating back thousands and million years. 

Visiting to “Belomorskye Uzori” shop.  Authors’ works and rear examples in Russian folk traditional style. Artistic products from wood painting and carving: souvenirs, boxes, plates, salt sellers, baskets, spoons, buckets etc. Hand weaving and knitting: mittens, legwarmers, jackets, jumpers, socks, hats and others. Linen things with decorative sewing line: tablecloths, curtains, napkins, towels etc. Things from birch bark: boxes, tueses. Kargopol clay toes.

Lunch at restaurant “Pomorsky”

Free time for going to the souvenir shops, taking a walk on the city.

Recommended traditional souvenirs of the Arkhangelsk Region: “bird of happiness” – a wooden bird with split wings and tail, Kargopol clay toy, products from wood and birch bark, Kholmogory bone carving, jewelry with Arkhangelsk diamonds, cosmetic algae sets.

Recommeneded gastronomic souvenirs from the Arkhangelsk Region: local fish, northern berries (cranberry, cloudberry, lingo berry), raindeer meat, marmalade based on agar-agar, traditional painted cookies “kozylya”.

Transfer to the airport