ARCHANGEL, a considerable town in the northern part of Russia, in Europe, and capital of the province of the same name. It is built on the east side of the river Dwina, which opens into the White Sea, and the em bouchure of which constitutes a part of the Gulf of Archangel. The city is about three miles in length, and nearly one in breadth. The houses, with the ex ception of the pa/ace, or town-house, which consists of three grand divisions, and is built of hewn stone, are low and inelegant ; the streets are narrow, paved with trees and rubbish, and exceedingly inconvenient for walking. The government of Archangel, however, is more extensive than the province. It is bounded on the north by the Frozen Ocean, and in that direction com prehends a part of Russia, in Asia ; on the cast lies the government of Tobolsk, and on the south those of Olo netz and Wologdd ; while its limits on the west are the White Sea, and the dominions of Sweden. It includes seven districts ; viz. Archangel, Kolmogori, and Pineg on the Dwina ; Schenkursk on the Vaga ; Onega on the river of that name ; Kola on the Bay of Kola, in the Frozen Ocean ; and Mesen on the river Mesen.
Archangel was accidentally discovered by the Eng lish, A. D. 1553. In the beginning of that year, a small fleet, under the command of sir Hugh Willoughby, sailed from Deptford, in order to discover a passage, by the north of Europe, to China and the East Indies. Two of the ships stretched as far to the north as the rock of Spitzbergen : but they were afterwards forced to take shelter in the mouth of the Arzina, a river of Russian Lapland, where the crews of both perished, through the severity of the cold. A this d vessel, how ever, named the Bonaventure, and commanded by Rich ard Chancellor, was more fortunate. Discovering the White Sea, and the region which borders upori it, Chan cellor moved his vessel at the opening of the Dwina, in a harbour which he called St Nicholas, (from a convent in the neighbourhood,) and at no great distance from the present port of Archangel. Scarcely had the arri val of the English been communicated to Iwan Vassi lievitch II., who was then at the head of the Russian states, than he invited their commander to Moscow, and, distinguishing him by various expressions of his favour, opened a treaty of commerce with Edward VI.
(Haekluyt's Voyage, 1. p. 253.) The discovery of Chan cellor, was followed by very important consequences. The town of Archangel gradually arose near the place where he landed. The trade between Russia and the northern parts of Germany, which had been carried en by the merchants of Hamburgh and Lubec, was speedily and completely engrossed by the English. They enjoyed the privilege of an exclusive commerce in.the Russian dominions, without paying duties of any kind : and Iwan Vassilievitch having subdued the Tar tars of Casan and Astracan, and established a commu nication with Persia and Bucharia, the English mer chants availed themselves of his patronage, and, travel ling through Moscow, engaged in a lucrative truffle with the nations beyond the Caspian. Upon the death of Iwan, however, they lost the support of the Russian monarch, and it was not till after a considerable time, as well as many unsuccessful attempts, that their pri vileges were restored. This event took place in the year 1586. At length the Dutch were admitted to a share of the trade with the northern parts of Russia, and had several of the immunities granted to them which had been enjoyed by the English. But while the Dutch were admitted, the English were not expelled. Even during the usurpation of Cromwell, the harbour of Archangel was open to our countrymen ; and though a free trade into the interior provinces of the Russian dominions was not permitted, yet the exclusion was general, and all foreign merchants were prohibited from approaching the centre of the empire. In the reign of Charles II. however, the English, as well as other tra ders, were subjected to the duties of export and import: and to this regulation they were the more willing to submit, as the Dutch, their competitors, did not scruple to pay the customs. But since the time of the czar Peter, and the erection of the new capital on the gulf of Finland, Archangel has ceased to be the principal mart of Russia; and notwithstanding the attempt of Elizabeth, (A. D. 1752,) to restore the immunities of the north, the commerce of the White Sea has been in a great measure tranferred to the ports of the Baltic.