White Sea - History

History

The sea was known to the Novgorod people since at least the 11th century and was rapidly explored because of its commercial significance for navigation and coastal forests rich in fur animals. One of the earliest settlements near the sea shores was established in the late 14th century in Kholmogory, on the Northern Dvina River. From there, in 1492, a merchant fleet laden with grain and carrying ambassadors of Ivan III of Russia sailed to Denmark, marking the establishment of the first international seaport in Russia.

The first foreign ship to arrive in Kholmogory was the English Edward Bonaventure commanded by Richard Chancellor. Together with two other ships under the command of Hugh Willoughby, they were seeking a northern route to the Indies, especially India and China. The expedition was sponsored by King Edward VI and a group of about 240 English merchants and was authorised to establish trade connections. The ships of Willoughby were separated and the other two were lost at sea, but Edward Bonaventure managed to pass the White Sea and reach Kholmogory, from where Chancellor was escorted to Moscow to meet the Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible. Returning from Russia in 1554, Chancellor brought a detailed description of Moscow and the Russian north, which were largely unknown to Europe, as well as a letter from the Tsar expressing desire to establish trade relations with England. In 1555, Queen Mary issued a charter authorising the Muscovy Company to trade with Russia via the White Sea route.

The British ships were soon followed by Dutch, and the port of Kholmogory became busy with shipments of fur and fish. Local and foreign shops and factories were established in the city at that time. The port was reinforced with a fortress which sustained a siege by the Polish-Lithuanian army in 1613. Increasing traffic was overloading the port, which was standing on shallow river waters and had a limited ship capacity. However, instead of expanding the old port, a new one, called New Kholmogory, was founded on the sea shores in 1584 and later became the city of Arkhangelsk.

Between the 15th and early 18th centuries, the White Sea provided the major trade route to Russia. This role decreased later with the foundation of Saint Petersburg, which opened a more favorable connection via the Baltic Sea. From the 1920s, most Russian sea shipments were diverted from the White Sea to the new port of Murmansk, where the waters did not freeze in winter.