Onega town stands on River Onega, at its inflow to Onega Bay of the White Sea, 263 km to the southwest of Arkhangelsk. It has a seaport and a railway station. Its area makes 164 sq km.

History

The modern town is located on the place of an ancient Pomor settlement founded by Novgorod citizens in the 14th century under the name Ust-Onega (the Ustyansky Volost). Together with other Pomor villages it used to belong to the Novgorod landlord Marfa Boretskaya until it was confiscated and became a property of Moscow.

From the 17th century to 1764 the Ustyansky Volost belonged to Krestny Monastery founded by Patriarch Nikon on the southernmost tip of Lake Kiy (in Onega Bay, 15 km from the modern town).

In 1780 the Ust-Onezhsky Settlement was transformed into the Onega Town of the Vologda Province. The town was named after Onega River. The residents were mostly engaged in timber cutting and timber trade.

From 1784 it was a district town of the Arkhangelsk Province.

In 1856 there were 2 churches, 254 houses and 5 shops in Onega town of the Arkhangelsk Province.

From 1896 passenger-and-freight steamships regularly ran through Onega.

Architecture and sights

Krestny Monastery was constructed on the upland of the southernmost tip of the Kiy Island.

Vozdvizhensky Cathedral (1660) stands on a steep granite rock; its refectory is partially made of unprocessed granite. The Nativity Church (1660) with a two-storeyed building of cells is nowadays a rest house. From the side of the White Sea the monumental complex of the monastery harmoniously fits into the relief of the rock.

In vicinities of Onega, especially upstream the river there are numerous monuments of wooden architecture preserved.

READ ARTICLES ABOUT ARKHANGELSK REGION