In the
Early Middle Ages, the area seems to have been settled by a
Finno-Ugric population (possibly speaking the extinct
Bjarmian languages). The initial Russian colonization of the Russian North was launched independently from
Novgorod and
Rostov in the 11th and 12th centuries (at the latest). Genetic studies show that the populations of Russian North still have a significant Finnic admixture, which is not typical for more southern Russian populations. The pre-Russian populations of the region were recorded as "Beyond-the-
Volga Chudes" in chronicles. Russian North is rich in
toponyms and
hydronyms of possibly Finno-Ugric
substrate origin, which were extensively studied by many linguists, most notably
A. K. Matveyev. By the 13th century, most of the area was incorporated into the
Novgorod Republic which, in its turn, was incorporated into
Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 1470s. The climate of the Russian North is harsh, with minimum possibilities for agriculture, therefore fishing, hunting for marine mammals, as well as the salt-cooking industry, became alternatives for the people living in the area. Most of the Russian North territories never had
serfdom, at least the way it existed in central Russian agricultural regions. By the late 16th century the
White Sea port of
Arkhangelsk became the major gateway for the Russian commerce with Europe. On the other hand, the
Stroganov merchant family from the salt-mining town of
Solvychegodsk started expanding eastwards, to the
Principality of Perm and eventually into
Siberia. This explains why Siberia was explored and originally settled by the Russians from the Northern areas. Since the Russian North seemed the perfect place for a religious escape from the world,
Orthodox monasteries, with their ambitions and possibilities (through religion and economic power), were critical for the Russian North economy.
Northern Thebaid is the poetic name of the northern Russian lands surrounding
Vologda and
Belozersk (now comprising the
Russian North National Park). It alludes to
Thebaid, a part of
Egypt which was home to
early Christian monks and hermits. The
Kirillov Monastery was, by area, Europe's largest monastery. In the mid-19th century,
Sergey V. Maksimov first drew readers’ attention to the distinctive world of the Russian North with his 1859 book
A Year in the North, which was reprinted many times. In the Soviet period, writers such as
Mikhail Prishvin,
Boris Shergin,
Stepan Pisakhov,
Yury Kazakov,
Fyodor Abramov, and
Yury Koval continued to explore and celebrate the life and spirit of the Russian North in their works. File:Church of the Annunciation (Solvychegodsk) (06).JPG|Church of the Annunciation (
Solvychegodsk, built in 1586) File:Церковь Вознесения Словущего п.Верхние Матигоры.jpg|A church near Arkhangelsk (built 1686-1694) File:Варзуга коптер.jpg|The village of
Varzuga on the
Tersky Coast of the
Kola Peninsula File:Wooden church and house 01.jpg|An open-air wooden architecture museum in
Malye Korely File:Russian peasant girls in front of a traditional wooden house in Kirillov.jpg|Young peasant women in Vologda Governorate, early 20th century File:Maura hill.jpg|Nature in the national park near the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery File:Archangelsk taiga.JPG|A taiga forest near Pinega File:Spinning wheel board from Nizhnaya Toyma 19th century whole.jpg|Spinning wheel board from Arkhangelsk Oblast (19th century) == Demographics ==