"New Archangel (present-day Sitka, Alaska), the capital of Russian America, in 1837" by Aleksandr Olgin is licensed under Public Domain
Mary Shelly mentions Archangel in the first few letters of Frankenstein. This is where Robert Walton, the captain, arrives before he continues on in his Arctic expedition. His first letter was written in St. Petersburgh on his way to Archangel, and his second letter was written in Archangel. He describes Archangel to be a cold and frozen environment to be in, as he is preparing for a dangerous journey through the Arctic.
I learned that Archangel is a historic city in Russia. It was founded in the late 16th century. It was a popular seaport for trading, but once St. Petersburgh was founded, it was no longer popular for trading, but still used as a port for Arctic navigation and exploration in the 18th century.
At the point in time of history when Mary Shelley was writing, the interest levels for Arctic exploration were rapidly growing. Seaports like Archangel were the more popular ones to the Arctic.
I feel like my research on Archangel has helped me understand the novel because it helped Mary Shelley give off the tone of cold, isolation, and danger. I feel like starting off with a dark and cold place like Archangel foreshadows the dark and emotionally cold journey and ending.
Britannica Editors. "Arkhangelsk". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Mar. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Arkhangelsk-Russia. Accessed 22 February 2026.
Wikipedia contributors. "Arkhangelsk." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Feb. 2026. Web. 23 Feb. 2026.