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Arkhangelsk: My 48-Hour Postcard of Regret and Rain

@Topiclo Admin3/18/2026blog

i just got off the train and realized my socks match the sky. it’s that 1.82°c kind of day where the air tastes like static and your breath fogs up in seconds. the weather here is less ‘weather’ and more ‘mood.’ i checked the inflight forecasts earlier and it said ‘perfect for hiking.’ no, it’s not. it’s perfect for hiding under a bench until the rain stops or you forget why you left your room.

there was a moment where i stared at the clouds and thought, ‘maybe i should’ve stayed in london.’ but then i saw a sign for ‘bread stand’ and my stomach betrayed me. turns out the locals swear by this place, but i didn’t have the guts to ask for directions. i just asked a random old man if he could read english. he said something about ‘moscow vibes’ and handed me a loaf that looked like it had a grudge. it was dense, salty, and exactly what i needed at 2 a.m.

if you get bored, the nearest town with a functioning bar is 45 minutes by car. or you could stay here and people-watch. the neighbors here are either too drunk to notice you or too poor to afford dirt. i overheard one telling another that the local river is haunted by a guy in a submarine hat. don’t ask me how that happened. i just heard it over a sidewalk radio playing polka music from 1989.

i tried to take photos of the rain hitting the cafes but my phone died. i passed a tourist trap called ‘arkhangelsk historical museum’ and thought, ‘ah yes, more janky history.’ but then i saw a graffiti tag in russian that said ‘wifi 4g only.’ it was either profound or a cry for help. i uploaded the photo to triptico anyway. triptico.com/arkhangelsk

someone told me the hotels here charge extra for extra sheets. i’m not sure if that’s true, but i’m definitely bringing my own. also, the yelp reviews keep repeating that the coffee is ‘existential.’ i sampled it and now i’m 70% sure this is a metaphor. yelp.com/arkhangelsk-cafe

i showed up at this big park everyone keeps talking about and saw a guy riding a unicycle while eating a sandwich. he shouted at pigeons but no one else seemed to care. i asked him why he was here and he said, ‘it’s a privilege to be alive.’ i laughed and walked off. i almost didn’t. for a second, i thought i’d joined some kind of cult.

here’s a map if you want to wander:


the temperature here is a heartbreaker. 1.82°c and 100% humidity feels like being dunked in a bathtub made of metal. if you don’t like that, maybe go to, i don’t know, anywhere. better places exist. unsplash.com/arkhangelsk

i snapped three shots of the rain from different angles. one looked like a painting, one like a disaster, and one like a potato. unsplash.com/rain-art

i’m leaving tomorrow. if you find this post, maybe don’t come. or do. i don’t care. the rain’s still falling, the temperature’s still wrong, and my boots are staying wet. at least the hotel’s heater worked. arkhangelsk-echo.com

p.s. i saw a street artist today. not sure if they were being serious or just practicing. they were drawing a giant QR code on the pavement. some tourist scanned it. no one else did. i’m not sure what that means. maybe it’s a commentary on modernity. maybe it’s just a weird person. probably the latter.

if you’re reading this, you’re either brave or stupid. i’d say both.

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About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

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