St. Nicholas Church (1763) and the Trinity Church (1727). Nyonoksa was also notable for salt production. Another ensemble, the salt production complex, is neglected since the Great Patriotic War (WWII). History Neolithic settlements from 2000 to 1000 BC at Nyonoksa - Sopka () located from Nyonoksa were excavated in 1893. The city charter dates from 1397 under Novgorod and later Muscovy rule. The city was named Nyo from Old Scythian meaning "fast flowing river" and Oxa from Finno-Ugric tribes meaning "river" or "small stream". Another version claims that the settlement is named after a Finno-Ugric leader named Niyuksa Soake (). Salt production began during the 1000s and lasted until rich sources were discovered in the Urals during the 1800s which led to Nyonoksa's salt trade ending the early 1900s. In 1419 and 1445, Norwegian Vikings or Northmen sacked wealthy Nyonoksa. In 1553, an English ship the Edward Bonaventure in the Hugh Willoughby expedition and captained by Richard Chancellor and Clement Adams arrived during England's search for the Northern Sea Route to China and India and thus opened Russia under Czar Ivan IV to English merchants. The ship's captain and crew were taken to Czar Ivan IV while the ship was repaired. Following repairs Edward Bonaventure sailed for London in 1556 with the first Russian ambassador to England aboard, Osep Gregorovitch Napea, arriving in London in 1557. This began the formal diplomatic relations between England and Russia. Nyonoksa was Russia's original "window to England" (). Notes References Rural localities in Severodvinsk Urban Okrug Severodvinsk Urban Okrug Arkhangelsky Uyezd Military installations of the Soviet Union Environmental disaster ghost towns Russian Navy Soviet Navy