Arkhangelsk Oblast eventually spread well beyond the Arkhangelsk Region. The Mezen horses, bred in the Mezen River valley, are rather small but suitable for difficult work and easily survive cold winters. The area of current Arkhangelsk Oblast has always been located on the trading routes connecting central Russia to the White Sea, and, in fact, in the 17th century the White Sea was the main sea export route for Russia. The whole course of the Northern Dvina is navigable, as well as the lower course of some of its tributaries, most notably the Vychegda, the Vaga, and the Pinega. The Mezen is
Onega Peninsula one of the Kazakov's books of short stories is "Poedemte v Lopshengu" — Let us go to Lopshenga. The economy of the peninsula is based on the timber production and fishery. The village of Luda is connected by an all-season road to Severodvinsk and Onega. There is a boat ferry across the Una Bay. Other villages at the coast have infrequent air and sea connections to Onega and Arkhangelsk. A national park, Onezhskoye Pomorye National Park, was opened on the coast of the Onega Peninsula in 2013 to protect pristine forests. Onega Peninsula The Onega Peninsula is located in Arkhangelsk