The contemporary globalised world model is gradually causing the rural regions to shrink and diminish their power to compete with big cities. One of these regions is the Solovetsky archipelago in the White Sea in Russia where local villages are shrinking and young people are moving to bigger cities either to study or to find work. However, the archipelago is still visited by tens of thousands of people who come here to admire its diversified natural and cultural heritage. The aim of this thesis was to determine how the archipelago can be sustainably revitalised by landscaping and architectural interventions. The goal was to build up a strategic redevelopment plan that has the magnitude to reverse the on-going degradation of the local quality of life and move it towards a positive state of vitality. We found out that in order to revitalise the archipelago it was essential to carry out strategically determined interventions in specific areas of the archipelago that integrate a diversified inventory of details which can simultaneously entertain miscellaneous user groups. The analysis, and the result of the thesis are compatible to be used as guidance to architects, landscape designers, municipalities and small businesses that are seeking for revitalisation strategies for analogous rural areas.

Synthesis of all components
Location designation

Details of intervention areas

Small-scale interventions

Intervention inventory

Concept masterplan

Connection scenarios

Solovetsky settlement

Issakovo

Rebalda

New Sosnovka

Cape Pechak