Interesting articles
In Karelia, on the wonderful Onega Lake, there is an incredibly beautiful, fabulous island called Kizhi. The island is considered an invaluable museum of architecture, the scale of which is simply amazing. Kizhi is an unusual place that has been famous for its craft for many centuries, because many artists and poets lived and worked here. If someone remembers the famous epics about Ilya Muromets or Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko, then it should be said that they were created on the territory of this wonderful island.
Having visited the island for the first time, just stepping on its amazing territory, you can feel a significant surge of energy, touch something light and beautiful, breathe in clean air on your full chest and find out what real freedom is.
If you move into the recent past and study a little the history of the island, you can find out that there were as many as 14 villages here. Unfortunately, only two have survived to this day, which bear the names Vasilyevo and Yamka. One of the surviving villages is conveniently located on the eastern shore of the famous Onega Lake. The second village is located on the western bank of this wonderful reservoir. There are only a couple of houses in each of the villages, but this did not become an obstacle for curious adventure seekers, so tourists in specified location always full. Tourists from all over the world come here all year round. the globe, because such landscapes as on this island are not common. In addition, this place is full of interesting monuments and the rest here seems to be simply divine.
Excursions are regularly held in the city of Kizhi to acquaint tourists with this interesting and unusual place. River cruises on Meteora pass from Petrozavodsk, but they do not have enough time to fully study unique nature of this place. To fully explore the island, see all the interesting natural places and attractions, you need to plan the travel route yourself.
The most popular sights of Kizhi
Among the main attractions of Kizhi it is worth noting the Transfiguration Church. It was erected back in 1714, and not a single nail was used for its construction. The church has as many as 22 domes, which, with their gilding, complement the brightness of the sun sowing. From a bird's eye view, the view of this temple will make it possible to distinguish it from others, because this unique monument has no analogues. The temple is made so interesting and original that if you take into account the cuttings, the appearance of a cross is formed on all four sides. The altar of this majestic temple faces the west side, but the refectory with a porch is conveniently located on the east side. The view from this porch is simply amazing and mesmerizes tourists. Visiting this architectural monument, you can enjoy not only its beauty, but also fully embrace the settlements, villages and straits.
Inside, the temple radiates unearthly beauty. Everyone who gets here will feel complete peace. The altar in this majestic temple has 4 tiers, it is covered with a huge number of icons, the exact number of which is 102 pieces. The space inside is evenly flooded with calm and pacifying light.
Such an architectural monument as the Intercession Church also deserves special attention. The temple was built in 1764, it is wooden and has 9 chapters, the shape of which is rather unusual, making the construction lighter and more original. Outside, the structure is decorated with wooden pillars, but inside the temple looks very modest. If you compare it with the previous version. Unfortunately, in the course of history, the very first iconostasis of this building has not survived, and the current one was completed during the restoration of the church, in 1950.
The top three attractions of the island include the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus. History suggests that this landmark was built back in 1391. Overeating suggests that the church began to be built after Vasily the Monk appeared to Lazarus. It is this temple that is considered the first building belonging to the Murom monastery. The construction of this monastery was dedicated precisely to the Biblical story, which says about the resurrection of Lazarus. Locals say that the temple has the power to heal from various ailments and precisely because of this this place became a great center of pilgrimage.
What architectural monuments of Kizhi are still worth seeing
There is also the Chapel of the Archangel Michael on the island, which is characterized as follows:
was transported to Kizhi from Lelikozero in 1961;
has a very picturesque appearance;
consists of 3 parts, which together form a rectangle;
the walls are built on the north side, and the window faces west;
the bell tower from above is successfully completed with a magnificent tent;
outside the architectural monument is decorated with towels with circles and rhombuses;
inside, in the center of the ceiling, there is a large icon of Christ, and the evangelists are depicted in the corners.
In addition to this monument, there is also a Tent Bell Tower on the island. It was built back in 1863, but was completed in 1874. The belfry tent is supported by 9 columns and ends with a dome with a cross. In sum, the structure looks very interesting and harmonious. To illuminate the inner space of the bell tower, there are 4 windows, which are made in the form of beautiful arches.
Continuing to travel around the island, tourists will be able to see a tall wooden palisade. Its original has not survived, but the reconstruction was able to accurately convey it. A copy was made already in 1959, in addition to these sights, you can see old mills and barns on the island. All of these attractions are collected throughout the region and delivered to the island, which has turned into a huge museum.
Oshevnev's house can also be considered a popular place among tourists. It looks like Karelian houses that were built before the revolution. The building has two floors and is richly decorated with carvings. There is also an ancient windmill on the island, which cannot be found anymore.
What else is new and interesting on the island
Monuments and churches are, of course, good, but we must not forget about the amazing nature of this place. The island has a wonderful relief, a rare forest stretches near the coast, meadows and the sun reflecting its glare in the lake can still be seen from afar. Many of the island's villages were submerged, but thanks to this, it was possible to make unique museum, which collected more than 50 thousand original, interesting and fascinating items. All these items accurately tell about the life of the indigenous inhabitants of the region and it is thanks to them that you can study the history. On the island, you can get to know more about the following subjects:
antique women's jewelry;
original embroidery;
handmade toys;
household items and tools.
But the interesting aspects of Kizhi do not end there, because rare, original and interesting things are still being brought here. New expositions are constantly developing, tourists are invited to become participants in master classes that introduce old crafts. Visitors to the island who come here for the holidays can watch interesting performances and become active participants in them. You can get here for a few days, without any problems choosing an accommodation option.
There are no hotels on the island, but it is quite convenient to stay with local residents. Kizhi is a unique place worth visiting and staying here for a few days. To see all the monuments and enjoy the unforgettable nature, you can get here with the whole family, getting an incredible boost of energy and cheerfulness. In general, tourists who want to visit Kizhi will definitely not regret it, it's just wonderful place where you should definitely visit. The island fascinates and attracts attention, allows you to completely disconnect from urban everyday life, delve into history, look at beautiful monuments and just have a great time. It is for great impressions and positive emotions that you should go here.
I continue my story about a recent trip to Karelia. The first part I was devoted to the sights of Petrozavodsk, in the same I will move on to the story about Kizhi. Yes, what Russian has not heard of Kizhi! But not all were there.
The Kizhi Open Air Museum is located on an island in Lake Onega. High-speed hydrofoils take tourists there from Petrozavodsk. The journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. This pleasure is worth (there and back) - 1950 rubles. And I also thought that trains in New Zealand are expensive ...
Bearing in mind that there were always some problems with these ships, expressed in the chronic lack of tickets, I specially timed the trip to the Estonian public holiday on August 20, which this year fell on Thursday, and the next day I took a day off in such a way, to be in Petrozavodsk on Friday, i.e. on a weekday.
The large river station in Petrozavodsk does not work; tickets for motor ships are sold in a small booth at the pier. I came almost to the opening itself, at about 8 am, but the nearest time, for which they offered me tickets, was only at 14:15. Tellingly, there was no such time in the Meteor's schedule. Well, then it will be time to walk around the city.
At the indicated time, I was at the pier. At the same time, there were not very many people, many seats in the "Meteor" remained free, and this despite the fact that all day in the booth they were offering tickets for this particular time. I wonder where did all the tickets for 11:30 and 12:15 go?
A few words about the "Meteor" itself. Its interior, apparently, has not changed since Soviet times. The foam-rubber chairs were so pressed down that they had to sit on practically bare metal tubes. However, the toilet was quite decent :)
"Meteor" on the background of the embankment of Petrozavodsk
There are no open decks on the Meteora, but in the middle of the cabin there was a smoking area, from which one could lean out with a camera and photograph something of the landscapes that passed by. It was from here that I managed to photograph the Kizhi churchyard before we moored to the island.
Yes, and with the help of iGo on my smartphone I managed to measure the average speed of "Meteor" - somewhere around 57 km / h.
River pier in Kizhi
So, let's read for a start what the guidebook "Russian North" from the publishing house Polyglot writes about Kizhi, which I bought the day before in the House of Military Books on Nevsky:
Kizhi Island (length 7 km, width - from 1.5 to 0.5 km) is located in the south of the Zaonezhsky peninsula among a picturesque cluster of islands called the Kizhi skerries. For a long time, the island was covered not by forests, but by arable land and hayfields. The Kizhi skerries and the south of Zaonezhye have been inhabited from time immemorial, as evidenced by numerous archaeological sites dating back to the Middle and Late Stone Age. About 9-6.5 thousand years ago, tribes belonging to the eastern branch of the Caucasians lived here, and those who came here in the 10th century. Novgorodians met with the Sami population and all. The name of the island comes from the language of the Karelian people - the word kiza meant “play, fun, dance”, so “Kizhi” can be translated as “island of merrymaking” or “fun”. By the time these lands were transferred to the Moscow State in 1478, the population was already Russian, although the culture of Zaonezhie was distinguished by its unique originality, representing a fusion of Slavic and Finnish cultures, while locals clearly recognized themselves as descendants of the Novgorodians up to the beginning. XX century In Zaonezhie, over the centuries, ancient Russian legends and epics were preserved and passed down orally from generation to generation, and at the same time, wooden architecture and folk crafts were actively developing. Kizhi. Card The island of Kizhi has traditionally been the center of the villages of the Southern Zaonezhie and Unitskaya Bay - the Spaso-Kizhi Pogost, a district that included about 180 villages, their description is first found in the Scripture Book of Andrey Pleshcheev for 1582-1583, and 20 years later, “115 villages living and 88 abandoned. " The Kizhi Pogost united the neighboring peasants until the 30s. XX century During the Time of Troubles, the graveyard was ravaged by the Swedes and the Polish-Lithuanian troops, therefore, after the signing of peace with Sweden, a fortress was cut down around the Kizhi graveyard to protect it from attacks. The threat of foreign intervention weakened only with the onset of the Peter the Great era and the victory in the Northern War. In the beginning. XVIII century the peasants of the Kizhi Pogost are attributed to the new ironworks, where they had to work out on account of taxes, which ruined even strong farms. On the second. floor. XVIII century a wave of riots swept across Zaonezhia after the tsar's decree on raising taxes. The famous Kizhi uprising of 1769-1771 was shot by government troops. It is believed that the most beautiful Assumption Church in Kondopoga was a kind of monument to the victims of the massacre of the rebels. During the Second World War, Zaonezhie was under the Finnish occupation for about three years, but already in 1945 the Kizhi Pogost was declared a state reserve, in 1951 the first architectural monument - the house of the peasant Oshevnev - was transported to the island. In 1990, the architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost was included in the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage Sites. Now in the Historical, Architectural and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve "Kizhi", which occupies an area of about 10 thousand hectares, there are 87 monuments of traditional folk architecture of the XIV-XX centuries, including the ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost, 26 unique archaeological sites, more than ten historical settlements the territory of the Kizhi volost. The museum is annually visited by about 170 thousand tourists from Russia and abroad.
(in fact, the distance between buildings is much greater)
kizhi.karelia.ru
The basis of the collection of architectural monuments of the museum-reserve, its semantic center is the temple ensemble of the Kizhi churchyard (XVIII-XIX centuries), consisting of the 22-head Church of the Transfiguration, the nine-domed Pokrovskaya church, a tent bell tower and a chopped log fence.
Kizhi churchyard
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord (1714) is the most famous building of the Kizhi. The names of the creators are unknown, and the beautiful legend about the master Nestor, who, having finished his work, threw an ax into the lake with the words “there was no such church and there will not be”, is very widespread in the North in relation to many monuments of wooden architecture. Another common opinion that it was cut down without a single nail is also not very reliable - an aspen ploughshare (scales covering the heads) is attached to the domes with the help of small nails.
The height of the church is 37 m, the basis of the structure is an octagon with four cuttings, such structures are called "twenty-two-walled". On the figure eight there are two more, smaller ones. The chapters vary in size from tier to tier in order to avoid monotony and create a kind of rhythmic pattern. The system of protection of the building from decay is no less thoughtful, even decorative elements often serve to drain water and proper ventilation of the air. Inside the temple, the vertical volume was covered with a sixteen-sided ceiling - the "sky", lost during the war; the carved iconostasis (1770) has been preserved. It is made up of 104 icons, the oldest of which, typical of the northern school of icon painting, date back to the end of the 17th century.
Church of the Transfiguration
The Church of the Transfiguration, a perfect work of Zaonezh masters, is a kind of "swan song" of Russian wooden architecture, which reached its peak at that time. It was built as a "cold" summer temple, and next to it, half a century later, a "warm" church of the Intercession of the Mother of God was erected (1764). The builders managed to create a piece that was a harmonious part of the ensemble, and not just a separate building. In the Church of the Intercession, one can see the initial "subordination" to the dominant Transfiguration Church - a powerful octagon on a quad, which could carry a huge tent, crowned with a modest nine dome with small, graceful domes; the silhouette expanding upward emphasizes the upward-directed pyramid of the main building of the ensemble. However, some researchers believe that the Church of the Intercession was originally built as a tent-roofed one. Currently, a four-tier tyablo iconostasis with 44 icons of the 17th-19th centuries has been restored. In the hallway there is an exhibition "History of the Kizhi Orthodox Parish".
The bell tower of the Kizhi Pogost (1863) was being built at a time when Russian wooden architecture was in decline, and yet, despite the seeming simplicity and details alien to traditions, the building surprisingly harmoniously merged into the ensemble. The scheme is traditional - octal on a four. The overweight, two-thirds of the log-house height, the quadruple surprises the connoisseurs of cult wooden buildings with its disproportion, however, you can see that it is raised exactly to the height of the cathedrals of the Preobrazhensky Church and the height of the quadruple of the Intercession Church, which once again emphasizes the unity of the three buildings. At present, a remote control for the bell ringer is installed in the bell tower of the Kizhi churchyard. The pendant on the console contains 12 bells (9 old and 3 modern).
Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the bell tower and the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin
By the middle of the XX century. only a stone ridge remained from the fence of the churchyard. The appearance of the original fence was restored by restorers from the engravings of the 18th century. in the book by N. Ozeretskovsky "Traveling on lakes Ladoga and Onega". The reconstruction project was based on the preserved fence of the Vodlozersky-Ilyinsky churchyard, as well as the Pochezersky churchyard in the Arkhangelsk region. The modern fence is a high stone embankment, on which a wall of powerful logs tied with ribbons is laid. On top of the wall there is a gable board roof. On the western corner of the fence there is a small turret covered with a hipped roof - an epancha. From the north and east to the churchyard there are gates with openwork door leaves. The central entrance in the western wall is bounded on both sides by two log cabins under a common roof. The log fence was reconstructed according to the project of the architect A. Opolovnikov in 1959.
Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus
Another of the main attractions of the museum-reserve is the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus, brought from the Murom monastery, with east coast Lake Onega. This small cage church has given rise to many legends among believers and hypotheses among scientists. The dating of the construction of the temple has been a subject of controversy for almost a century. For the first time, the church is mentioned in the will of the Byzantine monk, founder of the Murom monastery, Lazar of Murom, who died in 1391, but the document of the Olonets spiritual consistory speaks of it rather controversially: “... in the name of the Monk Lazar, the cemetery was built in 7086. from the World (1578), wooden, built by the founder of this monastery, the Monk Lazarus. " The analysis of architectural details does not clarify this issue. The church has preserved an iconostasis consisting of 17 icons of the 16th-15th centuries. He is oldest type a two-tiered iconostasis, consisting of a local and a deesis row, including the royal gates and the northern Ponomar doors.
House of the peasant Oshevnev
Not far from the Kizhi churchyard there is an architectural and ethnographic complex "Russian Zaonezhya". The exposition "village" began in 1951-1959. from the House of Peasant N. Oshevnev brought from Bolshoy Klimenetsky Island (1876). The building is built in the form of a "purse" - a shed-yard adjoins the side wall of the dwelling and is covered with a gable asymmetrical roof. The outbuilding included a barnyard, a hayloft and two storerooms. The residential part faces the lake and is richly decorated; it includes 2 huts, a hall, an upper room, a light in the attic, a storage room and a vestibule. A house with a stove was called a hut; it is believed that the owners spent the winter in the hut on the first floor, and in the summer they settled throughout the house. Now the interiors of huts, a room, a barn, sheds have been restored in the house, ethnographic exhibitions are held in the hall. Along the second floor there is a gulbische - an open gallery, the windows of the side gables are decorated with balconies. Previously, window frames were painted orange-yellow, and the eaves of the roof were painted red, which greatly enlivened the appearance of the house.
In addition to the main house, the peasant estate is also detached outbuildings. Fires have always been the main disaster of the peasants, and the barns removed from the main house could save the most valuable - grain and flour, prevent them from starving to death. There are several outbuildings near Oshevnev's house: a two-storey barn from the village of Yuzhny Dvor (18th century), a barn from the village of Lipovitsy (early 20th century) and a bathhouse from the village of Mizhostrov (early 20th century).
House of the peasant Elizarov
The house of the peasant Elizarov (late 19th century) from the village of Potanevshchina is somewhat smaller. The interiors of both buildings are similar, but unlike Oshevnev's house, Elizarov's house was heated in black. This method of heating the room was in many ways more convenient for peasant families - less firewood was consumed, the woodworm beetle did not start, and it was warmer in the hut. Smoke collected above the Vorontsov shelves, and the walls below this level and ceilings were thoroughly washed and scrubbed every week. Yelizarov's house is one-story, it is made of powerful logs and is modestly decorated, although the side balconies and "gulbische" are present here as well. In the utility room there is an exhibition telling about the secrets of creating the “kizhanka” boat. On the shore near the house there is a bathhouse (early XX century) from the village of Ust-Yandoma.
A little further south of the Kizhi churchyard is the most modest House of Shchepin (1907). The type of construction here is “timber”, when living quarters and utility rooms are stretched out in a line under one roof. In the interior you can see items related to the cooper's craft (making barrels, buckets, jugs and other wooden utensils).
Windmill
The exposition sector "Russian Zaonezhya" also includes a water mill (1875) from Berezovaya Selga, a windmill (1928-1929) from Nasonovshchina and a chapel of the Archangel Michael (beginning of the 18th century) from the village of Lelikozero.
Chapel of the Archangel Michael
The Kletskaya chapel of the Archangel Michael belongs to the common type of northern chapels. This is a three-part log house, consisting of a vestibule, a refectory and the chapel itself. The building is richly decorated with carved elements, a two-tiered iconostasis with icons of local writing and a "sky" - a painted ceiling of 12 segments, has been preserved in it. The House of Sergeev (1908-1910) and a smithy (early XX century) from the village of Suisar were brought to Kizhi from the western shore of Lake Onega.
House of the peasant Sergeev
In the central part of the island there are two historic villages: A hole, mentioned for the first time in 1563, on the eastern bank and Vasilyevo, mentioned in 1582, on the western one. In these villages, buildings have survived, which are now included in the museum fund, many architectural monuments were brought from other places in Zaonezhie: peasant houses, stables, barns and barns. Near the village of Yamka, the chapel of the Savior Not Made by Hands (XVII-XVIII centuries) from the village of Vigovo has survived, and the architectural dominant of Vasilyevo is the local chapel of the Assumption of the Mother of God (XVII-XVIII centuries), which is the oldest building on the island of Kizhi.
House of the peasant Yakovlev
Three large peasant houses and several outbuildings make up the exposition sector of the Russian Pudozhia, where the architecture of the inhabitants of the eastern shore of Lake Onega is presented, and even further north you can see houses characteristic of the Karelians and Vepsians. The Karelian estate is represented here by the house of the peasant Yakovlev (1980-1990s) from the village of Klescheila, by a bowing cross and barns, and among the monuments of northern Karelians and Karelian people there is an interesting chapel of Three Saints from the village of Kavgora (second half of the 18th century) ... Two barns and a bathhouse make up the outbuildings of the Vepsians.
Visitors are introduced to the monuments of the island by the routes offered by the museum's excursion service. Recently laid Ecological trail”, Giving an idea of the nature of the island, an interactive family route to the Yakovlev house was developed, where you can take part in traditional peasant household processes. During museum holidays, a folklore ensemble often performs.
On the territory of the museum there are several cafes and trade kiosks, living rooms. You can also ask for the night in the villages to the local residents.
Card. Kizhi from a bird's eye view
A few words about how the exhibits of the museum are located. Most of them are located in a small area, in the part of the island that is south of the pier. Those three hours that are allotted for the excursion are quite enough for a leisurely inspection. But the villages of Yamka, Vasilyevo and all other buildings that are from the pier to the north are not included in the usual excursion. How to get to them is not entirely clear. On the road I noticed a bus, but while I was thinking, he left. Perhaps it was just intended to move around the island. Walking here on foot is rather tiresome. But I still had almost an hour before the departure of the ship and I still went to that part of the island that is not included in the official route. I got to the windmill, which stands there on a hillock, at the same time looked at the village of Yamka and at the chapel of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which rose in the distance. But he did not go to the village of Vasilyevo, he was afraid to be late. I wonder if there is no bike rental here?
Another one windmill... On the left you can see the Chapel of the Savior Not Made by Hands
The question also remained unclear whether it is possible to come here on one motor ship and leave on the next. The fact is that when boarding, everyone is given badges around their necks, and when selling a ticket, they also ask for a phone number. All this is being done, apparently, so that people do not get lost on the island, do not lag behind their ship and do not disturb the well-oiled conveyor for serving tourists.
View of the nose of the "Meteor" and the Kizhi churchyard
Now let's summarize. Well, what can I say about Kizhi. In general, I liked the museum, although the expectations were certainly higher. The cost of an entrance ticket of 130 rubles for citizens of the Russian Federation (and those equated to them, gygy :)) is quite sane. But 625 rubles for foreigners, or almost 15 euros, is already a bit too much. For that kind of money, even Western European museums have to turn around in front of their clients. And here everything rests, one might say, on one exhibit - the 22-head of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Meanwhile, it is clearly not eternal, and the metal plates on its lopsided walls speak of this. Well, it is difficult in our climate for wooden buildings to stand for 300 years! When it collapses, what then? And then Kizhi will simply turn into "wabaikhumuuseum", of which the world is full.
I wonder if there are no craftsmen now who could build something like that? Is it really that difficult with modern technology? Take something old as a basis, make a project on a computer, carve logs to size and assemble. Of course, at first it will be a "remake", but all the old things were once a remake! And most of the local exhibits have been collected at the current place virtually from scratch. I think that in such a place new buildings could fit into the overall ensemble. In a word, it is necessary to somehow develop the museum further, the world does not stand still!
To izhi. 10 facts about the open-air museum.
1. The ancestors of modern Kizhans are Novgorodians. A thousand years ago, people from Novgorod began to explore the harsh northern regions: they fished, sowed, and raised livestock. In the 15th century, the Kizhi lands became part of the Moscow principality and were first mentioned in chronicles as the Kizhi Pogost - a union of villages.
2. Kizhi is a small island covered with carbonaceous shale. "Kizhi chernozem", "northern anthracite", or shungite, attracted artisans. Artillery pieces were painted with "slag stone" and were treated. It was believed to bring back youth. In the second half of the 17th century, the first plant appeared in Zaonezhie. Semyon Gavrilov, a Novgorod merchant, became its founder. By the end of the 17th century, five small iron foundries and ironworks were already operating on the territory of the Kizhi and Shungsky graveyards.
3. The settlement could become famous ... with knives. Unique Kizhi knives, practically not rusting and not dull, were in great demand at the Tikhvin fair. But the local peasants were hostile to attempts at industrialization. They even raised an uprising. And the world fame of one of the 1369 islands of Lake Onega was brought by two wooden temples and one bell tower.
4. Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Built three centuries ago. The 22-main temple was cut down by an unknown master on the spot old church burned out by a lightning strike. Legend has it that there is not a single nail in the 37-meter building. But even though the log house was built according to Russian carpentry canons, there are still nails - in the domes.
5. Another one echoes the main attraction of Kizhi ancient temple Islands - Church of the Intercession. Graceful and slender proportions, domes with an openwork crown complement the grandeur of the Transfiguration Church. In the Intercession Winter Church, services are held from the Intercession to Easter.
6. The iconostases of the temples are painted according to northern traditions. The icons blend smoothly into the vaults. Heaven - ceiling icons from the Kizhi collection - were exhibited in an Italian museum. Part of the unique Zaonezh collection was presented in the Italian province of Potenza as part of the Year of the Russian Language.
7. The architectural echo of the ensemble is the tent-roofed bell tower. The building was rebuilt in the nineteenth century - "for dilapidation." The bell tower was silent for 60 years. Bell ringing has been banned since 1929. And only in 1989, all 12 bells sounded again - nine old and three newly cast.
8. Kizhi as an architectural monument came to the attention of specialists in the middle of the 19th century. A troop of artists and architects visited the island from the Academy of Arts. In 1911, landscape painter Yehoshua Schlugleit painted the painting In the Far North. The image of the Kizhi churchyard was acquired by Emperor Nicholas II.
9. Open-air museum. 68 buildings from all over Karelia are collected in Kizhi. Among them is one of the most ancient wooden churches in Russia: the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus until the 16th century. In 1966, Kizhi became a museum, and then an open-air school. From May to September, schoolchildren and students come to the island to study ethnography.
10. A quarter of a century ago, the Kizhi Pogost was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, simultaneously with historic center St. Petersburg and the Moscow Kremlin. The architectural ensemble was named unique by three criteria at once: as a masterpiece of human creative genius, a structure in harmony with the surrounding landscape, and the pinnacle of carpentry skills.
Since ancient times, wood and clay have been the main building materials for Russian architects. That's why wooden architecture became the basis for the unique style of Russian architecture, hallmark which was the optimal combination of functionality and beauty of buildings. One of these amazing masterpieces of Russian architecture is the ancient churchyard on the island of Kizhi.
The Kizhi Pogost is a world famous architectural ensemble located on the Kizhi island of Onega Lake.
The architectural ensemble of the ancient Kizhi churchyard consists of three structures:
- Transfiguration Church;
- Church of the Intercession;
- hipped bell tower with a belfry.
It is not known in what year the churches in Kizhi were built. It is believed that their construction was completed before 1583. However, there is a mention of them in the Scripture Book of 1563, which contains references to the description of churches in 1496, which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day. Thus, it can be assumed that churches on the Kizhi Island have existed since the end of the 15th century.
The Transfiguration (summer) church is considered the pinnacle of Russian wooden architecture, the huge pyramidal volume of which is crowned with a very complex system of twenty-two scaly domes arranged in four tiers. The basis of the composition of the Church of the Transfiguration is the "octagon" - an octahedral blockhouse with four two-stage cuts located on the cardinal points.
The Intercession (winter) church complements the Transfiguration church, echoing it with a kind of architectural echo. The corners of the Big Eight of the Intercession Church are crowned with eight small chapters, and the composition is completed by a large ninth chapter, located in the center of the building. All together, the domes form a light and delicate crown, permeated with air and light, but at the same time rather modest and absolutely not competing with the grandeur of the Church of the Transfiguration.
Outwardly dissimilar churches have quite a lot in common. So, the log cabins of churches are chopped in the traditions of Russian carpentry - without a single nail, with the exception of the domes, both monumental log cabins are a kind of pedestal for magnificent multi-domes.
A single architectural ensemble of churches of the Kizhi Pogost is harmoniously complemented by a hipped-roof bell tower with a belfry, which has a height of 30 meters. The composition of the bell tower is designed in accordance with the traditional scheme typical for architectural ensemble in Kizhi, - octagon on four.
It took 160 years from the beginning of the construction of the structures in Kizhi to their unification into a single architectural ensemble. However, the creative searches of Russian architects were not crowned with success, therefore, further changes in the appearance of the architectural ensemble in Kizhi, associated with the restoration work, take place in modern times.
So, in 1945, the object received the status of an architectural reserve, and the government decided to restore the Kizhi churches, the main tasks of which were to strengthen the monuments and restore their original artistic appearance. In the course of the restoration work, the churches were freed from the later awkward stucco molding, thanks to which they returned to their original appearance: the iron was removed from the domes of the Transfiguration Church, the plank sheathing, some of the crowns of the log cabins were replaced and the weakened structures were strengthened.
Today the museum of wooden architecture "Russian Zaonezhie" is located in Kizhi. Here you can see a large number of old fancifully decorated huts that created the whole village. Thus, the Kizhi Pogost ensemble is an illustration that conveys the past way of life.
Kizhi Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve- a place that should be visited by people interested in history, lovers of Russian architecture and just those who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle big city... On the island of Kizhi you can see the architecture of the 18th-19th centuries, as well as get acquainted with the life of the inhabitants of Karelia of those times. And also a boat trip along Lake Onega and its picturesque shores.
Location: contact information
How best to get to Petrozavodsk
- by plane- 1 hour 40 minutes by direct flight;
- by train- 12 hours (minimum travel time);
- by car- 1050 km through or about 1000 km through.
- by plane- 4 hours 15 minutes;
- by train- 7-8 hours;
- by car- 435-526 km.
Before can be reached by bus. Travel time will be the fastest of all possible modes of transport, but you will be able to admire the picturesque surroundings.
From Petrozavodsk hydrofoil boats run to Kizhi Island in summer, and hovercraft in winter. You will also be offered options such as a pneumatic ATV, a snowmobile, and even skis and dog sleds.
Visiting the Kizhi nature reserve: opening hours, ticket prices, promotions and discounts
Working hours:
- May-August: 08.00-20.00;
- September-October: 09.00-16.00;
- November-February: 10.00-16.00;
- March-April: 09.00-17.00.
Without days off and lunch break.
Visit prices:Excursion prices (per person):
- group up to 5 people- 1000 rubles (in a foreign language - 2500 rubles);
- group of 5 people- 100 rubles (in a foreign language - 500 rubles).
There is also a mass of additional excursions and programs, theater performances and audio guides are provided. Choose the one you like additional service can be on the site of the reserve , by phone or at the excursion center.
On which lake is the Kizhi Museum-Reserve
The island of Kizhi, on which the reserve is located, is located in the northern part Lake Onega... At the end of the 18th century, the island was a separate Kizhi volost, which included 9 villages. In addition to traditional crafts, the inhabitants of the island were engaged in fishing and agriculture, which was facilitated by the fish-rich waters of Lake Onega and the fertile soil of the island.
Sights of the Kizhi reserve
Historical reserve, founded in 1966 with the aim of preserving the architecture of Karelia in the 18th - early 20th centuries, it includes more than 70 objects, such as churches, bell towers, huts, barns, baths, mills and smithies. Among the most interesting architectural objects are the following:
- Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This is undoubtedly the main attraction of the reserve. The 37-meter temple was erected in 1714. This is one of the brightest representatives of the eightfold churches. The architectural composition is based on an octahedral log house, four two-stage cuts of which are located on the cardinal points. The roofs of octagons and prirubes are crowned with domes. 22 domes are arranged in such a way that the overall composition has a pyramidal shape. The basis of the interior of the temple is the majestic iconostasis of 102 icons arranged in four tiers. In 1949-1959, a large-scale restoration of the church was carried out, mainly affecting the interior and the iconostasis. V this moment the reconstruction of the temple building itself is underway with the replacement of dilapidated logs with new ones.
- Church of the Intercession of the Virgin. This is one of the few multi-domed churches that have survived to this day. It was erected in 1694 and rebuilt 70 years later. Tourists are attracted here not only by the front part, but also by the interior with a rich iconostasis, part of which, unfortunately, was irretrievably lost.
- The bell tower of the Kizhi Pogost. The 30-meter bell tower was erected in 1862. The bell tower offers a picturesque view of the island and Lake Onega.
- Windmill in the village of Volkostrov. 10m post windmill, built in 1928.
Interesting facts about the Kizhi Museum-Reserve
- During the restoration of the Transfiguration Church in 2014 year, when it was necessary to replace about 30% of the logs, the structure was lifted with vag- levers used 400 years ago.
- 4 architectural objects of the Kizhi reserve included in the list monuments World heritage UNESCO.
Photo of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve
Church of the Transfiguration- the main attraction of the historical reserve.
Most of original icons in the iconostasis of the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin has survived to this day. 
Winter landscapes in the Kizhi nature reserve are no less picturesque. 
Mill in the village Volkostrov has a height of about 10 meters. 
The Kizhi nature reserve displays traditional life of the inhabitants of Karelia.
Museum reserve Kizhi - video
In this video, there are even more interesting facts about the Kizhi Museum Reserve. Happy viewing!
Visiting the historical reserve Kizhi often included in the visit program... Tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world visited this unique cultural and historical object in the open air and discovered the traditional architecture and peculiarities of the life of the peoples. The popularity of the reserve among tourists is evidenced by at least the fact that tourist services are carried out here on eight foreign languages.
Therefore, we too should pay more attention to our history and cultural heritage... Moreover, there are really interesting excursions and tasting of Karelian dishes prepared according to ancient folk recipes. And a water trip on Lake Onega will not leave anyone indifferent.
