Russian land is rich in unique monuments of history and architecture. But, perhaps, a wonderful island, located in the very heart of the Russian North, occupies a very special place among them. The Kizhi Museum-Reserve of Russian Wooden Architecture is the largest open-air complex. Its center is the architectural ensemble that adorns the Kizhi churchyard.
Where is the Kizhi Museum-Reserve?
This question is certainly of interest to lovers of ancient wooden architecture. Historical and architectural museum-reserve "Kizhi" is located on the island of the same name, seventy kilometers from Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia. This is one of the largest open-air museums in our country. Its area is more than ten thousand hectares. In Karelia, this is one of the most visited places. One hundred and eighty thousand Russian and foreign tourists visit here every year.
Nature
Nature lovers also come to these picturesque places. The island has miraculously preserved a uniqueecological complex, where a huge number of rare species of birds live. Today, an interesting ecological route has been developed here, the length of which is more than three kilometers. There are several platforms on its territory from which you can admire the amazing nature of Karelia. During the tour, tourists can see the traces of a glacier that came down here more than eleven thousand years ago, see nesting places for marsh birds, and enjoy the discreet beauty of northern nature.
Kizhi Museum of Wooden Architecture
We are sure that people who have never been to Karelia will be amazed by the beauty and originality of these places. But first, let's clarify on which lake the Kizhi Museum is located. Onega is the second largest in Europe, second only to Ladoga. There are more than 1,300 small islands here, but Kizhi Island occupies a special place among them. There is a building on it. Kizhi is a museum that has been taking shape for more than two and a half centuries. In terms of the concentration of historical heritage objects, it is a unique territory that has no equal in the European north of our country.
The collection of architectural monuments collected here includes 76 buildings. It consists of 82 historical monuments: there are 68 on Kizhi Island, 8 in its vicinity, and 6 in Petrozavodsk. from the Kizhi Pogost. By the way, heToday it is on the UNESCO List. Over time, valuable exhibits appeared on the territory of the complex, which were collected in the villages of Karelia.
Museum highlights
All wooden buildings in Russia in ancient times were built using only one tool - an ax. However, today it should be recognized that there are practically no such buildings left, since during the restoration, the craftsmen use nails and other building tools.
In fact, the whole island is a unique museum. The architectural monuments of the Kizhi Museum are divided into three independent sectors. Tourists visit them more often than others. Magnificent monuments are located in the historic villages and in the north of the island. Kizhi (museum) pays special attention to educational and educational work. There is a lecture hall on the territory of the complex, where you can learn a lot of interesting things about the history of the building.
Church of the Transfiguration
This is the object that everyone who comes to Kizhi Island sees first. The museum (or rather, its employees) is very proud of the stunning wooden structure - the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This amazing building is a log house (octagonal) with four cuts. Each of them is strictly oriented to the cardinal points. On the lower log house there are two more, much smaller in size.
The Church of the Transfiguration is the most famous exhibit of the complex. Historians believe that it was built at the end of the 16th century. However, a major firepractically destroyed it. The magnificent building that we can see today was built in 1714. Its height is 37 meters. The church is crowned with 22 domes of the original form, which give the building a fabulous look.
The main element of the interior of the church is the iconostasis (four-tier), which consists of 102 icons.
Intercession Church
Another famous church that can be seen in all photos of the Kizhi Museum. This is the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin. It was erected at the end of the 17th century, but some time later (1764) it was rebuilt. The central part of the structure is an octagonal frame. Its roof is decorated with nine domes. The iconostasis of the church was restored during the restoration - in the fifties of the last century, since some of the original icons were lost.
The Church of the Intercession harmoniously echoes the architecture of the Transfiguration Church, complementing the panorama of the island with its original look. In the canopy there is a high porch, which is typical for most Russian northern churches. From here it is possible to enter the temple building. In the Church of the Intercession, you can attend a service, listen to the amazing chants of the monks and hear the unearthly chime of bells. Icons are of particular interest not only to tourists, but also to specialists. Mostly they were written by local residents. The domes of magnificent churches amaze with fine workmanship. Each of them consists of small parts - plowshares, hand-carved from pine.
Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus
Kizhi Museum-Reserve (photo you can see below) hasits territory and more modest buildings than, for example, the Church of the Transfiguration. Near the Kizhi churchyard there is a modest ancient church of the Resurrection of Lazarus. This miniature building seems to symbolize the grandiose path that the cult architecture of Russia has overcome from its origins to the unique works of wooden architecture dating back to the 17th-18th centuries.
Scientists-historians studied the state of wood and structural details. They came to the conclusion that the building dates back to the 16th century. This is a fairly simple cage-type structure. Such buildings have a four-wall log house: the so-called cage and a gable roof, which makes them look like a group of peasant buildings - from a bathhouse and a barn to a hut. In 1961, the monument was reconstructed according to the project of the architect A. V. Opolovnikov. The measurements made by Academician L. V. Dahl, which have been preserved since 1876, were examined in detail and used. This allowed the church to be restored with great precision.
Other buildings
"Kizhi" - a museum, on the territory of which more than twenty peasant houses, several chapels, outbuildings were transported: barns, baths, barns. The interiors of the houses are equipped with tools, utensils, and furniture that were used in antiquity. More than five hundred icons stored here emphasize the originality of the northern tradition of icon painting.
Priceless collections
Kizhi Museum is not only architectural monuments, but also the most valuablestock collections. This is a collection of various ethnographic items, handwritten and early printed books, paintings, photographs and drawings. A variety of funds allow the museum to have both the main exposition and temporary exhibitions.
Funds are divided into several branches:
- Orthodox icon painting. This is a collection of icons that are kept in chapels and temples, images that adorned the "red corners" in the houses of peasants.
- Decorative and applied area. There are rich collections of weaving, painting, embroidery, woodcarving.
- Archival documents. Here are the drawings of the architect Opolovnikov, who carried out the restoration work.
In the funds of this museum, old postcards united by the Kizhi theme have been preserved. A separate, no less valuable part of the fund is made up of photographs of local residents that were taken before 1940.
Restoration work
Since 1980, restoration work has been carried out on the territory of a unique complex under the close attention of UNESCO. The experts faced the question: “How was the wooden building, watered by rains and blown by northern winds from 1714, preserved?”. All over the world, searches were made for technologies for processing and preserving wood without the use of chemical compounds. Unfortunately, nothing like it has been found in the world. Therefore, the restorers had to turn to the experience of the ancestors who created these works of art. Today, great-grandchildren of northern architects, carpenters and woodworkers work here in more than onegeneration.
The uniqueness of the works is also connected with the fact that the pines from which the churches were built were cut down in winter in severe frosts and only with axes. Experts believe that in this case there is a natural preservation of the resin. This allowed the wood to be preserved for several centuries. Such trunks withstood eight years, only after that they could be used in construction.
There is an opinion that the period from the 14th to the 18th centuries became an “ice age” in these parts. And 1714 was the peak of the cold, so tree trunks have an amazingly high density of rings.
Working hours
Kizhi Museum can be visited at any time of the year. In winter, visitors are welcome here from 10.00 to 16.00, in summer - from 8.00 to 20.00. The island can be reached at any time from the capital of Karelia, Petrozavodsk. The second path can be started in the village of Velikaya Guba (Medvezhyegorsk district). A visit to the island is often included in the program of excursions that depart from St. Petersburg.
During navigation, regular flights depart from the Petrozavodsk Water Station. The journey takes one hour and fifteen minutes. Private carriers can take you from Velikaya Guba to the island. Extreme lovers in winter can get here on skis or dog sledding. In summer, tourists can be delivered by helicopter. There are no hotels on the island. And on the neighboring ones there is an opportunity to settle in guest houses for several days. You can book places in them in advance.
Tourist Tips
To everyone who wants to see the unique Kizhi complex- museum - you should know that certain rules must be observed here. Firstly, the inspection of the monument is carried out accompanied by an employee of the excursion department. Secondly, visiting the museum with pets is not allowed. Thirdly, tourist parking can be equipped in the places provided for this. And the parking of any transport is coordinated with the administration.
