The pogost of Kizhi (i.e. the Kizhi enclosure) is located on one of the many islands in Lake Onega, in Karelia. Two 18th-century wooden churches, and an octagonal clock tower, also in wood and built in 1862, can be seen there. Karelia, a region in Northwestern Russia that borders Finland and the White Sea, Kizhi Island is best known for its incredible open-air museum. Karelians have lived in the region since the 13th century, torn between the cultures of the East and the West. The museum’s collection features the 120-foot high Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior, a structure made famous by its 22 domes. Other tourist attractions includes dozens of wooden houses, windmills, chapels and barns. The peasant culture is represented with craft demonstrations and folk ensembles.
The churches on Kizhi Island were mentioned for the first time in chronicles of the 16th century. They burned down after being struck by lightning in 1693 and the currently existing churches were built on the very site of the former ones.
The ensemble bears evidence of the highly developed carpentry skills of the Russian people. Nowadays it is the only ensemble with two multi-domed wooden churches preserved in Russia. The Church of the Transfiguration is a monument with exceptional architectural and structural features. It has no parallel in either Russian or global wooden architecture.
The collection of the Open-Air "Kizhi" Museum includes 89 monuments of wooden architecture: old chapels and houses, windmills and granaries, threshing barns and racks for drying crops…The gem of this collection is the 22 domed Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior, 37 meters height. The Church of the Intercession of Holy Mary and the Bell-Tower located nearby emphasize the harmony and magnificence of the main Church.
The Church of the Intercession, the Winter Church, refers to "ship type” churches and is a simpler structure. Built in 1764, it is of the “octagonal prism on a cube” type. Its elegant crown of eight cupolas is a unique element in Russian wooden architecture as this type of church was traditionally crowned with a tent roof. The eight cupolas encircle the 27m high central onion dome, and which covers the central parallel piped space, gives it a more static appearance
The Kizhi Pogost is a unique monument of Russian wooden architecture, a universally recognized masterpiece of world architecture. It is noted for the harmony of its dimensions and shapes, and the artistic unity of its structures, built at different times. The architectural beauty of the ensemble is emphasized by the expressive landscape, which can be considered as a national landscape.
Interesting Facts about Kizhi Island
- Kizhi Island is home to the oldest wooden church in Russia, the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus, which was built in the late 14th century.
- While many of the buildings on Kizhi Island have stood for centuries, it was not until the 1960's that the Soviets decided to make Kizhi Island into an open-air museum.
- No nails were used in the construction of the wooden architecture of Kizhi Island. Instead, pieces of wood have been notched together to form even the most intricate structures.
Special peculiriaties
People from Karelia as "the true eighth wonder of the world", Kizhi Pogost is indeed a unique artistic achievement. Not only does it combine two multi-cupola churches and a bell tower within the same enclosure, but also these unusually designed, perfectly proportioned wooden structures are in perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape.
Among the five surviving pogosts in the extreme northwest of Russia, Kizhi Pogost offers an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble typical of medieval and post-medieval Orthodox settlements in sparsely populated regions. Accessible by land or water, the pogost clustered religious buildings, which could also be used for other occasional purposes; for example the spacious refectory was used as a meeting hall for the village community.
The Pogost and the buildings, which had been grouped together to form the museum site in the southern part of Kizhi, are exceptional examples of the traditional wooden architecture of Karelia.
Here I mentioned some of the facts regarding Kizhi island, who wants to know ancient Russian architecture and old churches to visit, You can come and visit here..Thank you
Here I mentioned some of the facts regarding Kizhi island, who wants to know ancient Russian architecture and old churches to visit, You can come and visit here..Thank you
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