The Kizhi

Founded in 1966 on the basis of the Kizhi Branch of the State Museum, Karelian ASSR.

In 1993 the Kizhi Open-Air Museum was enlisted into the State Collection of the most valuable objects of the  cultural heritage of the peoples living in the Russian Federation.

The Kizhi Museum is responsible for the preservation and development of the historic, cultural and nature complex comprising the world famous Kizhi Pogost, historic landscapes and monuments situated on Kizhi Island, near-by Lake Onega islands and part of the mainland coastline within the former  Kizhi Volost (Community) of the Olonets Province.

The Kizhi historic, cultural and natural complex is a unique historic area having no equal in the European North of Russia reflecting the concentration of  the monuments of  our heritage. Both the monuments originally built on  the site and those brought here from other parts of  the Republic make up the museum collection  and represent the main aspects of the traditional culture of the ingenious peoples of Karelia ( Karelians, Russians, Vepsians).

Alongside  the active work  focused on the collection, restoration, enlightenment and tourism, the priority activity of the museum at present is the research into the history, culture and nature heritage and its exploitation in the context of the development of this region.

The stages of the development of the Kizhi Museum of History, Architecture and Ethnography

1945 - the Kizhi Pogost was declared to be  a state reserve. The aim of the stage was to develop transfer of  "the unique monuments of secular architecture (peasants’ houses, outdoor structures)  to the adjacent area.

1948-1960 - The first restoration of the architectural ensemble of the pogost was carried out. The first piece of architecture – the Oshevnev’s house was moved to Kizhi Island. That was the beginning of the open-air museum of history and architecture (1951).

1961 - The department of the State Museum of Karelian Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic the Kizhi reserve was opened.

1965 - The Kizhi State Museum of History and Architecture was opened on the basis of The department of the State Museum of Karelian Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic.

1969 - The Kizhi State Museum of History and Architecture was reorganized as the Kizhi State Museum-Reserve of History, Architecture and Ethnography.

1972 - The General plan of the Kizhi Museum development was approved.

1977 - The design of detail planning of the Kizhi Museum was approved.

1979-1981 - Some repairs in order to ensure engineering strengthening of the Church of the Transfiguration were carried out; the iconostasis was dismantled, a "supporting" metal frame was installed inside the church.

1988 -The state zoological reserved was declared on the site of the Kizhi complex.

1990 - The architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost and the surrounding architectural and landscape environment within the limits of the protected area of the museum was included into the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

1992 - The Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Karelia declared the territory of the Kizhi complex within the limits of the protected area of the museum to be the site of historic and cultural significance. The specific mode of land use and protection of the monuments and natural landscape within the limits of the protected area of the museum was approved.

1993 - By the decree of the President of the Russian Federation the Kizhi museum-reserve was included into the Federal List of objects of special value of the heritage of the peoples of Russian Federation, the architectural monuments of the Kizhi complex became the federal property.

1993-1997 - Expansion of social and cultural area of the Kizhi museum. Active assimilation of new forms and kinds of activities in the field of protection and employment of historic and cultural heritage. Development of the Conception of the Church of the Transfiguration protection and the Conception of technical protection of the Kizhi Pogost. Integral Service of the protection of the Kizhi Museum was established.

The museum's resources

Monuments and museum collections consist of: 70 monuments of traditional folk architecture including the ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost. Archaeological monuments, historic settlements within the Kizhi Community. More than 30,000 artefacts in the main  museum collections.

Information resources: over 10,000 source-books of the museum collection (over 15000 measuring plans, restoration designs and other graphic materials) . Scientific Library - about 20,000 volumes. Scientific archives - about 3000 files. Computer database "Heritage" contains information on monuments and museum collections. Catalogues and card-indices of scientific reference office.

Personnel: full-time staff - 75 members, among them 30 highly qualified professionals; over 150 seasonal and contract workers.

Area: about 10,000 ha of the territory - a picturesque lake-shore landscape with signs of centuries-long land use. Over 1,500 sq.m. of the exposition area.

Facilities: over 20 managerial and housing objects; repair shop; computers, printing and copying machines; telephone and radio communication; fire-fighting and fire-prevention equipment; over 20 items of water and road transport.

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour.

The summer church of the Kizhi ensemble. 1714.

The Church of the Transfiguration is the outstanding monument of ecclesiastical wooden construction. It embodies the best of architecture and engineering thought.. 

The church is the most perfect example of Prionezhye multi-domed churches belonging to the type of "round" churches crowned with twenty two cupolas. The basis of the church consists of three timber octahedrons placed one upon another to form a pyramidal silhouette. The basic octahedron has four apses built to at four cardinal points. They act as counterforts and increase the church area. The western apse terminates in a spacious narthex (a refectory) with a high two-flight porch. The domes and "bochka"-roofs are arranged on the edges of the octahedrons and apses. Their shingle covering combined with the traditional roof provide the reliable protection of  the structure rain and snow. An additional flush roof with two sloping surfaces and drains was built inside the church; the projecting ends of drains are seen on the walls. 

Some details of the interior have remained including fragments of the original iconostasis (1714), tiers of which were separated with painted boards (tyabla), the fretted gilt iconostasis frame (the second third of the 18th century) and 103 icons of the northern icon painting dating to the period from the 16th to 18th century. Some of the icons from the Church of the Transfiguration are exhibited in Russian museums. The icons which decorated the ceiling - "the sky" - have been lost during the first post-war years. 

In the second half of the 19th century the church was renovated: the walls were planked and the domes were covered with roofing iron. 

The first survey of the church was carried out by academician L.V.Dal in 1876. In 1926 the church was examined by I.E. Grabar and P.D. Baranovsky, in 1940 - by A.N.Buynov, L.M.Lisenko, I.K.Rybchenko. 

In the period from 1949 to 1957 the first restoration took place under the supervision of A.V.Opolovnikov and the church original appearance was returned. 

Beginning from the 1960s the problem of the structure enforcement became specially acute. Both independent specialists and large specialized institutions, namely, Leningrad Engineering and Construction Institute, Moscow Architectural Institute, "Spetsproektrestavratsia" Institute had been working on the problem. 

In 1980 in the course of the preventive work carried out according to the design worked out by the "Spetsproektrestavratsia" Institute, a metal scaffolding was installed inside the structure with the aim to stop the framework deformation. 

In 1977 the solution of the problem was approved which was suggested by the Research and Production Centre of building structures of the town of Kirov (manager - Yu.V.Piskounov, Professor of the Kirov Technical University) worked out on the basis of the thorough observation of the church structures for many years. 

At present, the design of the reinforcement and restoration is being worked out for the Church of the Transfiguration.

Zaonezhye peninsula and the Kizhi skerries are among the most picturesque and interesting regions from the point of view of educational tourism. A lot of individual tourists visit this area and their number is increasing. In order to preserve the most vulnerable and valuable natural communities and monuments and to prevent anthropogenic effects, the Kizhi Museum has identified and coordinated shelters for water tourists, arranged patrolling the area by security and officials of nature protection sector of the Museum. In future, we are going to have special service of the forest protection or game warden service to provide the conservation of the Kizhi skerries and to identify a net of natural monuments of regional significance in this area.

The island is located 4 km to the west of the Island of Kizhi.

The linden forest in the southern and central parts of the island is of special value. The height of the trees of  different age is up to 20-25 m.

The linden forest at this latitude is the northernmost in Russia and it has been preserved here since the warmer Atlantic period thanks to the soil rich in shunghit and mild climate of Zaonezhye. The soil cover is very diverse with well-developed undergrowth of mountain ash, honey-suckle, red current, dog rose and spurge olive.

The island is very rich in the bird fauna, and like the plant species those related to broad-leaved or mixed forests dominate the bird species: blackbird, icterine warbler, wood warbler, whitethroat. Regular nesting of lesser spotted woodpecker, rare in Karelia and occasional nesting of some species of titmouse are of special interest.