Kizhi Pogost

The wooden churches of Kizhi Pogost located on the Kizhi island in the western part of the Lake Onega in Russia. Built in 1714, 35 meters high Transfiguration, which is crowned by 22 onion domes and covered 30,000 shingles from aspen wood, is considered the boldest obtained timber in Russia, where no nail was used. It is the successor of a burnt church and today the only surviving multi -domed church in the world in timber construction. According to local legend, the church should be the work of the legendary architect Nestor, who is said to have thrown his ax completion in Lake Onega, so never such a splendid building is created. The Transfiguration is currently being restored and will be opened again for the 300th anniversary in 2014.

The bell tower of the Church of the Intercession Maria was rebuilt in 1862 after the old one had fallen into disrepair. After the church was closed after the October Revolution, the bells were reconstructed in 1988 and 1994 re-consecrated the church. The small Lazarus Church dates from the Monastery of Murom on the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga is of 1390 and thus the oldest wooden religious building.

Altogether there are now about 60 historical wooden structures from Karelia and Northern Russia Kizhi. In addition to the chapels and churches are the bath houses, farmhouses, a blacksmith shop, store, roadside crosses and a windmill. You can reach the island by hydrofoil from Petrozavodsk, 70 km away. On the island also make the trains running between St. Petersburg and Moscow cruise ships stop. Today there are about 170,000 annual visitors from around the world to Kizhi Pogost, which is an open air museum and its buildings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pictures

Bell Tower (left ), Maria Intercession (right), the Transfiguration (rear)

Bell Tower and Maria Intercession ( Transfiguration Cathedral in the background)

Domes of the Transfiguration

One of the chapels

The windmill