Kizhi

Island in Lake Onega, in the republic of Karelia, northwestern Russian Federation. Kizhi is home to a ‘living museum’ of wooden architectural monuments, comprising both houses and places of worship, which has been designated a UNESCO site of special cultural interest. It is a major tourist destination.

Extensive building on Kizhi began in the 16th century, when the island was made the administrative centre for all the villages in the surrounding region. In particular, several churches and other ecclesiastical buildings were erected, all made entirely of wood. Among those which have been preserved are the Cathedral of the Transfiguration (1714), with 22 cupolas (domes) and a four-tier iconostasis (screen with doors and icons), the Church of the Protection of the Virgin (1764), which has nine cupolas and a hipped-roof bell-tower built in 1874. Since Kizhi was designated a museum in 1960, a number of other wooden buildings (dating mainly from the 17th to 19th centuries), including several peasant houses, have been brought from elsewhere in the area.