62°04'03.02"N 35°13'25.07"E
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| (from Wikimedia Commons) |
At first glance it might look impressive, but once someone realizes that it is completely made out of wood, it turns out to be even more majestic. Kizhi Pogost, located on the island of the same name at Lake Onega, is one of the few remaining well-preserved pogosts from Russia's prominent wooden architecture of the 18th century. The complex is conformed by two churches and a bell tower, yet, Soviet authorities transferred additional ligneous constructions from throughout the country, transforming the island into a collection of wood structures. Nowadays, Kizhi reflects the stunning past rustic traces of a growing global superpower.
To begin with, the first ever mention of Kizhi Pogost was in a chronicle of the 16th century --- long before it was built. This is so, because the current one is the sturdier successor of the one which burnt down after the strike of a lightning in 1693. Built twenty years later, it has endured this much due to a clever replacement technique; every time a part was shaky or broke, it was immediately replaced. But the true carpentry heroes remain unknown, unless you believe the local legend: Master Nestor, a tough carpenter, built the 37 meter high building without a single nail, only an axe. Once he finished, he threw the axe into the cold and tranquil waters of Lake Onega and said "There was not and will not be another one to match it". Believe the legend or not; Master Nestor was right. None did ever match it.
Apart from creating 30 onion-cupolas entirely from wood dressed in silver shingles (the larger one has 22 in ascending order, while the smaller one has 8 gathered around a dome) and incorporating some bochka gables and pyramidal vaults, the edifice has far more planning beyond its look. Because each church is designed for a specific season: summer or winter. The big Church of the Transfiguration is deliberated for summertime as the attendance was larger, while the little Church of the Intercession accommodates the tiny group of loyal devotees during wintertime. Then there is the bell tower, made out of an octagon over a cube with an onion-dome on top. Yet, besides all the planning and restorations, the site would lose significance and fell into neglect during the 1930s.
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| The bochka of the Church of Transfiguration (from Wikimedia Commons) |
Kizhi Pogost endured some estimate 35 years in decay, during which the Church of the Transfiguration almost collapsed; officials could save it by placing a steel scaffold. To be fair, it would still be deteriorated remains of the past if it wasn't because of Alexander Opolovnikov, an expert when it comes to Russia's timber architecture. On January 1, 1966, he founded an open-air museum with Kizhi Pogost and other wooden structures from across the region which were be transported, restored, investigated and exposed to the public. One main achievement was completed when laborers succeeded in restoring the Church of the Transfiguration, replacing every timber log with a new one. The museum even has its own website where you can learn more.
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| Bikanina Windmill, part of the Kizhi Museum (from Wikimedia Commons) |
Sources and Picture Credits:
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Picture 1 https://www.flickr.com/photos/84376777@N00 (rusticus80)
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (Learn more)
Picture 2 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Участник:Дмитрий_Сазанов
Free Art License (Learn more)
Picture 3 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:A.Savin
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