Three churches of the Kizhi architectural ensemble

Kizhi (Russian: Кижи) is an island in Karelia, Russia. It is part of the Silver Ring of cultural and historical centers of Northwestern Russia.

Understand

The Kizhi museum is one of the largest open-air museums in Russia. This is a unique historical, cultural and natural complex enlisted on the Code of the Most Significant Cultural Heritage Sites of the Peoples of the Russian Federation. The basis of the museum collection is the architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The State Kizhi Museum is on the Island of Kizhi in Lake Onega, 68 km from Petrozavodsk, the capital of the Republic of Karelia. The museum has been researching, preserving and popularizing culture of the native peoples of Karelia for more than 40 years.

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 m high. The Church of the Intercession of Holy Mary and the Bell-Tower nearby emphasize the harmony and magnificence of the main church.

The guests of the museum can visit the Church of the Intercession of Holy Mary and peasant homesteads. Traditional crafts are demonstrated in peasant houses; wind flows bell-ringing over the island. Wonderful performance of the Museum folk ensemble supplements the impressions of the traditional peasant culture. The visitors whose stay on the island concurs with one of the museum festivals will have the most lasting impressions.

Get in

In summer (from late May), boats run from Petrozavodsk to Kizhi. A ticket cost 2300 руб return in June 2013. The journey takes 1hr 15min.

• Kareliaflot
• Tour Holding Karelia http://www.tourholding.ru/

Fees and permits

Entry fee is 625 руб for foreigners, 100 руб for Russian citizens, payable in cash only upon arrival. The fee is not included in the ticket price for the boat or hydrofoil from Petrozavodsk.

Eat

There are a few snack cafes and a small supermarket near the landing for the hydrofoils and cruise ships. Bringing your own picnic lunch is allowed, but be sure to use the bins or carry your own refuse off the island with you.

Sleep

The Kizhi Museum runs a guest house on the island:

• Kizhi Museum Guest House (д. Ерснево. «Кижская благодать» гостевой дом Елупова), ☏ +79214510081. Double room from 2300 руб.