Kizhi, Russia

Kizhi is an island near the geometrical center of the Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia (Medvezhyegorsky District), Russia. It is elongated from north to south and is about 6 km long, 1 km wide and is about 68 km away from the capital of Karelia, Petrozavodsk.

The KIZHI museum is one of the largest open-air museums in Russia. This is an 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 included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

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 meters height. The Church of the Intercession of Holy Mary and the Bell-Tower located nearby emphasize the harmony and magnificence of the main Church.

Things to See & Do

* Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior
* Monuments of wooden architecture
* Peasant homesteads
* Church of the Intercession of Holy Mary
* Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus from Murom Monastery

General Information

Cruise Season – March - Dec
Currency – Ruble (RUB)
Language – Russian
Land Area – 5km²
Electricity – 2 round pins European style.
Time – UTC plus two four hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 7

Travel Links - Access to Kizhi is provided by hydrofoil (several trips a day from Petrozavodsk during the summer months), cruise ship, helicopter and snowcat (in the winter). Transportation over the island is mostly on foot. During the winter, snowmobiles are also used.