Lake Onega is the second largest lake in Europe, covering 3,757 square miles with 1,000 islands. Kizhi Island on Lake Onega in Russia contains an ensemble of unique wooden churches, chapels and houses from the 14th-18th centuries built without nails, including the Church of the Transfiguration and the Church of the Intercession. These unusual wooden constructions were created through bold architecture and craftsmanship using local wood and traditional techniques.

1. Lake Onega is the second largest
lake in Europe, it covers 3,757
square miles and has 1,000
Islands.
Kizhi is an island on Lake Onega Fifty rivers enter into Lake Onega
in the Republic of Karelia , Russia and it is a valuable source for
with an ensemble of wooden fishing. The oldest wooden
churches, chapels and houses. It Russian Church built in the 14th
is one of the most popular tourist century is located here
destinations in Russia and an
UNESCO World Heritage Site. PowerPoint by
The churches are made of wood Jack Cross
without a single nail

2. The Church of the Transfiguration was used during the summer,
when the faithful journeyed from the outermost regions of the
parish to attend services. A study of the materials sets its
construction date after 1713-14.

3. Church of Transformation on Kazhi Island Lake Onega

7. The pogost of Kizhi is the site of two
18th century wooden structures
constructed without nails

9. Church of the
All the structures intercession
have Bell Towers
used for
communication

10. The two 18th-century wooden
churches, and an octagonal clock
tower, also in wood and built in
1862 are unusual constructions,
in which carpenters created a
bold visionary architecture,
perpetuate an ancient model of
parish space and are in harmony
with the surrounding landscape.

11. 30,000 shingles
made of Aspen
wood were used
to make the roof
on this church

12. The church domes are
space-frames covered with
carved aspen shingles. The
exposed edges of the
shingles resemble rising
and descending steps

15. Porch carved verge boards with pendant finial

16. Porch detail:
carved
four-sided
log columns.

17. BELL TOWER
The log work of the
Bell Tower’s walls
uses a construction
method in which no
log protrudes past
the corner
intersections, and
this made it easier to
cover the walls of
both the square and
the octagonal
structures with plank
siding. The planking
is fastened to
vertical sleepers, not
to the log walls
themselves.

18. The Bell Tower
had 14 bells with
ropes attached a
series of
different rings
was used for
communication

19. Trees had to be cut
down, thousands of
logs had to be hauled
from the mainland,
knotched and
assembled to build
these wooden
structures, this was
quite a chore.

20. Cemetery behind the
church is reminiscent
of the wooden grave
markers seen in the
movie Dr. Zhicago

21. You can get to Kizhi by ship or any number of boats from St
Petersburg
The structures are within walking distance from the boat landings

22. The Homestead of a Karelian
s
farmer Yakovlev. Visitors can get
a look at the inside and exterior
and its historical background

23. A typical Russian farm
house. A family of 15 would
live here. Because of the
severe winters the livestock
was kept on the ground
floor

32. This lady making Ribbons with ornate decorations in the traditional way.
One end of her "weaving loom" is fixed on the fence of the farmhouse. This
was the work for the long wintertime at home, partly for some extra income
but certainly also for private use in traditional Costumes.

40. Sleds, Tools and
Boats were kept
inside during the
winter

43. The large
dining area

44. A Small 13th century
church on Kizhi Island..
These Churches were
often built overlooking
the forest and hilltops.
The roofs were often
complex and the onion
shaped domes
symbolizing heaven in
the Russian orthodox
tradition.

45. Windmill of
Volkoston
on
Kizhi Island
These
Windmills were
used to grind
grain

47. Chapel of the
Archangel Michael

49. Încă o capelă.

52. Ca şi la biserici, nici un cui !

53. Oşnevnev - 1876

61. Model of construction

62. Model of roof assembly

63. Model of the wedge shingle concept.

64. The round cone
slips over the last
shingles

66. House Iakovlev – 1880-1890

68. Al Log Swing!

69. A old small peasant house

72. Jcross002 @comcast.net
The End