Travel Guide Island Of Kiji (Кижи)

The arrival on Kiji is spectacular, because after crossing many islands more or less wooded, the whole thing stands out in the distance and takes on very different aspects depending on the angle of view. This is one of the highlights of the cruise, as is the passage through the Lower Svir lock which allows you to enter Lake Ladoga, the final stage before marvelling at the splendour of the Petsbourgian grandeur.A small island in the northeast of Lake Onega, Kiji is quite long (its width is barely more than a kilometer in places), has an architectural ensemble unique in Russia: more than 80 wooden constructions in the entire lake region, as well as the two pearls of Northern Russia, the Church of the Transfiguration and the Church of the Intercession. In 1966 the island became an open-air museum, as the wooden buildings miraculously escaped the Bolshevik and Soviet destruction. The boat goes up along the island to moor at the pier giving time to enjoy the beauty of the whole. The main attraction is the so-called Kiji complex consisting of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration and the Church of the Intercession. It is surrounded by an enclosure of wood and stone. These are the only structures that have been built on the island and which gave birth to the museum. Many beliefs are attached to this island. In particular, the one that assures success in business to anyone who sees a mermaid combing her hair on the footbridge near the wooden hut; or the one that predicts a wedding within a year to the one who will take a bath with herbs and kvas on which a witch has cast a spell. More achievable, rubbing against the walls of Archangel Michael's chapel would solve dental problems Kiji also offers beautiful examples of traditional peasant architecture: houses, granaries, barns, windmills. Most of these are complex buildings. Indeed, the civil architecture of the north is characterized by the fact that the long and harsh winter imposes the organization of life inside Close to the Church of the Transfiguration is a large two-storey house that once belonged to a rich peasant named Ochevnev. Dating from the end of the 19th century, it shows the quality of the decorative art of the northern peasants, with its towels adorning the roofs, balconies and decorated shutters The most impressive residences, with their three-storey decorations, are undoubtedly the Sergin House and the Yakovlev House, dating from the 1880s and 1890s. Inside, you will find beautiful collections of everyday objects: wooden crockery, samovars, looms, churns, spinning wheels... As in all traditional Russian isbas, you can see the pietchka, which served as an oven, heater, stove, and above which the bed was once located. Another curiosity evoking a very design object, the bench that runs along the walls, and where one could not only sit but also sleep.. The Russian houses all had a holy place with its icon, Ugol krasnii, located in the opposite left corner when entering the main room. The attics and sheds of these houses kept all the utensils of daily activities: fishing nets, decorated sledges, woodworking tools, looms for weaving and spinning wool..