Exhibition sector: Russians of Zaonezhye Date of construction: 1714 Place of construction: Kizhi island, Medvezhyegorsky district Overall dimensions: 37.0×20.0×29.0 Materials: pine, spruce, aspen. Protected status: Included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site “Kizhi Pogost”, a cultural heritage site of federal significance.

Restored according to the design of A.V. Opolovnikov in 1949-1959.

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord belongs to the type of eight-tiered churches. The basis of the composition of the structure is an octagonal frame - “octagon” - with four two-stage sections located at the cardinal points. The eastern altar area has a pentagonal shape in plan. From the west, a low frame of the refectory (narthex) adjoins the main frame. Two more octagonal frames of smaller sizes were placed in succession on the lower octagon.

The frame of the church was placed without a foundation on a stone fence; only a rubble foundation with lime mortar was placed under the western side of the church (1870). The corners of the church are cut into “oblo”, the internal corners in the interior of the church building and the corners of the apse are cut into “lapa”. Material - pine. The roofs of the refectory, porch and porches are made of pine and spruce boards over birch bark. In the hidden structures of the domes there are individual elements (pole posts) made of birch. Aspen ploughshare.

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord is crowned with twenty-two domes, placed in tiers on the roofs of cut-offs and octagons, having a curvilinear “barrel” shape. The shape and size of the chapters vary in tiers, which gives a peculiar rhythmic pattern to the appearance of the church. The refectory is covered with a three-pitched roof. The entrance to the Church of the Transfiguration is made in the form of a two-way covered porch on consoles. The upper and lower platforms of the porch are covered with gable roofs on carved pillars.

Slab floors are laid on log beams embedded in the walls. Plank floor joists were laid on top of the original floors. The ceilings in the openings of the temple part were made of blocks and planks and were cut into the walls. The central part is covered with a “sky” rafter structure with a round medallion in the middle. Above the “sky” there is an internal gable roof, the edges of which rest on the walls of an octagon, and in the middle - on two streams (gutters) going out. Under the main drains there were additional safety drains. In the upper octagon for the axial column of the central chapter there is a quadrangular cage made of timber. The roofs of the barrels and floors are of slab construction. The domes of the Church of the Transfiguration are made using circles and cranes. The roof of the refectory is rafter. A central and two small side doorways lead from the refectory to the church (in the northern and southern aisles). In the southern entrance of the refectory, the entrance door from the bell tower gallery, now defunct, has been preserved.

Iconostasis - carved, gilded, four-tiered with 102 icons. The generally accepted dating of the iconostasis frame is the 2nd half of the 18th century. Icons, based on the time of writing and stylistic features, are divided into three groups: the two oldest icons - “Transfiguration” and “Protection” - date back to the last third of the 17th century. The main part of the lower “local” row of the iconostasis dates back to the 2nd half of the 18th century. The icons of the upper three tiers of the iconostasis date back to the first quarter of the 18th century.

Church of the Transfiguration- an Orthodox church, an architectural monument of federal significance, located on the territory of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve, part of the temple complex of the Kizhi Pogost.

General information

Built in 1714 on the site of the tented church of the same name, which burned down in 1694.

The height from the base to the cross of the central chapter is 37 m, the size in plan is 20.6 × 29 m.

Refers to the type of wooden eight-tiered churches. The basis of the composition of the structure is an octagonal frame - “octagon” - with four two-stage sections located at the cardinal points. The eastern altar area has a pentagonal shape in plan. From the west, a low frame of the refectory (narthex) adjoins the main frame. Two more octagonal frames of smaller sizes were placed in succession on the lower octagon.

The church is crowned with twenty-two domes, placed in tiers on the roofs of cut-offs and octagons, which have a curved roof shape - the so-called “barrel”. The shape and size of the chapters vary in tiers, which gives a peculiar rhythmic pattern to the appearance of the church. The refectory is covered with a three-pitched roof. The entrance to the church is made in the form of a two-way covered porch on consoles. The upper and lower platforms of the porch are covered with gable roofs on carved pillars. The upper octagons rest on the intersecting beams of the underlying octagons - “transitional quadrangles” - and are braced with log struts.

The basis of the interior of the church is a four-tier iconostasis, including 102 icons.

In 1990, the temple was included in the UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List.

Among some researchers of wooden architecture of Pomerania, there is an opinion that one of the prototypes of the Kizhi Transfiguration Church was the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, located in Zaostrovye, four kilometers from the city of Arkhangelsk.

History of the restoration of the Church of the Transfiguration

The most significant restoration work was carried out in 1949-1959 under the leadership of architect A. V. Opolovnikov.

In 1980-1983, emergency work was carried out with the installation of an internal metal frame in order to prevent a possible collapse of the church building.

In 1999-2001, a project for a comprehensive restoration of the church was developed by the St. Petersburg Institute “Spetsproektrestavratsiya”.

The Transfiguration Church is currently being restored; the entire structure is supported by an internal metal frame. The restoration is carried out by the lifting method - in which part of the temple is hung due to the above-mentioned metal structure, the logs located below the hung part of the church are removed, examined and, if their condition requires it, replaced with new ones.

In the northern part of Lake Onega, in Karelia, there is a small Kizhi island. This island is famous for the extraordinary beauty of the Kizhi (Spassky) churchyard complex. And a real work of art is the Church of the Transfiguration, cut down without the use of nails.

22-chapter Church of the Transfiguration was built in 1714, at a time when Russia and Sweden shared access to the Baltic Sea. Russia sought to strengthen its position on the shores of the Baltic and “open a window” to Europe. This year a peace treaty was concluded between Russia and Prussia. Swedish territories were the last to withdraw, and the fleet under the command of Peter I captured enemy ships. This first major victory in the history of the Russian fleet allowed Russia to take possession of the lands of Finland.

For the northernmost Russian lands, this victory meant the removal of the state border to the shores of the Baltic and, as a result, safety from a sudden attack by the Swedes. In honor of this, the residents of the northern part of Lake Onega decided to build the Church of the Transfiguration.

The wood for the wooden churches was cut down in winter and floated in the spring. And if the rafts were nailed to the same place three times, a church was built there. The location was also chosen for the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. According to legends, Tsar Peter I took a direct part in the development of the project for the complex being built. And the chief master Nestor, after finishing the construction, threw his ax into the lake, saying that there is no other church like this and there will never be another.

The Church of the Transfiguration is based on a wooden frame made of three octagons. Thus, an almost round shape was obtained, and porches and galleries could be easily added. For the construction of the walls, a concrete wall was used, which is distinguished by its straightness, resinity and strength. The roof was made of thin aspen plates and fastened with hardened nails. The roof is the only place where nails were used. Thin aspen plates were tightly fitted to each other, covering the domes and creating a unique openwork pattern. Another covering was made under the domes so that not a single drop of rain would leak under the roof.

The Transfiguration Church and the 9-domed Intercession Church with a bell tower standing next to it are summer buildings. Services were rarely held in them.

In addition to amazing churches, on the island of Kizhi there are several peasant houses - monuments to the skill of craftsmen of Russian wooden architecture.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the Transfiguration Church was the tallest building in Russia. Its height reached 37 m. However, time is inexorable, and wood is a fragile material. Now the foundation of the church is a metal frame, and the entire iconostasis has been taken to the museum. But the Church of the Intercession is still active. True, you cannot light candles in it.

Today Kizhi is a State Nature Reserve, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1990.

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the island is one of the historical monuments that are part of the Kizhi Pogost and are World Heritage Sites, protected by UNESCO in categories 1, 4 and 5.

The island itself is also a tourist attraction, and visiting it is the main part of most excursion programs in the Karelian Republic.

History of Kizhi Island

Throughout its existence, the island was inhabited by indigenous Karelian peoples, who formed their own settlements, cultivated the land and led a measured peasant life.

But a historically important part of the island's life begins in the 17th century, when an entrepreneur from Novgorod, Semyon Gavrilov, decided to create metallurgical production on an industrial scale. The smelter began to be built in the late 60s of the 17th century, after deposits of copper ore were found.

By the beginning of the 90s years, with the help of miners, he was able to build two more factories - thus, two of them were located in Shunga, and one in Kizhi. At the end of the 17th century, two more factories were added to Gavrilov’s possession.

However, if initially the plants were intended to carry out work on copper smelting, then after a while the unprofitability of this production was noted, and it was repurposed for the production of iron.

The indigenous population of the island was not favorable to the emergence of industrial production on their territory, since the factory owners were allocated a considerable number of large plots of land. Forest lands in which subsoil development with iron ore deposits took place were also given away.

However, the greatest dissatisfaction among the population was caused by the fact that, over time, work at the factory was mandatory for all peasants. The reluctance of the people to work in forced labor was met aggressively by the supreme authorities, and they began to force them to work.

However, this provoked an armed protest, during which the peasants, led by the headman, attacked the transporters of minerals, as well as the village near the plant. The peasant uprising was suppressed by a rifle detachment sent from the center of Karelia.

The second uprising occurred much later and lasted two years - from 1769 to 1771. Then the assigned peasants were led by Kliment Sobolev and Semyon Kostin, who suffered the most severe punishments after the uprising was again suppressed.

Thus, the leaders were prescribed punishment consisting of flogging and other corporal punishment, as well as the installation of distinctive signs.

After that, they were exiled to Siberia to work in the mines. The rest of the peasants also faced punishment - some of them were also sent to hard labor, and others were sent to military service. Nevertheless, they were previously subject to punishment in the form of flogging.

19th century for the island of Kizhi was marked by the arrival of the famous academician of architecture Dahl, who visited Kizhi during his trip to the provinces located in northern Russia. And already by early 1900s The territory of the island began to be frequently visited by famous representatives of artistic and architectural art, who were attracted by the opportunity to see the famous architectural monuments with their own eyes.

Thus, the popularity of the island gradually gained momentum throughout the Russian Empire. Stamps and postcards with his views begin to be sold, and in 1910 Emperor Nicholas 2 buys a painting by Schlugeit, which depicts the Kizhi churchyard.

Kizhi Nature Reserve and Museum

The island becomes a protected landmark and nature reserve. at the end of 45 last century according to the resolution of the KFSSR committee.

The museum itself was founded only early 1966. By the time the museum of ancient architecture was created, architectural monuments of historical and cultural value had already been brought to the territory of the future complex from all over the republic - among them were both buildings for private use and state ones.

The churchyard also has its own belief - according to it, the Church of the Transfiguration was erected without a single nail, using only an ax. After the construction was completed, the builder, who became the author of a modern historical monument, sank this ax in Onega so that no one else could create such a majestic creation.

Since the early 90s of the last century The churchyard became one of the protected sites classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, and since 1993 the museum has been classified as a particularly valuable historical and cultural site in Russia.

Transfiguration Church on the island

The Transfiguration Church belongs to the architecture of the 18th century; the year of its creation, according to historical sources, is 1714. Today, this particular building is considered the basis of the entire architectural ensemble.

The history of the church begins in June 1714, when the laying of its altar took place.

The prototype of this church is considered to be the Intercession Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located near Vologda and dating back to 1708.

The building that has survived to this day is the second one erected on this site. The first one was destroyed by a fire caused by a lightning strike. To this day, more than one piece of information has not been found about the creators of the architectural monument.

The height of the temple reaches almost 40 meters, and it was cut down, as the legend says, without a single nail, which is fully consistent with the traditions of the artisans of that time period.

However, the words that not a single nail can be found in the church are not entirely fair: there are none in the building itself, but the domes contain a great many of them.

Total near the church 22 chapters, which are placed in tiers on cuts and octagons, and their shape is of the “barrel” type.

Iconostasis It is also arranged in tiers - there are four of them in total, and the number of icons on the iconostasis is 102.

On the territory of the Transfiguration Church there are two ancient icons that date back to the 90s of the 17th century and are typical representatives of the “northern letter”. Most of the icons date back to the 18th century.

These icons make up the first tier of the iconostasis. The remaining three tiers are occupied by icons painted in the mid-18th century and imported.

The temple is unheated, and therefore belongs to the type of “summer” buildings. For the same reason, services are held there only from Easter until the beginning of October.

The church was erected without laying a foundation; it was installed on a stone fence. During the reconstruction of 1870, a limestone foundation was created in the western part of the temple.

The temple is one of the objects of historical and cultural heritage that are of federal significance and are especially protected.

Church of the Intercession in Kizhi Pogost

The Church of the Intercession of the Virgin, unlike the Transfiguration Church, is heated, “winter”, and therefore services begin in October and last until Easter.

Just like the Church of the Transfiguration, the Church of the Intercession is the second building - the first was destroyed by fire at the end of the 17th century. The new building dates back to 1764.

The height of the temple is 28 meters with a total length of 30 meters and a width of 9.

The names of the architects who built the modern architectural monument also have not survived to our times. The craftsmen were faced with a difficult task - due to the proximity of the new temple to Preobrazhensky, it was necessary to create a building that would not overshadow the twenty-two-domed miracle, but would not get lost in its shadow. The solution was to create a temple, the architectural style of which seemed to echo the Transfiguration Church, complementing it.

The “junior” temple has an order of magnitude fewer chapters – total 9, however, each of them is distinguished by its sophistication and expressiveness of proportions. The temple is decorated rather sparsely in comparison with Pokrovsky - the only decorative element is a carved jagged belt. By the way, it performs not only the function of decoration - it is also needed to protect the building from moisture. Due to the fact that the fall carries the roof a considerable distance from the walls of the log house, rainwater does not fall on them.

Today the temple houses a tyablo-type iconostasis with four rows, the last reconstruction of which dates back to the 50s of the last century. Most of it is occupied by icons, the writing of which dates back to 17th century. Geographically, they belong to Zaonezhie and are part of the “Kizhi Collection,” which during the occupation was exported outside Russia and stored in Finland.

The tented bell tower of the churchyard

The bell tower is also a renewed building - in 1862 the old “version” was destroyed after its “extreme dilapidation” was recognized, and in 1863 a new one was already erected. A special commission was involved in drawing up estimates and developing a project for the construction of a new tented bell tower, which began working on this in the mid-50s of the last century.

Early 1870s years, the bell tower was awaiting a new reconstruction, which ended with the reconstruction of its upper part. But this was not the last construction work that was supposed to be done in the bell tower - only 25 years later, in 1900, the builders dismantled the railings that made up the cornice belt, as well as the pediments that played the role of decoration on the tent.

Half a century later, repair work was carried out on the roof of the bell tower, and the belfry pillars were replaced. However, the most significant reconstruction of the bell tower was carried out almost 30 years ago - in 1993.

The design of the church fully corresponds to the traditional scheme of those times, called the “octagon on a quadruple*”. In construction, a technique was used in which the quadrangle was high and occupied 2/3 of the total height of the log house.

*“Octagon on a quadrangle” is a special scheme for the construction of architectural compositions, during which buildings of two shapes were used - quadrangular and octagonal.

As a rule, the quadrangular part of the building occupied the first floor and was represented by a low and narrow building, and the octagonal part was represented by a tower with a semicircular roof.

Fence of the Kizhi churchyard

Unfortunately, the fence has not survived to this day in its original form: only its stone base has survived, and the wooden part was restored during reconstruction in 1959.

Fence, almost 300 meters long, surrounds the churchyard. It is represented by a wooden frame, which is located on a stone foundation, and is protected on top by a roof with two slopes. The main entrance to the fence is located in the western part, opposite the Intercession Church. It is distinguished by massive gates with two rectangular doors, which have candle benches on the sides.

Each shop has only one window, which is decorated with shutters. Windows also serve as entrances to shops, the only exception being the shops located in the southern part of the churchyard - they have doors.

In addition to the main gate, the fence also has gates located on the northern and eastern sides. Each of the gates is decorated in its own way, so the one located in the northern part has its own tent on which there is a cross; and its doors are carved.

The gate opening the entrance in the eastern part is lattice and carved. It is located between two rows, under a gable roof.

Wooden Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Kizhi Island

There is a unique exhibit of Russian wooden architecture in Karelia - the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the island of Kizhi. This 22-domed temple, according to the traditions of Slavic carpentry, was cut down without nails in 1714.

The Church of the Transfiguration in Kizhi is now under restoration: from the inside, the walls of the structure are supported by a metal frame, which makes it possible to replace leaky logs without disturbing the original appearance of the structure. Restoration work, which began in 2009, is expected to be completed by 2018.

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History of construction

The currently existing Church of the Transfiguration on the island of Kizhi was built on the same spot where the traditional tented church of the same name, which burned down in 1694, was previously located. The decision of the Kizhi architects to erect a 22-domed pyramidal structure laid the foundation for its unification into a single harmonious ensemble with the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin, restored half a century later. The tiered arrangement of the temple onions on 3 octagonal, stacked on top of each other, decreasing towards the top, creates a rhythmic, easily recognizable silhouette.

The prototype for the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Kizhi was the temple from the village of Ankhimovo, Vytegorsky district, Vologda region. This was the Church of the Intercession, which has not survived to this day, consecrated in 1708 in honor of the great Orthodox holiday of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed in 1963 as a result of a fire. The wooden church restored on the island of Kizhi completely replicates the architecture of the burnt masterpiece of Russian architecture.

According to some historical data, the Transfiguration Church in Kizhi on Lake Onega was mentioned in scribe books of the 16th century. Initially it was considered a summer one, unheated. In winter, services were held in the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Unfortunately, these ancient temples did not survive due to a fire in 1694 caused by a lightning strike. The existing wooden churches in Kizhi were built in their former place. The 22-domed Transfiguration Cathedral, the Church of the Intercession with a light 9-domed crown and the bell tower of the Kizhi Pogost, located nearby, form the unique appearance of the island. Reflected in the water on a clear sunny day, the complex from a distance attracts the gaze of pilgrims and tourists sailing up on boats.

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The desire for multi-tiered cascades of domes is explained by the heyday of Rus' at that time, the imitation of European culture, freedom of creativity, and the predominance of lush, richly decorated forms.

The Church of the Transfiguration was built in such a way that you can enter it from any side, each of which can be considered a facade. Since the work was carried out at the expense of parishioners who monitored its progress, the appearance of the temple reflects the construction folk culture of an entire era. The log house is made of a special, rare pine tree that grows on hard, rocky soil. This tree is incredibly strong, straight and very tall. They chopped it down in the winter, after tapping the butt of an ax on the trunk. A peculiar metallic ringing indicated the high quality of the wood, which could be stored for many years.

Dramatic pages from the history of Kizhi temples

Few people know a fact from the Great Patriotic War about how unique buildings were barely saved from destruction. A Finnish pilot, sent in the winter of 1942 to bomb the architectural complex, amazed by the beauty of the buildings, could not carry out the order of his command and dropped bombs on the ice of Lake Onega.

The magnificent unique iconostases of the Transfiguration and other Kizhi churches were taken away by the Finnish army during the Second World War. Some of them were returned, but some fragments were lost forever.

The carved gilded 4-tiered frame of the iconostasis of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord includes 102 icons. The oldest of them are the Transfiguration and the Intercession, written at the end of the 17th century. The rest date from the 18th century. A complete restoration of the iconostasis was carried out in the mid-20th century by Moscow specialists. Now, along with the restoration of the temple, work is underway to bring its iconographic decoration to its original form.

Wooden settlers

The Kizhi Museum-Reserve contains several architectural monuments that were not originally built on the island. Thus, the chapel of St. Michael the Archangel stood in the village of Lelikozero until 1961. It belongs to the cage type of structures, i.e., standing on a basement. It has a characteristic hip roof with 2 wide belts.

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Also on the territory of Kizhi Island there is one of the oldest wooden temples, built back in the 14th century. This is the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus from the Murom Monastery. In 1959, the structure was dismantled, tied into rafts and transported to the island of Kizhi. And in 1960, the Soviet architect A.V. Opolovnikov, who was involved in the restoration of almost all the churches of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve, restored the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus in its original form. To emphasize the antiquity of the structure, huge stone boulders were used for the foundation.

The church has a preserved ancient type of 2-tier iconostasis, consisting of 17 unique icons of the local and Deesis rows, dating back to the 16th-17th centuries. The squat structure of the temple, made up of 3 rectangular cages located on the same axis, makes a striking contrast with the ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost.

Protected by the state

All wooden buildings located on the island, belonging to different schools of ancient Russian architecture, are part of the Kizhi State Architectural Museum-Reserve.

Its territory has legally received the status of historical and cultural lands. The Kizhi Nature Reserve has a federal protection regime: it prohibits hunting, reclamation, geological survey activities, and the use of pesticides in forestry and agriculture. Visits to islands with bird nests are limited. Separate places are reserved for tourist parking. The movement of water transport in the waters of Lake Onega is limited.

Since the Transfiguration Cathedral is currently closed for restoration, services are held only in the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary, from May to September, when the island is open to visits. Some churches, bell towers, barns, baths, houses, and a windmill are open for inspection. The wooden Kizhi ensemble is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List third after the Moscow Kremlin and the historical center of St. Petersburg.

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord is located on the island of Kizhi, on Lake Onega, northeast of St. Petersburg. The main feature of the structure is that the church is made entirely of wood, and not a single nail was used during construction!

According to some sources, the church was founded at the end of the 16th century, but due to a fire caused by a lightning strike, it was completely destroyed. The church we see today was built in 1714. The building has a unique appearance. Numerous onion-shaped domes give the church a fairy-tale appearance. Being not far from the church, it seems that you are in an old Russian epic!

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was built in the best traditions of Russian carpentry. It seems incredible, but not a single nail was required to build such a large-scale structure, the height of which reaches 37 meters! Only the “scales” on the dome blades were held on by small nails! Unfortunately, the names of the masters who built the amazing church have been erased by time.

Wood is considered a rather difficult material for the construction of buildings of complex shape, but the Kizhi craftsmen were real experts in their craft. They were given the goal of building a round-shaped temple. For this purpose, Kizhi craftsmen chose an octagon as the main figure during construction.

When the main part of the temple was ready, the builders began work on the side cuts, oriented to the cardinal points. As a result, the overall structure of the church is somewhat reminiscent of a cross.

There are three eights in total in the building. They are all two-tiered and each one is slightly lower than the previous one. This arrangement gives the structure the outline of a pyramid. The corners of the main octagon are decorated with barrels and heads. It is impossible not to note the generosity of the parishioners of that time, since it was with their donations that the construction of the temple was carried out. The temple itself is considered a summer temple, and services are not held there in winter.

The iconostasis of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was considered one of the largest among the churches of the Olonets province. The height of the iconostasis reaches 8 meters, and the length is more than 25 meters. In total, there are 101 icons in the iconostasis, and it itself is decorated with numerous decorative elements!

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Kizhi is a monument of federal significance and part of the cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, in recent years the temple has been going through difficult times. So the restoration of the church is carried out using a simply barbaric method.

It is believed that for proper restoration of such structures it is necessary to replace failed wooden elements with similar ones, created using the same technology as the originals. However, most wooden elements are replaced with metal ones.

Back in the 80s of the last century, the interior of the church was greatly damaged. Not only were numerous wooden structures (floors, beams, purlins) destroyed, but also a metal frame was inserted.

Today, most of the original elements of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord have been destroyed. The restoration is being carried out not with the aim of preserving the historical significance of the object, but from the point of view of tourist attractiveness. One can only hope that the temple will still survive such difficult times for it and will remain in its original form...

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