Kiži pogost, Wooden church complex on Kizhi Island, Russia
Kizhi Pogost is a church complex with two wooden churches and a bell tower on an island in Lake Onega, northern Russia. The buildings stand together on an open site overlooking the water and form part of an outdoor museum for historical wooden architecture.
The Church of the Transfiguration was built in 1714 on the site of an earlier church destroyed by lightning, and its altar was laid on June 6 of that year. The Church of the Intercession was first built in 1694 as a single-dome structure, then rebuilt in 1764 into its present nine-dome design. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1862 and reconstructed in 1874 and 1900.
The name Kizhi may come from the Veps word kiz, meaning moss growing on lake bottoms, or from kiši, a place for games and festivals. The Intercession Church holds winter services from October 1 until Easter, while the Transfiguration Church is unheated and used in summer. A legend says the main builder used a single axe and threw it into the lake on completion.
The island is accessible by boat from Petrozavodsk between May and September, with guided tours offered in several languages. Visitors should bring sturdy footwear as the museum grounds can be uneven and cover several areas.
The Church of the Transfiguration stands among the tallest wooden structures in the world, reaching over 120 ft (37 m). A system of interlocking beams carries the weight of the twenty-two domes without additional support pillars.
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