The Kizhi Pogost is a historical place that dates from the 17th century on the island of Kijí, in Russia . The pogost is a fenced area that includes two large wooden churches (The Church of the Transfiguration of 22 vaults and the Church of the Intercession of 9 domes) besides a bell tower . This place was built 300 years ago and is, today, one of the tallest wooden structures that is still standing.
Whenever a building In wood, one of the important elements to consider is the nails, since they serve to hold the entire structure and hold together the different sections, which prevents the collapse.
Kizhi Pogost, the construction of wood without nails
Even though we know that nails are essential in any wooden construction, these wooden churches were built without a trace of nails , something that was very common in the Russian construction, not in vain these churches are one of the best examples of the great era of Russian carpentry. The Kizhi Pogost was included in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites in 1990 and Russian Cultural Heritage in 1993.
As we look at the image, we see the Church of the Transfiguration on the left, the bell tower occupies the central place and the Church of Our Lady of the Intercession on the right.
This curious place was built in the s. XVII and is located in the Republic of Karelia , in Lake Onega. The fence surrounding the Kizhi Pogost was built with the sole purpose of separating the sacred ground from the rest of the island, but in 1950 it was rebuilt and replaced by a structure 300 meters long.
In the center of the set is the bell tower that is 30 meters high. The original was damaged and rebuilt in 1862. The wooden frame of the tower is square and consists of three rooms where you can find the anteroom, the stairs and the warehouse.
The weather turned the island of Kizhi into a Museum outdoors full of historic buildings. The buildings of the Kizhi Pogost have remained in their original place while other buildings have been brought there expressly to offer the visitor a spectacular experience that takes him to the time of the pinnacle of the elegant Russian craftsmanship.
How was the Kizhi Pogost made?
The wonderful and unique thing about Kizhi Pogost is that both its 2 churches and its bell tower were built without using nails. The structures were made of logs of approximately 30 cm diameter and 3 to 5 meters long of pine, spruce and poplar wood. The supply of all this wood was made from the continent, which we are sure was a great challenge for the time. The different interlaced trunks replaced the application of nails to hold the structure. The domes of the churches were built with diamond-shaped wooden tiles. Up to 22 domes were created for the Church of the Transfiguration and 9 domes for the church of the Intercession, both impressive. The 22 domes of the Church of the Transfiguration are of different sizes and shapes, and run from top to bottom.
There is a legend that says that the greatest builder of the building, threw his ax to Lake Onega pronouncing the following words:
"There is not and there will not be another church that looks like this"
And it seems that his words came true because there is currently nothing like it anywhere in the world.
In the 300 years of history of these historical monuments, the Kizhi Pogost, there have been numerous repairs that have suffered , as the protective cover that was made to the walls in the nineteenth century or the metal sheets that were placed in the domes to safeguard them from the bad weather of the area. Between 1980 and 1983 a steel frame was incorporated into the Tranfiguration Church to maintain the structure.
As you may have seen there are truly wonderful places and, although the hand of man has been responsible for its construction, do not cease to amaze us, as the Kizhi Pogost of which we have spoken on this occasion.
Did you know this impressive place on the island of KijÃ, in Russia? If you are one of those curious minds who like to visit monuments with something original and different history, surely the Kizhi Pogost can become your next holiday destination. What do you think? Do you like the idea of visiting it? If finally you animas , We hope you tell us the experience and your own impressions! We will be happy to read you!