Kizhi Pogost (Russian: Кижский погост) is a historical site built in the 17th century on Kizhi Island. The island is located on Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia (Medvezhyegorsky District), Russia. A pogost is the area inside a fence that includes two large wooden churches (the 22-dome Transfiguration Church and the 9-dome Intercession Church) and a bell tower. The site is known for its beauty and lasting quality, even though it is made entirely of wood. In 1990, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. In 1993, it was also listed as a Russian Cultural Heritage site.
General information
The Pogost was built on the south part of Kizhi Island, on a hill 4 meters above the level of Lake Onega. Its main building unit is a round log made of Scots pine, about 30 centimeters in diameter and between 3 to 5 meters long. The Kizhi Pogost was constructed without using any nails. Thousands of logs were transported from the mainland, a challenging task for that time period. The Kizhi Pogost is a special example of Russian wooden architecture and is widely known as a masterpiece of world architecture. It is recognized for the balance between its size and shapes, and the unified design of its structures, which were built at different times. The beauty of the buildings is highlighted by the surrounding landscape, a unique natural setting that represents the country's natural features.
The Church of the Transfiguration
The Church of the Transfiguration (Russian: Церковь Преображения Господня) is the most notable part of the pogost. It is not heated and is called a summer church because it does not hold winter services. The altar was laid on June 6, 1714, as written on a cross inside the church. This church was built on the site of an older one that was destroyed by lightning. The names of the builders are unknown. A legend says the main builder used only one axe for the entire construction and threw it into a lake after finishing, saying, "There was not and will be not another one to match it."
The church has 22 domes and stands 37 meters tall, making it one of the tallest wooden buildings in Northern Europe. Its perimeter is 20 meters by 29 meters. It is believed that an 18-dome church on the southern shore of Lake Onega, built in 1708 and destroyed by fire in 1963, was its predecessor. According to Russian carpentry traditions of that time, the Transfiguration Church was built entirely of wood, with no nails except for the domes and roof shingles. Approximately 180,000 nails secure the 60,000 roof shingles. All structures were made of scribe-fitted horizontal logs, with interlocking corner joinery—either round notch or dovetail—cut by axes. The foundation is an octahedral frame with four two-stage side attachments (Russian: прируб, "prirub" from "rubit" meaning "to cut wood"). The eastern prirub has a pentagonal shape and contains the altar. Two smaller octagons of similar shape are placed on top of the main octagon. The structure is covered with 22 domes of different sizes and shapes, arranged from the top to the sides. The refectory has a three-slope roof. In the 19th century, the church was decorated with batten, and some parts were covered with steel. It was restored to its original design in the 1950s.
The church framework rests on a stone base without a deep foundation, except for the western aisle, which had a foundation built in 1870. Most of the wood is pine, with spruce planks on flat roofs. The domes are covered with aspen.
The iconostasis has four levels (Russian: четырёхъярусный) and contains 102 icons. It dates to the second half of the 18th century to the early 19th century. The icons come from three periods: the two oldest, "The Transfiguration" (Russian: Преображение) and "Intercession" (Russian: Покров), are from the late 17th century and reflect the northern style. The central icons are from the second half of the 18th century and are of the local style. Most icons in the three upper tiers are from the late 18th century and were brought from different parts of Russia.
The Church of the Intercession
The Church of the Intercession (Russian: Покровская церковь) is a church used during winter, with services held from October 1 until Easter. It was the first church built on the island after a fire in the late 17th century destroyed all earlier churches. The church was first constructed in 1694 as a single-dome building. It was later rebuilt between 1720 and 1749, and again in 1764 to its current design with nine domes. This design is similar to the main Transfiguration Church. The church is 27 meters tall and has a perimeter of 28 meters by 8 meters. It has nine domes, with one larger dome in the center and eight smaller domes around it. The interior decoration is limited. A single entrance leads into four sections inside the church. Like the Transfiguration Church, the altar is located in the eastern part of the church, which is shaped like a pentagon. The original iconostasis was replaced at the end of the 19th century and is no longer present. It was rebuilt in the 1950s to match the original style.
Belfry
The original bell tower began to fall apart quickly and was rebuilt in 1862. It was rebuilt again in 1874 and 1900. The tower is 30 meters tall and has a perimeter of 6 meters by 6 meters. It has a square wooden frame placed on a foundation made of rubble and lime mortar. Inside the frame, two walls divide the space into three rooms: an antechamber, a staircase area, and a storage room. Above the square frame is an octagonal section with a zvonnitsa on top. A pyramidal roof shaped like an octagon sits on pillars. The roof is topped with a cross. The types of wood used are the same as those in the churches: pine, spruce, and aspen.
Restoration interventions and criticism on the project
Between 1999 and 2007, an important and complicated restoration project took place at the Church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord on Kizhi Island. The project used scientific research, engineering tools, traditional carpentry methods, and international restoration rules. It was completed in 2014. For more than ten years, experts worked to protect the monument, restore its structural strength, original architectural shape, and cultural purpose. The restoration followed four key principles from ICOMOS, which are widely used internationally: minimal changes, reversibility, clear identification of new parts, and compatibility with the original. These principles guided all stages of the project.
Before the restoration began, a detailed study of the monument’s condition was done. This included 3D scanning, geodetic surveys, tree and fungus analysis, and tests on wooden parts. The study found that many lower parts and supports were damaged by biological growth, the structure’s shape was changed, and some wooden sections were beginning to warp, which threatened the church’s stability.
A major part of the church was the octagon, which supports the dome. Measurements showed dangerous shifts from vertical, caused by wood shrinking and the foundation weakening. This led to a major but debated decision: to carefully dismantle the church, save usable parts, replace damaged ones, and then rebuild it while keeping the original design. Each beam, wooden piece, and connection was numbered, photographed, and stored in a digital database. Drawings of all parts were made, and details about the log houses, corners, and domes were recorded. This helped keep the original design consistent during rebuilding. Architects used a method similar to one used in Japan for repairing temples from the Edo period. This method is accepted internationally when no other way can keep the structure stable while preserving most of the original.
Only parts that were more than 50% damaged were replaced. About 30% of the entire structure was replaced. New wood came from pine trees cut in Karelia during winter, matching the original’s climate. Care was taken to match the wood’s ring density, moisture, and grain direction. The wood was naturally dried and adjusted to the island’s climate. New parts were marked by color and in design plans to follow the principle of distinguishability without changing the church’s appearance.
Traditional methods were used to connect the pieces, such as dovetail joints, cup joints with root tenons, and ochryap. These techniques were recreated by studying existing parts. Some metal supports and anchors were added to strengthen the octagon or stabilize parts of the church. Sensors were placed to monitor temperature, humidity, and structural changes, helping track how the building behaved and manage the indoor climate.
Keeping the right climate inside the church was important. A "control zone" was created to measure humidity, temperature, and air movement. This data helped decide how often to open the church to visitors, how to manage ventilation, and when to close it seasonally. Passive ventilation methods suited to Kizhi Island’s climate were used. Architects also added lighting, heating, and sound systems to restore the church’s religious use, all done in a way that was barely visible.
At the start of the project, many decorative parts, like crosses, crowns, and carved arches, were missing. These were recreated using old photos, historical descriptions, and similar parts from other churches in northern Russia. New parts were marked and slightly different in color to show they were not original. Some parts were not recreated if they no longer had a function. This followed the principle of "hypothetical inserts," which avoids adding parts not supported by evidence.
An information campaign shared updates about the project through reports, photos, and diagrams on the museum’s website. Students, young architects, and carpenters helped with the work. A training program on restoring wooden buildings was created, helping teach traditional carpentry and modern heritage protection methods. Experts from Norway, Japan, and Finland helped with the project’s planning. In 2021, the project won the Russian Government Prize in Culture for preserving national heritage.
Despite praise, the project faced criticism. Some experts argued that dismantling the church reduced its historical value, even if the original parts were carefully saved. However, without dismantling, the church could not have been made stable. The project successfully balanced scientific restoration, traditional methods, and modern technology. This balance helped protect the monument and set an example for future restoration of wooden buildings.
In popular culture
The Church of the Transfiguration is the special building known as the Wonder for the Slavic civilization in the PC game Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition.
Fence
The fence is not used for protection. Instead, it represents a symbolic boundary between sacred ground and the outside world. It was rebuilt in the 1950s as a 300-meter-long wooden structure that surrounds two churches and a bell tower. The structure is built on a tall basement made of large rocks. The main entrance is 14.4 meters wide and 2.25 meters tall, and it faces east near the Church of the Intercession. Small gates are located on the eastern and northern sides, and a small wooden tower stands in the northwest corner. The tower has a square base and a roof with four sloping sides and a spire. The walls, gates, and small gates are also covered with roofs.