An old pagan ritual site, Kizhi – one of at least 1600 islands in Lake Onega – made a natural ‘parish’ for 12th-century Russian colonists. None of the early churches remain, but the churches built in this remote spot in the 18th century make Kizhi a not-to-be-missed pilgrimage site for anyone touched by the magic of old Russian archi- tecture. Since the 1950s other wooden buildings have been gathered from around Lake Onega to make the 6km-long island the centrepiece of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve(8142-519 825, in Petrozavodsk 8142-767 091; kizhi.karelia.ru; Russians/others R55/418; 8am-8pm Jun-Aug, 9am-4pm Sep-mid-Oct & 15-31 May, 10am-3pm mid- Oct-mid-May). With an ISIC card you may secure a discount on the steep admission price.
The big highlight is the fairy-tale Transfiguration Church, built in 1714. With its chorus of 23 domes plus gables and ingenious decorations to keep water off the walls, it is the gem of Russian wooden architecture. Next door is the nine-domed Church of the Intercession (1764) with a rich collection of 16th- to 18th-century icons. Between the two churches stands an 1862 belltower. These three buildings constitute the World Heritage- listed Kizhsky pogost (Kizhi Enclosure).
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