Famous wooden church of Russian north finally reopens to visitors after 40 years

Kizhi Island, Republic of Karelia, Russia, July 26, 2021

Photo: foma.ru Photo: foma.ru     

One of the most recognizable images of Russian Orthodoxy, the wooden Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Kizhi Island in Karelia, has finally reopened to the public for the first time in 41 years.

More than 100 unique specialists labored over the 15-year restoration of the 22-domed church, for which the A. S. Rakhmanov All-Russian Center for the Preservation of Wooden Architecture was created, reports the Russian Ministry of Culture.

The head of the Ministry, Olga Lyubimova, attended the reopening ceremony.

The church is scheduled to be re-consecrated on its patronal feast on August 19. The last service in the church was celebrated in 1928, before it was closed by the godless authorities. Services will now be held once a year on the feast of the Transfiguration. Since 1980, pilgrims and tourists could only view the church from the outside.

“The long-running restoration of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, as well as the majestic gilded carved iconostasis, is an example of the titanic work of our domestic masters of wooden architecture and restorers,” Minister Lyubimova said.

Photo: foma.ru Photo: foma.ru     

The iconostasis contains more than 100 authentic icons from the 17-19th centuries.

During the opening of the church, employees of the Kizhi Museum and the restorers were awarded.

The Church of the Transfiguration was built in 1714 and is designated an object of cultural heritage of federal significance. It also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List together with another church and bell tower from the 18th-19th centuries.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!

7/26/2021

See also
Church restoration project also helps restore prayer in remote churches on Nativity and Pascha Church restoration project also helps restore prayer in remote churches on Nativity and Pascha Church restoration project also helps restore prayer in remote churches on Nativity and Pascha Church restoration project also helps restore prayer in remote churches on Nativity and Pascha
The Common Cause project was founded in 2006 as a project dedicated to restoring and rebuilding wooden churches of the Russian north that were neglected, repurposed, and destroyed during the long years of soviet rule. Work has been carried out on more than 150 churches in 370 trips over the years. Churches from Five Russian Provinces from a Bird’s Eye View Churches from Five Russian Provinces from a Bird’s Eye View
PHOTO GALLERY Churches from Five Russian Provinces from a Bird’s Eye View Churches from Five Russian Provinces from a Bird’s Eye View
PHOTO GALLERY
The photographers have kindly provided OrthoChristian.com with the opportunity to introduce our readers to the beauty of God’s churches, taken this fall from a bird’s eye view. Services to resume after 40 years in famous Transfiguration Church on Kizhi Island Services to resume after 40 years in famous Transfiguration Church on Kizhi Island Services to resume after 40 years in famous Transfiguration Church on Kizhi Island Services to resume after 40 years in famous Transfiguration Church on Kizhi Island
Restoration on the church began in 2009, for which more than $7 million (508 million rubles) were allocated. One of the most important stages of the restoration was the work on the church’s 16 wooden domes, which required the replacement of 34,000 aspen “tiles.”
Comments
Here you can leave your comment on the present article, not exceeding 4000 characters. All comments will be read by the editors of OrthoChristian.Com.
Enter through FaceBook
Your name:
Your e-mail:
Enter the digits, seen on picture:

Characters remaining: 4000

Subscribe
to our mailing list

* indicates required
×