THE KIZHI STATE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM OF HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE AND ETHNOGRAPHY
Kizhi ensemble entered the World Heritage List of UNESCO

The world famous Kizhi Museum is one of the largest outdoor museums in Russia – was founded in 1966. It is situated on one of 1650 islands of Lake Onega in 68 km from Petrozavodsk , the capital of the Republic of Karelia . During 40 years of museum’s existence, this popular object of the Russian and international cultural tourism has presented the traditional wooden architecture as well as the material and spiritual culture of the peoples living in Karelia – Vepsians, Karelians and Russians.

The Kizhi museum is one of the largest museums of the peasants’ culture of the Russian North. The museum collections contain 83 pieces of the wooden architecture. The core of the collection is an outstanding sample of the wooden architecture – the architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost of Our Savior built on Kizhi Island in the 18 th and the 19 th centuries. In 1990 the ensemble entered the World Heritage List of UNESCO. In 1993 the Kizhi Museum was entered the List of Cultural Objects of Special Value of the Peoples of the Russian Federation by Order of the President.

More than 150 thousand visit the museum every year. More than 5 million people have visited the museum.

The museum works all year round and it constantly develops new forms of service for visitors. Constantly increasing events are arranged to involve guests of the museum – patron feasts (the Transfiguration of Our Lord and the Intersession of the Virgin) and folk festivals – the Day of Kizhi Volost (Province), Kizhi Boat Racing, football tournament of Kizhi Volost, Festival of Bell Ringing.

The museum has very rich collections of the items connected with the cultural history, which demonstrate the subject environment of the past and reveal interrelations of the cultural traditions of the different peoples living in Karelia.

Founded in 1966 on the basis of the Kizhi Branch of the State Museum, Karelian ASSR.

In 1993 the Kizhi Open-Air Museum was enlisted into the State Collection of the most valuable objects of the cultural heritage of the peoples living in the Russian Federation.

The Kizhi Museum is responsible for the preservation and development of the historic, cultural and nature complex comprising the world famous Kizhi Pogost, historic landscapes and monuments situated on Kizhi Island, near-by Lake Onega islands and part of the mainland coastline within the former Kizhi Volost (Community) of the Olonets Province.

The Kizhi historic, cultural and natural complex is a unique historic area having no equal in the European North of Russia reflecting the concentration of the monuments of our heritage. Both the monuments originally built on the site and those brought here from other parts of the Republic make up the museum collection and represent the main aspects of the traditional culture of the ingenious peoples of Karelia ( Karelians, Russians, Vepsians).

Alongside the active work focused on the collection, restoration, enlightenment and tourism, the priority activity of the museum at present is the research into the history, culture and nature heritage and its exploitation in the context of the development of this region.

The stages of the development of the Kizhi Museum of History, Architecture and Ethnography

1945 - the Kizhi Pogost was declared to be a state reserve. The aim of the stage was to develop transfer of "the unique monuments of secular architecture (peasants’ houses, outdoor structures) to the adjacent area.

1948-1960 - The first restoration of the architectural ensemble of the pogost was carried out. The first piece of architecture – the Oshevnev’s house was moved to Kizhi Island. That was the beginning of the open-air museum of history and architecture (1951).

1961 - The department of the State Museum of Karelian Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic the Kizhi reserve was opened.

1965 - The Kizhi State Museum of History and Architecture was opened on the basis of The department of the State Museum of Karelian Soviet Socialist Autonomous Republic.

1969 - The Kizhi State Museum of History and Architecture was reorganized as the Kizhi State Museum-Reserve of History, Architecture and Ethnography.

1972 - The General plan of the Kizhi Museum development was approved.

1977 - The design of detail planning of the Kizhi Museum was approved.

1979-1981 - Some repairs in order to ensure engineering strengthening of the Church of the Transfiguration were carried out; the iconostasis was dismantled, a "supporting" metal frame was installed inside the church.

1988 -The state zoological reserved was declared on the site of the Kizhi complex.

1990 - The architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost and the surrounding architectural and landscape environment within the limits of the protected area of the museum was included into the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

1992 - The Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Karelia declared the territory of the Kizhi complex within the limits of the protected area of the museum to be the site of historic and cultural significance. The specific mode of land use and protection of the monuments and natural landscape within the limits of the protected area of the museum was approved.

1993 - By the decree of the President of the Russian Federation the Kizhi museum-reserve was included into the Federal List of objects of special value of the heritage of the peoples of Russian Federation, the architectural monuments of the Kizhi complex became the federal property.

1993-1997 - Expansion of social and cultural area of the Kizhi museum. Active assimilation of new forms and kinds of activities in the field of protection and employment of historic and cultural heritage. Development of the Conception of the Church of the Transfiguration protection and the Conception of technical protection of the Kizhi Pogost. Integral Service of the protection of the Kizhi Museum was established.

The Kizhi museum's resources:

Monuments and museum collections consist of: 87 monuments of traditional folk architecture including the ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost. Archaeological monuments, historic settlements within the Kizhi Community. More than 30,000 artefacts in the main museum collections.

Information resources: over 32,000 source-books of the museum collection (over 15000 measuring plans, restoration designs and other graphic materials) . Scientific Library - about 20,000 volumes. Scientific archives - about 3000 files. Computer database "Heritage" contains information on monuments and museum collections. Catalogues and card-indices of scientific reference office.

Personnel: full-time staff - 194 members, among them 130 highly qualified professionals; over 170 seasonal and contract workers.

Area: about 10,000 ha of the territory - a picturesque lake-shore landscape with signs of centuries-long land use. Over 1,500 sq.m. of the exposition area.

Facilities: over 20 managerial and housing objects; repair shop; computers, printing and copying machines; telephone and radio communication; fire-fighting and fire-prevention equipment; over 20 items of water and road transport.