The Russian Journals, Part Eleven, Kizhi Island peasant's home

For several weeks now, I've done everything I could to get my muse to bless me with some brilliant story to introduce Kizhi Island to you. I wrote doggerel, I wrote utter nonsense. I posted picture after picture, and wrote photo essays. Zip. Zilch.

Other than the fiction I wrote initially Part Nine of the Russian Journals, in which Nestor threw his axe into the lake after he completed the 221 foot tall Transfiguration church with 22 domes, I have had no inspiration.

Last evening, while pondering this problem again, I came to the conclusion that nothing, absolutely nothing I write can do justice to Nestor's creation. The church, along with several other buildings, are now part of the Outdoor Musuem of Northern Russian Architecture, and are on UNESCO'S World Heritage List.

So, with only a few words of explanation, here are some pictures of a typical peasant's house at Kizhi. It was inhabited in the last century, but now is part of the museum.




Each evening, someone from the household would walk these narrow decks, closing the window shutters for the night.




Some of the sleighs stored in the home's attic.



A view of Lake Onega.



Print hanging on a wall.



A sleigh.



Staircase.



Bedroom scene.



Hutch.





View from the window.



A local woman spinning yard.



Wooden bucket.



An interior door.


Samovar for tea.



Facia treatment. The carved overhang at the end of the eave facia is said to repel evil spirits.




Balcony detail.



Views of end of house.













Next I'll show you some of the other buildings in the museum. I'm in hurry here, because I really do like the last story in this series: Leaving Kizhi Island.