inSPIREd Sunday

Sally hosts inSPIREd Sunday!

May 2011 - Russia

Kizhi was a stop we made on our river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg. It is a small island featuring one of the most impressive wooden structures ever erected, the Kizhi Church of Transfiguration.

The Church is the island's most famous architectural landmark and largely responsible for making Kizhi one of the most frequented tourist attractions in Russia. It features 22 cupolas of striking intricacy and was built without using a single nail.

The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Church of the Transfiguration was used during the summer, when the faithful journeyed from the outermost regions of the parish to attend services. A dendrochronogical study of the materials sets its construction date after 1713-14. The octagon which defines the composition of the cruciform church is extended by oblong bays facing the four cardinal points. The nave, flanked with side aisles, is preceded on the west by a projecting narthex reached via two staircases.