Kizhi - Day 6

The day started early with our arrival (after an overnight traverse of Lake Onega) at the island of Kizhi.  This settlement of peasants was known from at least the  15th century, and in the 18th century, two major churches were built, entirely of wood.  Even though villages such as this no longer exist, Kizhi has been developed as an UNESCO World Heritage site as an open air museum of rural Russian life.

We visited the island on a walking tour, the highlight of which is the oldest wooden church in Russia, the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus with 22 domes.  The original structure was constructed without nails, using only wooden pegs to hold it together.  Not surprisingly, it is undergoing constant refurbishing.  Added to this outdoor museum are other wooden structures, moved there from other islands.  Such structures are houses with barns attached, windmills, and smaller chapels.

The Viking Ingvar left Kizhi late morning to sail back across Lake Onega.  The rest of the day included informational lectures on the Russian language and the Romanov dynasty, the autocratic family reign that ended with the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and his subsequent death and that of his family members in Siberia.  We also had a tour of the ship's bridge and the captain's explanation of how the ship's navigation worked.  The day ended with the captain's reception for members of the Viking Explorer's Club -- those passengers who had been on previous Viking cruises.

Tomorrow we arrive in Kuzino the site of the Kirillov Belozersky Monastery, the second largest Othodox monastery in Russia.  More to come...