Электронная библиотека
публикации о музее-заповеднике «Кижи»

Architectural and artistic merits of the Church of the Transfiguration facilitated the creation of the future Kizhi ensemble based on the two structures existing earlier, i. e. the Church of the Intercession built 20 years before as a simple log building and the old bell tower. The construction of the Church of Transfiguration in 1714 sumptuously decorated with cupolas and bochka-roofs caused cardinal changes in the modest image of the Church of the Intercession. Later the bell tower was also reconstructed as for a long time it had differed greatly from the two churches and only in 1874 was built in harmony with them.

The nine cupolas crowned the Church of the Intercession in 1764 does not evidently agree with the church building canons according to which the tent-like roof was required for the «ship-like» churches based on the «octahedron-on-the-quadrangle» structure. Taking into consideration the peculiarities of the Church of the Transfiguration, the carpenters to the liberty of breaking the traditional building canons by adding these nine domes and managed to create a harmonious ensemble of two churches.

The original bell tower was also changed during the reconstruction in 1874. The new bell tower became a direct opposite to its predecessor.It was built with the following proportions of its main parts: opposite to the old basis consisting of a low octahedron with a high quadrangle on it, now it consists of a high quadrangle with low octahedron covered with a tent-like roof.

The high quadrangle of the new bell tower in this case was justified by the carpenter's intention to make its level at the same height as the levels of the basic structures of the churches standing close by to achieve the harmony of the ensemble consisting of these three buildings.

The bell tower is unique in Russia because of its non-traditional proportions for the bell towers with tent-like roofs. But on the Island of Kizhi it became an integral part of the Kizhi architectural ensemble.[текст с сайта музея-заповедника "Кижи": http://kizhi.karelia.ru]

The sober silhouette of the bell tower emphasizes the magnificent decor of the two churches.Its massive lower part is in balance with the lower proportions of the churches built to be sturdy and reliable in order to ensure the stabiliy of the numerous domes.

Thus, the architectural values of the Church of the Transfiguration determined and completely governed the design of the structures of the ensemble, and at the same time, imparting some peculiarity to them.It resulted in the creation of the unique ensemble with the Church of Transfiguration being the most important building in it.

The enclosure of the Kizhi Pogost was reconstructed in 1959 to be similar to the survived enclosures of other northern parishes.It completes the integrated artistic image of the architectural ensemble.