Kizhi Island

Kizhi Island is home to one of the first open-air museums in Russia. Developed in the late 1940’s, Kizhi’s architectural ensemble now boasts 74 monuments in the collection. Here, wooden building have been constructed to provide a glimpse of centuries gone by. Kizhi is also thought to be one of the most ancient inhabited sites in Russia. Recent archarchaeological excavations carried out within the museum area have resulted in the discovery of traces of ancient settlements and pagan ritual sites.