Kizhi - Table of Contents

Exterior - Pogost Church of the Intercession
Kizhi, Russia
Pronunciation: kee ZHEE

Church of the Intercession - Official Website   .....    UNESCO World Heritage Site

Church of the Intercession sections: Exterior ..... Refectory ..... 2 Crucifixion Icons ..... The Church (Sanctuary)

The Church of the Intercession is one of three structures within the Kizhi pogost, and can be characterized as among the group of multi-domed churches. The layout is the following: an anteroom (or inner porch), a refectory, the church (an oratory) and the altar. It was built in the late 18th Century, possibly in 1764.

Upper left:  Bell Tower The center ninth onion dome is larger than the eight satellite domes. Note Eastern Orthodox cross finials. The church domes are space-frames covered with carved aspen shingles. The exposed edges of the shingles resemble rising and descending steps. Left scaffolded section:  The central portion of the church is log construction with a quadrangle (square) base that is topped by an octagon of log walls. The uppermost seven layers of logs in the walls of the octagon corbel out in a curved shape that culminates in the roof eaves. The elongated part of the building, in which are located the anteroom and the refectory, is covered with a gable roof.  Porch at right has asymmetrical gable roof (one eave is lower than the other) . Each dome is atop a small octahedron (eight faces) of hewn log walls. Porch carved vergeboards with pendant finial Porch detail: carved four-sided log columns. The building is set on a loose-rock foundation.  The logs of exterior walls are notched at the corners according to the traditional method with the log ends protruding or extending beyond the corners of each wall ("v oblo"), while the corners of the interior walls were built according to the traditional method with the log ends not protruding beyond the corners ("v lapu"). Anteroom ... Refectory ... Church (altar and iconostasis)

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