Kizhi - Table of Contents
Exterior - Oshevnev House
Kizhi, Russia
Pronunciation: kee ZHEE
Oshevnev House - Official Website
Companion page: Interior
In
1951 the Oshevnev's house was moved to the island, this was the
beginning of the open-air museum of history and architecture. One can
visit the large wooden house, a typical family home for approximately
15 people. They grew all their food during the summer months and stored it for the winter. There is a huge barn type door to the outside with a ramp for livestock and to haul up the large equipment. Because of the extreme cold the live stock was kept indoors on the ground level of the house. These homes each housed one huge close knit family together inside for approximately five months of each year. There was always a bath house located away from the main house where people could bathe and take a sauna, even in the winter. |
According to its structural
layout the house exemplifies the so-called ‘koshel’ type, i.e. a square
framework in plan, within which are connected in parallel the habitable
part and the section including household areas. The house is covered with an asymmetrical gable roof (one eave is lower than the other). 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. The roof is a nailless construction, made of boards. The walls of the household section rest on pillars dug into ground. Each of the ‘izbas’ on the upper floor has three windows on the main facade. There is a balcony made between them to connect two parts of the gallery. A front porch is rather small with three steps. |
Bell Tower ..... Church of the Transfiguration ..... Church of the Intercession
Foreground: Oshevnev House
North:Lake Onega at Elevation Oshevnev House viewed from the Church of the Intercession North elevation. Square framework ..... Asymmetrical gable roof (one eave is lower than the other). The habitable part is two-storied. The lower floor includes a room for wintering, the lower anteroom and storerooms. The attic room in the garret above the anteroom of the upper floor is covered with a gable roof. The habitable part features a gallery running along the upper row of windows on three facades. Lake Onega, the second largest lake in Europe. Rubble base. 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. The roof is a nailless construction, made of boards. Shuttered windows with decorations above and below Pierced vergeboard ..... Pendent finial ..... Balconet Pierced vergeboard ..... Swan's neck pediment over decorated frieze in window Extended pierced vergeboard |
West Elevation Flat balusters with cutout ..... Turned balusters Swan's neck pediment over decorated frieze in window |
Attic exit |