Kizhi - Table of Contents

Exterior - Oshevnev House
Kizhi, Russia
Pronunciation: kee ZHEE

Oshevnev House - Official Website

Companion page: Interior

PHOTOS

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
Photos and their arrangement © 2010 Chuck LaChiusa
| ...Home Page ...| ..Buffalo Architecture Index...| ..Buffalo History Index... .|....E-Mail ...| ..

web site consulting by ingenious, inc.