The Amazing Island of Kizhi

The Chapel of the Archangel Michael was built in the 18th century and moved to Kizhi Island  in the 1960's

The Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus was built approximately in 1390 and is Russia's oldest surviving log structure

Church of the Transfiguration .......built exclusively of wood which includes 22 domes and is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites

Kizhi Island is small ( 1 km wide and 6 km long) which has had settlements from as early as the 15th century

In the 1950's dozens of historical wooden buildings were moved to the island and then it formed an outdoor National Museum  with over 80 historical structures

The temperatures are typical for this area but it is certainly not a beach stop lol......July being the warmest 20C (68 F)  and  has five months that average below freezing 

Kizhi   actual meaning is social gathering  or island of games

Everything on the island is made of wood.......it seems that theme was carried over even to this scarecrow 

A boat from the 17th century

During the 14th century the island was part of the route to the White Sea. The area was an important source of iron ores  which required hard physical labor  and usually worked by local peasants who if you disobeyed were sent to exile in Siberia........but as you can see above, it was a hard life no matter which way you opted to do

Most of the fields yielding various grains and potatoes for harvest

No guests homes to rent here, so for daily visits its either ( like i did ) by riverboat, hydrofoil, helicopter or a snowmobile in the winter 

Over 20 peasant homes, mills and barns are here with the churches for the open air museum 

Not wrought iron but again made of wood

Moscow

Walking the streets of Moscow and with a population of over 20 million residents...... it is the largest city on the European continent 

Over 40% of the city is covered by greenery including a large forest within those boundaries 

Inside the walls of Red Square

Saint Basil's Cathedral that was built in 1555

Red Square did not get its name from the bricks surrounding the Kremlin nor the link between red and communism. It came from a Russian word kpachar which means red and was the name of the small area between St Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin

Presidential Palace

Inside these gates of the Kremlin you have the home of the President, Tsarist treasures in the Armoury, Lenin's Mausoleum and the Historical Museum 

Riding the famous Metro Subway System of Moscow and with over 9 million daily ridership.......one of the busiest in the world . Soviet workers did the labor and art work, but the main engineering designs, routes and construction were handled by the specialists who built the London Underground 

The art work of the Moscow Metro was built under Stalin's rule......he wanted the structures to show radiance!

Kazan Cathedral from the 17th century

With the Communist Rule now as history........Moscow is in the top ten most expensive places to live in the world 

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Some of the molding on the walls inside the Metro

Red Square getting ready for sleep

Moscow is now becoming one of the fastest tourist destinations in the world. But do your homework, as a Visa for visiting is required ........ i waited many weeks and at a cost of $500 to obtain one for myself 



The city is situated on the banks of the Moskva River which has 49 bridges spanning across it and also canals from it 

Best time to visit is through the warm months of June, July and August with the average temperature of  22 C ( 72 F )

For much of its architectural history the city was dominated by Orthodox Churches 

Peterhof Palace

The Grand Palace was to be the centrepiece of Peter the Great's vision of  his 'Russian Versailles' that was started in 1720 only to be continued after his death by his daughter Elizabeth in 1740

The Grand Cascade.......these 64 fountains operate without the use of pumps as the elevation difference creates the pressure to make it all possible. Each May is the official opening of the tourist season and it begins with an all day festival with each section of the fountains being turned on one by one

Peterhof is a UNESCO World Heritage Site 

 Peter the Great and had his vision for his summer residence after visiting France

The largest fountain in the Lower Park is the Samson Fountain who is wrenching apart the lion's jaw surrounded by eight gold dolphins. It was built to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Russian victory over the Swedes that happen to be on June 27 (1709) which was St Samson's Day  hence the statue 

Aviary Pavilion 

The Dragon  or Chessboard Hill Cascade ( three dragon figures sit on the top terrace ) is the main feature of the Lower Park that sits 21 meters ( 69 feet) high  was constructed in 1716

Lower Park Gardens and what is more impressive is the fact the master landscapers overcame extremely inclement conditions of the northern climate to create all this greenery and flowers 

Looking down onto the Samson Fountain and the Sea Channel