NATURE OF THE KIZHI SKERRIES

Ecological tourism

Zaonezhye peninsula and the Kizhi skerries are among the most picturesque and interesting regions from the point of view of educational tourism. A lot of individual tourists visit this area and their number is increasing. In order to preserve the most vulnerable and valuable natural communities and monuments and to prevent anthropogenic effects, the Kizhi Museum has identified and coordinated shelters for water tourists, arranged patrolling the area by security and officials of nature protection sector of the Museum. In future, we are going to have special service of the forest protection or game warden service to provide the conservation of the Kizhi skerries and to identify a net of natural monuments of regional significance in this area.

Ecological routes of the Kizhi Museum

We also find it worth organizing ecological tourism that includes visiting and sightseeing interesting natural objects in the vicinity of Kizhi Island an in the whole Zaonezhye Peninsula. This can help to finance conservation activity and to smooth negative effects on the nature. Ecological routes are supposed to be laid considering all protected sites and maintenance of natural monuments of the Kizhi Museum.

Ecological path of the Kizhi Island

The ecological path tour on the Kizhi Island was developed in 1994. In 2006, “Ecology and natural resources of the Republic of Karelia for 2004—2010” Program con-tributed to the improvement of the tour. The tour goes along the southern part of the island up to the highest point (Naryina Hill) and then it comes back to the pier along another route.

Following the ecological path, you will get acquainted with natural objects of the Kizhi island and learn a lot about it.

Were published the following reference media:

1. «Экологическая тропа острова Кижи. Путеводитель» (in russian).
2. "Ecological path of the Island of Kizhi".

You can order this guide-book in English and in Russian in our E-Shop.

The virtual tour "Nature of the Kizhi island" was elaborated on basis of the real tour of the Ecological path.

"Kizhi archipelago: nature and a human"

In 2007 an unusual tourist product – ecological excursion on Kizhi archipelago was offered to the visitors of the Kizhi Island.

In the whole, the excursion may undoubtedly be interesting for those who are fond of nature and history. Nowadays the problem of mutual relations between a person and the surrounding nature is still actual. Looking into the past, one should note that our ancestors were able to live in the natural environment, were able to use its riches showing concern about nature, and perhaps this fact will force modern people to reflect on their attitude to nature and their contribution on preservation of natural environment.

The tour lasts for 5 hours.

"The Nature of the abandoned village"

The itinerary lies on the territory of former village of Podyelniki which existed here during several centuries. The village of Podyelniki is, probably, the most surprising and fantastic place in the Kizhi skerries. Here, as nowhere else, the monument of Russian wooden architecture – the Chapel of Paraskeva Pjatnitsa and Varlaam Hutynsky looks harmoniously in the natural environment.

We invite you to take tour, to get acquainted with the nature of this fascinating corner of the Kizhi skerries and to try to imagine the life of local peasants which lasted here during three last centuries.

The itinerary is about 2 km long.