Kizhi (Кижи) is a small Karelian island in the Onega Lake. With the gorgeous Transfiguration Church and its 22 domes, it has been an old dream of mine – one of these destinations of a lifetime.

While staying in Petersburg, we plan an excursion to Kizhi – for a few days to experience Kizhi and Karelia more intensely.

In the internet, Ursula has spotted the guesthouse Grace or Благодать. It is the only hotel within reach of Kizhi. It is located in the tiny village Ersnevo (Ерснево). I call Tanja, the owner. She is very friendly.  “Yes you can stay two nights and we have a boat service to Kizhi”, she says. I reserve two nights with meals.

From Petrosavodsk bordering the Onega Lake, three hydrofoils (“meteors”) leave for Kizhi in the morning (the first at 9:30 am), and the same three hydrofoil boats return to Petrosavodsk in the afternoon (the first at 3:00 pm). In the morning they take tourists to Kizhi and in the afternoon they bring them back to Petrosavodsk. This is a daily service.

Tourholding operates the hydrofoils. I call them and reserve tickets for the first Friday morning boat at 9:30 a.m. and return tickets for two days later – Sunday 3 pm.

Our train from Saint Petersburg will arrive in Petrosavodsk late in the afternoon and therefore I reserve one night in the Karelia hotel not far from the peer or причал to catch the first hydrofoil boat in the next morning.

Hotels and boats reserved… now we still need train tickets from Saint Petersburg to Petrosavodsk and back. Be aware: To buy (long distance) train tickets in Russia, you have to show your passport! At Ladoga station, we wait in a very slow queue. One hour later and just three minutes (!) before our booth closes, we have finished buying our train tickets. Uff! We are ready for Kizhi and our dream, the wooden Transfiguration Church with its 22 domes.

On Thursday morning, we board the train at Ladoga Station in Saint Petersburg. The train leaves exactly on time, 9:55. We travel in a so called Obschy Wagon (общий вагон) with couchettes. We have a compartment for us alone and stretch out on the couchettes, while the Karelian forests and some wide rivers fly by the windows. Seven hours later we arrive in Petrosavodsk (500km north east of Saint Petersburg). Peter the Great has founded this industrial town in the same year as Saint Petersburg (1703). The promenade invites for an evening walk along the Onega Lake.

I meet an old man who sells his book about the winter war in the 1940’s, when Russia conquered East Karelia again. He is so kindly proud of his book that I buy it.

We spend the night in the Karelia Hotel. At 9:30 a.m. our hydrofoil boat leaves, exactly on time. It is raining heavily. One and a half hours later we approach Kizhi. This is what we look forward to seeing: The 22 dome Transfiguration Church (Церковь Преображения Господня).

And this is what we see through the hydrofoil window that is damp from the rain: The Transfiguration Church is topped with about five cupolas… the other 17 domes have been removed for renovation.

Big disappointment about the church of our dreams. In addition it is raining. We decide to go to our hotel on the neighboring island. Tanja picks us up and the boat jumps across high waves. A tea warms us up.

Our Guest House is also a farm, and they offer what the farm gives: Eggs, milk, cheese, quark (творог) and fish from the Onega Lake. I particularly like the syrniki or сырники. A recipe to take home!

Fishing is an important sport in Russia requiring mastering and tactics. This newspaper teaches the school of mastering the fishing (школа мастерства).

It has stopped raining and we walk along our island. It is quiet and peaceful. The wind plays with the Onega Lake.

We catch a view of the central Kizhi church complex with the Transfiguration Church (now under renovation) and the Intercession Church.

We have a chat with a lady journalist who writes articles in the local Karelian newspaper – in the local Karelian language that is related to Finnish.

In the next morning the wind has stopped. The trees are now reflecting in the lake.

After a long breakfast we head for Kizhi to see the wooden churches and wooden buildings at display in the museum of Kizhi as well as to walk and visit the villages on the island.

The Transfiguration Church (the 22 dome church now under renovation, Verklärungskirche) and the Intercession Church (Mariä Schutzkirche) are surrounded by a wall. We have bought a pretty booklet that translates Intercession or “Покровская”  with “Maria Deckung Kirche”.  Both churches are from the 18th century. The walls are made from pine wood (сосна, Kiefer) and the domes from aspen (осина, Espe). The aspen domes shine in the sun, as if they were made from silver.

The Intercession church can be visited. It consists of three consecutive rooms. This is the view of the iconostasis, as seen from the second room.

The Transfiguration and the Intercession churches have always been the main churches for the area, whereby the latter can be heated in winter.

Around the churches of Transfiguration and Intercession, we find a museum of wooden houses, barns and wind mills as well as more wooden churches brought to Kizhi.

This is the farmer’s house of Oschewnewo (Ошевнего).

This is the church of Archangel Michael amidst cuckoo flowers.

The church of Lazarus is from the 14th century. It is the oldest church in the Kizhi museum.

The island Kizhi is not only a museum, but also a “normal” island with “normal” villages where people live in their wooden houses. Kizhi was one of the places where the Old Believers (Raskolniki, расколники)) retreated after the Orthodox schism of the 17th century. This is a beautiful house in the village Vasiljewo (Васильего).

After a long day walking on the island Kizhi, we return to our friendly guest house Blagodat or Grace. We get up at 2 a.m. in the middle of the night and take pictures.

On our last day our host takes us for a two hour boat trip to visit six more churches and three more villages. This is the chapel of Peter and Paul in Volkostrov (часовня Петра и Павла в Волкострове).

This is the chapel of the Three Saints on Kizhi (Часовня Трёх Святителей, on the other far end of the island).

We learn that only few people still live in these villages for the whole year. Most houses now belong to people from the town. They use them as their datschas. In Vorobji (Воробьи), we say hello to this small white cat and have a chat with the owner of the house.

In the afternoon we take the hydrofoil back to Petrosavodsk and at six (precisely on time) our express train leaves for Saint Petersburg.

The extended Karelian forests and some villages and small towns fly by the window. At eleven the train arrives – as planned – in Saint Petersburg. We take great memories with us from our excursion to Kizhi, though we may have to return, when the 22 domes of the wooden Transfiguration church are back in place…

Culture – so much culture in Saint Petersburg. We could not get enough of it – and from time to time we had to relax. And Petersburg is also great for that.

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Enjoying the Newsky Prospekt – the heart beat of Petersburg

We return to the Newsky Prospekt again and again, enjoying breaks in one of the many coffee houses while admiring the Russian ladies walk elegantly on their high “pencil” heals.

This was the Volkonsky restaurant where I had an excellent okroschka (cucumber soup on kefir, also served on kwas) and blackberries on fresh cheese on a bisquit – easy to prepare and delicious. Ideas to take home!

We also had an excellent ice cream in the posh hotel Europe (at normal prices). Wherever we stopped we enjoyed the atmosphere, the meals, the desserts, the coffee and the service.

The Gostiny Dvor is the traditional department store originating from the late 18th century. It consists of a gallery of shops arranged around a triangular court yard. This “guest court” is an interesting neoclassical building. However, we find empty shops, high prices and unmotivated shop assistants. Also the Dom Knigi has changed. What a pity for this nice art nouveau building.

However, there are many excellent smaller and bigger shops at and near Newsky Prospect.

A great address for gourmet gifts is the beautifully decorated Jelissejew shop where we buy delicious date confectionaries for our friends. Russians love pralines.

We very much liked the department store “Au Pont Rouge”. It has recently been renovated celebrating now its 110 years amniversary. It is luxury store overlooking the red bridge of the channel Moika.

This is what it looks like inside.

Here we try some wonderfully designed dresses supported by a very, very friendly shop assistant. Without buying anything we savour the atmosphere and dream wearing the design dresses. Some designs are of Russian origin.

Not far from the Au Pont Rouge, we find a great outlet shop where we buy an elegant jacket for Ursula. In the Pik overlooking Sennaja Ploschtschad we buy a nice jacket for me – ice rosa – and we have lunch in the restaurant on the top floor with a great view of the city.

Shopping is also great in the Kuznechny Market. Fruit, vegetables, meat and also antiques as well as Russian souvenirs at reasonable prices.

Here we buy gifts to take home, for instance potholders with tasteful Matrjoschki patched on to them. And from the food stalls we acquire dates, tea and chocolate.

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Relaxing in the many parks forming green lungs of Saint Petersburg

There are many relaxing parks in Petersburg. On a sunny Sunday we visited the wonderfully restored Summer Garden with its fountains. The cosy pavillons offer coffee, sweets and small dishes.

The small castle is under renovation. Peter the Great had again asked the Swiss baroque architect Trezzini to design this castle.

Particularly famous is the fence from the late 18th century – this is a detail of it.

Another garden we liked was the Jelagin Park in the far north of Saint Petersburg. The neoclassical castle has been designed by Carlo Rossi.

It was a warm and sunny day, when we strolled around the park meeting friends with their daughters. We were amidst many citizens from Petersburg that enjoyed the garden with the ponds and the Newa river.

Jelagin and later the zars must have enjoyed it here on their island that is just ONE large garden surrounding one palace and a pavillon with another excellent restaurant.

The Jussupow park is not far from our apartment – a great evening walk.

On our way to the Smolny Cathedral we take a rest in the Tauride Gardens. Syringa bushes are now in bloom in Saint Petersburg – it is a late spring.

In New Holland we find beautiful herb gardens. We escape the pouring rain for a coffee in the friendly restaurant Deli. Soon the rain stops and we stroll around the island.

Peter the Great had built New Holland to store the wood needed for his navy. The buildings are now being renovated, nicely hidden behind curtains.

The hanging structure reflects in the pond.

And with the twinkling of an eye, visitors are asked to wait a bit, before stepping on to the freshly sown meadow. The grass has to grow first and strengthen – but very soon visitors will be allowed again to lie on the grass, read, eat or simply look into the sky.

The parks are also kids friendly. Eating a standard ice cream in the waffle coup we join the kids playing in the Alexander Gardens behind the Isaac’s cathedral.

Yes, there are many parks, small restaurants and shops to relax in Saint Petersburg – and to be ready again to absorb the culture offered in this town.

In June 2017, we are on the road again, this time to Saint Petersburg. It is my fourth time in Saint Petersburg. We live in a small appartment, about ten minutes away from the Isaac Cathedral. It is a cosy appartment with high ceilings.

There is a lot to see in Saint Petersburg: The palaces, the museums, the Newsky Prospect, the Newa and the channels, the cathedrals and the monasteries. But Saint Peterburg can also be a relaxing experience with great shops, many cosy coffee houses, restaurants and beautiful parks. Since my last stay in Petersburg in 2013, I perceive that the city has become cleaner and many more houses have been renovated.

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Welcoming Petersburg at the Newa water line with the Winter Palace and Ermitage

From the Peter and Paul Fortress, there is a great view of the Winter Palace and the Ermitage bordering the Newa.

It is the time of White Nights… late in the evening around eleven, it is almost day light. This is the late evening view from Vasilyevsky island.

And yes, Russians love to do fishing (they call it рыбалка or rybalka).

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Welcoming Petersburg in the small park with the Aztecan Gods: Tlaloc, please abstain from bringing rain…

Not far from Strelka, there is a small park with Aztecan Gods. We ask them to abstain from bringing showers that can be a a very wet experience in Petersburg.

Well… thank you, Tlaloc, you produced good weather for our excursions. And sometimes you caught us in heavy rain showers.

In Petersburg, the clouds open suddenly and pour water on to the roofs and streets. The roofs cannot hold it back and the drains dump water on to the sidewalks. The result are deep puddles that pedestrians have to jump across. A “Petersburgian” shower makes everyone wet through within five minutes.

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Back to the roots of Russia: Alexander Newsky

The Newsky Prospect starts at the Alexander Newsky Monastery (one of the five most important orthodox monasteries called “Lavra” or лавра). We visited it in the pouring rain.

For Novgorod, Alexander conquered Karelia from Sweden in 1240. The battle took place on the Newa, hence his name “Newsky”. Peter the Great felt related with Alexander Newsky, as he regained Karelia from Sweden. He asked Trezzini from Switzerland to build the monastery in Barock style. Starow, a Russian architect, completed the monastery in classical style. There are two cemeteries and Dostoewsky has been buried here.

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The Hare Island where Peter the Great set the foundation of Petersburg

In 1703, Peter the Great started to build Saint Petersburg on the Hare Island fortifying it with the Peter and Paul Fortress. We stroll along the fortress and visit the Saint Peter and Paul church that – like the monastery of Alexander Newsky – has been designed by the Swiss architect Trezzini.

The grave of Peter the Great is decorated with flowers. Outside we find his bronze statue. It has been created by Michail Schemjakin and it is controversial, because it shows Peter the Great as a tall man with a small head (he was more than 2m tall and his head was, indeed, relatively small).

Well whatever… Peter was a man with visions and without him, Russia would not be Russia today. At the entrance gate, a wood carved panel praises his victory over the Swedes that provided Russia with access to the Gulf of Finland. It links Peter’s success with the victory of Petrus over Simon.

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My own roots or links to Saint Petersburg – memories of my friend Anna who grew up in Leningrad

My year-long Russian teacher, Anna, had grown up in Saint Petersburg, when it was still called Leningrad. That is why I also have links with the city.

The first link is related with the mosque located near the Fortress of Saint Peter and Paul. It has been built in the beginning of the 20th century – to resemble the mosque of Samarkand. Anna’s grandfather, Vaulin, had made the blue tiles.

My second link is a little farther north on Kameny Ostrowsky Prospect where Saint Petersburg set up a park for Anna’s cousin Andrej Petrow, a well-known composer in Russia. The park is decorated with humoresque musical instruments such as this violin on high heals.

I wish you were still with me – here in your home town, Anna.

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So much to see in and around Saint Petersburg – the four weeks we spent here did not suffice

We spent four weeks in Saint Petersburg. We visited the Ermitage, the Russian museum (both several times) and the new Fabergé museum. We explored palaces (such as the palace of Jussupow or the Stroganoff palace). We saw cathedrals and churches such as Smolny and Saint Nicolas Naval. Twice we took a boat on the channels of the city. Twice we went to the Alexandrinsky Theatre where a friend of ours is working as an actor. And then we also enjoyed the shopping experience and on sunny days, we relaxed in one of the many parks of Saint Petersburg.

Attractions around Saint Petersburg that we saw are Peterhof, Puschkin or Zarskoe Selo, Novgorod and Karelia. In Karelia we enjoyed an afternoon in Repino and a day in the datscha of a friend. And we made a three days excursion to see Kizhi and the lake Onega.

Four weeks do not suffice to see it all… yes, Saint Petersburg is worth a visit! I think of going back to Saint Petersburg.

Our main literature sources are: Christine Hamel, “Russland”, Dumont 2011; Marcus X. Schmid, “St. Petersburg”, Michael Müller Verlag 2017; “Russia”, Dorling Kindersley 2016; Lonely Planets for Russia and Saint Petersburg; Vitaly Kulescha, “St. Petersburg Wishes Guidebook”, Piter 2013.