Want to be in the past? There is nothing easier - pack your bags and go to Suzdal. This is a unique city in which there are more historical architectural monuments than modern buildings. If you are most interested in Russian wooden architecture, a museum with the same name under the open sky is a must to visit.
History of creation
Before the revolution, two churches were located on the picturesque bank of the Kamenka river (the outskirts of Suzdal): Georgievsky and Dmitrovsky. Both buildings were not preserved, and in 1960 in their place was an orphan wasteland. The decision to create an open-air exhibition was made in 1968. The authors of the idea didn’t just want to build a “tourist” town in Russian traditions, but as accurately as possible recreate the village traditional for our country, using original buildings. The search for exhibits took some time. In total, more than 60 settlements in the region were visited and as many as 38 buildings suitable for the museum were found. Of these, 11 buildings were selected and subsequently transported to the prepared territory. Very soon, unique houses, cut down without a single nail, began to appear on the outskirts of Suzdal, and the museum of wooden architecture began to receive guests.
Russian village as it is
In order to get to the territory, tourists are invited to go through a hut with a high porch - this is a ticket office. "Wooden architecture" is a museum occupying 4.2 hectares in which you can see as many as 18 architectural monuments of the 18th-19th centuries. different types and purposes. Two churches, windmills and houses of representatives of different social classes, as well as outbuildings and much more. The creators of the museum wanted to show visitors not only architectural forms, but also introduce them to the rural way of life of past centuries. The interior has been recreated in many buildings, you can see the characteristic furniture and household items.
Religious sites
The museum has two temples and one chapel. The Resurrection Church with a bell tower dates back to the 18th century. It was built in 1776 in the village of Patakino at the expense of parishioners. The temple was a cemetery, until the beginning of 1930, festive services were held in it, as well as the funeral service for the dead. The church was later closed, in 1970 it was transferred to the museum. After a major restoration and interior decoration, the altar was consecrated in 2008. The Transfiguration Church was brought to the Suzdal Museum of Wooden Architecture from the village of Kozlyatievo of the Pokrovsky Uyezd. The construction was carried out at the expense of the landowner Theodosia Nikitichna Polivanova. The temple has three tiers, two side aisles and an elegant porch. The building dates from 1756, was transported to the museum in 1965. An interesting fact: on June 21, 2011, lightning struck the cross of the church twice, restoration work returned the temple to its original form by December 2011. A small chapel was transported to the museum from the village of Bedrino, this is a typical example of buildings of this type for its period.
Where did our ancestors live?
Social stratification was characteristic of all the settlements of our country. And this is clearly demonstrated by "Wooden Architecture" - a museum that allows you to look at the interiors of our ancestors. The exhibition includes houses of middle-class peasants, prosperous and merchants. Family affluence can be determined by the presence in the interior of “urban” household items - a sewing machine, a kerosene lamp, chairs and a bed instead of the usual benches and a conic. Well-off peasants often set up workshops on the ground floor of their home. The Museum of Wooden Architecture in Suzdal demonstrates on the example of the house of a wealthy merchant from the village of Log how it was possible to organize a weaving lamp. The life of middle-class peasants is much simpler. These are furniture chopped together with a hut and a minimum amount of movable, simple ceramics and a small number of purchased items: a mirror and a samovar.
Windmills, wheeled well and other buildings
On the outskirts of the "village" are two windmills. Originally they were erected in the village of Moshok. Inside the windmills, the traditional interior has been recreated according to the stories of old-timers and artworks. The museum’s exposition includes a wooden scale model of the mill in a section, looking at it, it is not difficult to understand the principle of operation of these structures. Another interesting building is the “stupa” well. And this is also not a reconstruction, but the original, brought from the village of Koltsovo. In order to raise water, a man entered the large wheel and stepped along special steps, spinning the mechanism. Water was collected in two large containers. “Wooden architecture” is a museum reflecting the life and culture of our ancestors. There is also a bathhouse, a carpenter's workshop, barns on its territory. During the tour you can see an old cart, samples of keys and locks of that period and many other interesting antiquities.
