Discover Petrozavodsk: Culture and City History

• The exhibition house of the Kizhi Museum Reserve hosts year-round changing exhibitions on the history, culture and way of life in Zaonezhye.
• The wooden residential buildings referred to as the old town date from the late 19th century.
• The sculptures along the Onega embankment symbolize friendship and mutual understanding between sister cities.
• The Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia opened in its current building in 1960.

The exhibition house of the Kizhi Museum Reserve devotes its changing exhibitions to the history, culture and way of life of the people of Zaonezhye. On display are objects from the collections of the Kizhi Museum, other museums and private collections, as well as curated exhibitions. The accompanying program includes workshops, lectures, creative gatherings and concerts. Since individual exhibitions change, the specific focus of your visit may vary.

Another way to explore the city’s history is to visit the central area around the Neglinskaya embankment and Fedosova Street. There you will find wooden residential buildings from the late 19th century, known as the old town. Sculptures along the Onega embankment symbolize friendship and mutual understanding between sister cities. The Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia adds a historical landmark to these cultural points of interest: it opened in its current building in 1960.

The exhibition house of the Kizhi Museum Reserve is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Check the current visitor arrangements before your trip. The Kizhi Museum’s collections can also be viewed at the exhibition house; ask the museum about current availability. This helps you plan separately for the changing exhibitions and the possible viewing of collection items.

The wider destination of the Republic of Karelia offers other themes that are quite different from Petrozavodsk’s cultural sites. At the Kivach Nature Reserve, an overview excursion includes an outdoor walk to Kivach Waterfall, as well as visits to the arboretum collection and the natural history museum. The reserve also describes a 1,000-meter circular trail through a wooded area on the banks of the Suna, near the excursion zone. The excursion lasts 1 to 1.5 hours; check conditions and booking with the operator. The waterfall is on the Suna River in the central part of Karelia, has a drop of 10.7 meters and is considered Europe’s second-largest lowland waterfall after the Rhine Falls.

The Kizhi Museum Reserve offers another chapter in the region’s culture: its open-air collection includes 89 monuments of traditional wooden architecture, including chapels, houses, mills and granaries. Visitors can see inside the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God and peasant houses; traditional peasant crafts are demonstrated in the houses.

The Onega and White Sea petroglyphs offer another regional contrast. This World Heritage site comprises 4,500 Neolithic rock carvings in the Republic of Karelia. The Onega petroglyphs include more than 1,200 figures in Pudozhsky District. The White Sea petroglyphs mainly depict hunting and sailing scenes with associated equipment, as well as animal and human footprints. The region therefore brings together a range of cultural themes: historic wooden architecture, early rock art, and the urban exhibition and art venues of Petrozavodsk.

Discover more destinations: Shyoltozero, Veshkelitsa, Kem, Lakhdenpokhya, Derevyannoye, Suoyarvi.

What do the exhibitions at the Kizhi Museum Reserve’s exhibition house show?

The year-round changing exhibitions cover the history, culture and way of life of the people of Zaonezhye. They feature objects from various museum and private collections, as well as curated exhibitions; there are also accompanying workshops, lectures, creative gatherings and concerts.

Is the exhibition house accessible to visitors with reduced mobility?

Yes, the exhibition house is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Check the current visitor arrangements before your trip.

Where is Petrozavodsk’s old town?

The wooden residential buildings from the late 19th century referred to as the old town are in the central area around the Neglinskaya embankment and Fedosova Street.

How long does the excursion at Kivach Nature Reserve take?

The stated duration is 1 to 1.5 hours. The regional offering also includes a 1,000-meter circular trail along the banks of the Suna near the excursion zone. Check conditions and booking with the operator.

View the wider travel overview: Republic of Karelia.