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«Malye Korely»
The special feature of the Museum is the fact that it was the first open-air museum in Russia the shape and plan of which had been designed basing on preliminary architectural, historical, ethnographical researches that had substantiated the monuments choice and location.
The Museum strategy is to preserve the inimitable creations of the folk architecture to the future generations, to show the mode of daily life in the Russian northern village in the past.
The Museum is located 25 km from Arkhangelsk, on the picturesque bank of the Northern Dvina, near the village of Malye Korely; it was opened for visitors in 1973.
More than 100 cult building, living quarters and household constructions of the 17th - 20th centuries are arranged on the area of 140 hectares. Cupolas of ancient log churches and bell-towers rise to the skies, wind mills spread their wings above, horses on the ridges under plank roofs of dwellings and household buildings proudly curve their necks, - they all are a living memory of northern life style and people’s crafts.
The exposition is arranged in sectors; each of them is a model of a Russian Northern village, the most closely corresponding to a certain area as to the plans and sets of living and household quarters. Every sector is a fragment of a village where not only separate buildings but also their mutual correlation is important. The concept of the Museum implies creation of six sectors that would reflect a certain type of peasants’ settlements characteristic of the basins of the largest rivers in the Arkhangelsk Region:
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 | | The Kargopol-Onega Sector which opens the Museum exposition renders the planning as a settlement where dwellings surround a square dominated by the Voznesenskaya (the Resurrection) Church of 1669 and a bell-tower from the village of Kushereka. The centre of any living quarter is a house. The climate being severe in the North, living and household buildings are united under one roof, the living houses have a higher basement. |
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| | The Mezen Sector presents the architecture of the north-east of the Region. Villages were located along the high and steep river banks there. To strengthen them supporting walls of logs were constructed, covered with planked decks. These original ‘embankments’ were used for putting barns, ice-houses, and closer to water there were bath-houses. The most commonly encountered at Mezen were houses of six walls. The main decoration of the house was a porch built on wooden pillars, twisted, carved, intricately decorated; its decoration was in the same style with the decorations of window surrounds and prichelinas |
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| | The Pinega Sector reflects the architecture of the Pinega River basin, the largest tributary of the Dvina. Here izbas (houses) were built in ‘order’ (in a row) all facing the sun. In front of the houses or a little aside bath-houses and barns are arranged in a small group, each of the barns is on high pillars to prevent mice entering them.
Between the Mezen and Pinega Sectors there is a little village of small izbas, barns and a draw-well with a long log for a counterbalance. It is a seasonal settlement of Khornemskoye from the upper reaches of the Pinega River. People lived in such villages during haymaking or logging. |
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| | The biggest and diverse in architecture is the Dvina Sector. There monuments from a vast area of Podvinye are collected. In the central square there stands the Georgiyevskaya (St. George’s) Church of the 17th century from the settlement of Vershina of the Verkhnetoemsky District. The frame of iconostasis is restored; it was built in the baroque style. Around the church there are houses of the Dvina Land peasants of different level of prosperity. Windmills make the image of the Museum original and inimitable. There are seven of them. Some are mills on pillars which are arranged in a crib, in a frame or as columns, and some are tent-roofed mills. |
Windmills make the image of the Museum original and inimitable. There are seven of them. Some are mills on pillars which are arranged in a crib, in a frame or as columns, and some are tent-roofed mills.
The Museum is proud of its collections of bells and the original exposition «Northern chimes». The Museum was the first to revive the ancient art of bell-ringing in 1975. At the time of folk celebrations when centuries-old songs and tales are sung, when the Museum is full of bright colours of ancient folk costumes, then the bells are ringing in traditional northern style; the sounds of bells mingle with the merry jingle of the horses’ harnesses.
Annually more than 100 thousand people visit the Museum to see the all-year-round holidays celebrations the rituals of which have been revived, to enjoy folklore concerts. Visitors can take part in games and entertainments, have a speedy ride in sledges drawn by trotters, taste ‘shangi’ (small round tarts) and ‘blini’ (pancakes) with a cup of hot tea. All these happen among the unique monuments of people’s architecture and beautiful northern nature.
The Museum is a member of the European Association of Open-Air Museums. In 1996 by the Order of the Russian Federation President the Museum was entered the List of Most Precious Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Russian Federation Peoples.
|  | The village of Malye Korely, Primorsky District of the Arkhangelsk Region |  | +7 (8182) 25 82 87 |  | korely@atnet.ru | | Working hours:
10:00-17:00 (from 01.02 to 31.05)
10:00-19:00 (from 01.06 to 30.08)
10:00-16:00 (from 01.09 to 31.01) |
Mobile telephone communication
   
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