The Onega Pomors’ Land (coastal areas) differed much from the middle parts: here the population wwas busy in industries and trade, while elsewhere they worked in agriculture and cattle-breeding. The collections of Onega embroidery, objects of decorative and applied arts, cult objects reflect the spiritual life of people inhabiting these places, as well as history of industries and crafts popular in the area. Of special interest is the family collection of A.S. Kuchin, a well-known Polar explorer and oceanographer, who was born there.

In the house of Kuchin

• «A.S. Kuchin, a Polar captain and researcher»
• «Onega Peasant Costumes» (end of the 19th - 20th centuries): daily and festive costumes of the town and village people in 1890-1970.

In the Troitsky (Trinity) Cathedral

• «From remote ages»: objects from the Onega Museum (numismatics, cheques money, photography, sports, hobbies of the Onega people, sights of the town in the 19th - 20th centuries, arms and military uniforms)
• Every Saturday objects from «Onezhsky» hidden treasure are exhibited: ornaments, cuffs, etc.

A unique nature creation is located in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, 15 km from the town. It is two kilometers long and about half a kilometer wide. Over 500 species of plants grow there, the coastal waters are rich in fish, in summer the water gets warm to 24 degrees above zero. One is amazed with the grayish granite cliffs of 25 metres high, with the wide sand beaches and magnificent pine forests rich in berries. The Island is immensely popular as a place to rest with town inhabitants and visitors. In summer the Rest House situated on the Island is full, up to 2000 people can stay there.

The history of Kiy-Island is closely connected with the name of a famous religious figure of the 17th century, a reformer of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Nikon. The legend says that Nikon once got into a horrible storm at sea in the vicinity of the Kiy-Island, he lost his voyage companions and was saved on the Island. To remember of his miraculous salvation Nikon founded the Krestny (Holy Cross) Monastery on the Island by the Deed of Tsar Ivan Mikhailovich of June 13, 1656. The Monastery architectural ensemble is of great interest even today. For more details...

It was created in 1991 to protect the largest in Europe untouched taiga forests, the largest in the north-west birds of prey group (bald eagle, golden eagle, osprey) and water birds during their migration. It is situated near the border between Karelia and the Arkhangelsk Region, its total area is 468 thousand hectares, 270 thousand of which are in the Arkhangelsk Region. The Park preserves the primordial taiga forests where man has never logged. In 2001 the Park was given the status of biological reserve by UNESCO.

One cam watch and study the life of taiga animals and birds in their natural habitat, to see the rarest mosses and lichens, tree fungi and rare orchids. The amazing phenomenon in the Park are its bogs which take over 40% of its area and are characterized by rare biological diversity which makes them very special for researchers.

The Park allows good facilities for developing hiking-tours activities, scientific and educational tourism, adventure tourism. Very popular water routes run across the Park (the Ileksa River - Vodlozero Lake – The Vama River, etc). The Park has developed some other recreation facilities, such as fishing, equestrian tourism routes, hunting zones. Children’s ecological tourism has developed, too. At the tourists’ disposal there is a Visit Centre in Onega, «Okhtoma» Tourist Base on the shores of the Vodlozero, Novgudinsky cordon on the Ileksa River.

The Past still can be seen in Vodlozero – in people’s daily life, their folklore, magic and traditions. Among the preserved monuments of wooden architecture the ancient Ilyinsky Pogost (Ilia’s Village) stands out; it is situated on the solitary island in the middle of a large lake. Once in the place of the Pogost there existed a pagan sanctuary, the remains of which still can be seen. For more details...

The Park has a regional importance; it was opened in 2002 to preserve the unique natural, historical and cultural heritage in the Kozhozero area, to preserve the cult buildings of the Kozhozersky Bogoyavlensky (the Theophany) Monastery, as well to promote tourism in the landscape reserve. The total area of the Park is 201.6 thousand hectares.

It was founded in 1656, on a high place in the south end of the Kiy-Ostrov (Kiy Island). This is one of the three monasteries which were founded on a personal initiative of Patriarch Nikon, who not only chose the place for construction of it, but was the author of some architectural solutions. By the end of the 17th century the monastery buildings ensemble was practically finished; it occupies a small area which was the reason why it is so compact in plan. Because of the granite boulders used as building material, the Monastery looked like a fortress and blends well with the mountainous landscape of the Island.

To this day the following of numerous Monastery buildings have survived:

  • austere and heavy Krestovozdvizhensky (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross) Cathedral, consecrated by Patriarch Nikon on September 4, 1661;
  • the Nadkladeznaya (Over-the-well) Church with the adjacent stone living quarters for brethren (1753) over the stone vaults (1693);
  • two-tiered Church of Rozhdestva Bogoroditsy (Nativity of Mother of God) (1689) with a refectory and Cellarer’s Chambers and adjacent massive bell tower and burial vault;
  • two-storey wooden Father Superior’s Building (1871) with an attic storey, on a oundation made of boulders;
  • Church of All Saints (1661) , the most ancient of the survived wooden monastery buildings; today it is unrecognizable as it has been reconstructed to become living quarters, its walls have been lined anew;
  • a small fragment of the wooden Monastery fence with a four-sided tower (1871); today there are few wooden fences preserved in the North;
  • a wooden Brethren’s Building (1903).

The Kozhozersky Bogoyavlensky (Theophany) Monastery is situated on the territory of the «Kozhozersky» Landcape Reserve, 100 km from Onega. It was founded in the second half of the 16th century by Hieromonach Nifont of the Oshevensky Monastery and his co-worker Serapion.

The Monastery history has still been agitating and attracting attention of new researchers. One of the reasons of its uniqueness and mystery lies in the place which had been chosen by Nifont for seclusion. It is truly a deserted place surrounded by forests, waters and bogs which can be visited only in winter. During the Time of Troubles the remoteness of the Monastery turned out to be a blessing – it escaped the Polish interventionists’ and ‘Russian thieves’ bands’ raids.

Miraculous and mysterious is the destiny of the Reverend Serapion who was born into a noble Tartar family of the Kazan Tsardom. Under his supervision the Monastery enjoyed the privileges granted by the Russian Tsars’ families, enlarged its property and estates, 40 brethren came to serve here. Boris Godunov granted fishing areas in the White Sea and 4 villages on the Onega River to the Monastery. Since that time the Monastery became a place of exile for all those Boyars (nobles) who fell out of favour with the Tsars.

Ranked with those who had left a notable trace in the Monastery history was Patriarch Nikon. The reason why he had left the Solovetsky Monastery to come to Kozhozero is unknown. Here, in this Monastery, Hegumen Nikon’s outstanding organizational abilities became apparent, his aspiration for changes and creativeness. Here started his early constructive activities. And it was here that the Patriarch-to-be formed his view on relationship of Church and State, nursed his understanding of the necessity of Church reforms. Under Nikon the Monastery was flourishing. The number of brethren reached 100, donations from the Tsar Aleksey Mikhailovich and the Moscow Boyars came regularly.

During the hard times of Church reforms the Monastery fell into oblivion, and in 1764 it was excluded from the new list of Monasteries by the Order of Catherine II.

The Monastery was opened again in 1851 to fight against the Old Belief. The Cloister was called upon for being a reliable stronghold against the Church dissidence spreading from the Olonets Eparchy.

In 1999 the life of the Bogoyavlensky (Theophany) Kozhozersky Monastery was officially resumed.

In order to preserve the unique natural, historical and cultural complex of Kozhozero, the cult buildings of the Kozhozersky Bogoyavlensky (Thephany) Monastery, as well as to develop tourism in the area of the landscape reserve, there was the Kozhozersky Nature Park organized in 2002; the Park is of the regional subordination, its area is 201.6 thousand hectares.

The windmill built by the monks of the Kozhozersky Monastery in 1902 is a monument of federal importance and is exhibited in the museum.

The Church is situated in Podporozhye (20 km from the town of Onega). It was built on a hill to be seen from afar. The Podporozhye Church is an appropriate example of the brilliant series of buildings in the Onega cube-shaped architecture. The main features worked out by local carpenters artisans are a plan in the form of a cross and three-bladed barrel of apse. It is a huge and grand building. The solemnity of its appearance is enhanced with an original method of arranging the cupolas: each cupola above the four barrels of the apses are built on the 8-sided pyramids so that their heads end at the level of the cube. This makes a picturesque pyramid of nine cupolas resembling a huge pine cone. By right the building enters all the text-books on northern architecture. It is a monument which is a milestone in the development of northern wooden architecture.