On the island, the main attraction is the collection of historic log buildings. These were brought to the island beginning in 1951. The biggest of the structures is the Church of the Transfiguration which was built on the island in 1714. The church was built in honor of Peter the Great's victories over the people of Sweden. The church was used during the summer for major holidays. All four sides of the church are identical, so everyone on the island would have the same view. Next to the summer church is the winter church, the Church of the Intercession, built in 1764. It wasn't uncommon in Russia to have paired churches for winter and summer. Winter churches were smaller and required less heat for the fewer number of worshipers who attended in the winter. Inside the winter church, we saw all of the brilliantly colored icons. Another impressive structure is the church bell tower. The Church of the Transfiguration, The Church of the Intercession, and the Bell Tower have a total of 31 onion shaped domes. Believe it or not, not a single nail was used in the construction of these buildings -- everything is held together with wooden pegs. To protect the buildings from fire damage, a fire boat sits just off shore ready to spray the buildings with water. To see more photos of the churches and Khizi Island be sure to visit our photo tour - Postcards from Kizhi Island!