The historical village of Kinerma, situated in Pryazhinsky District, 100 kilometers from Petrozavodsk, is a living example of a traditional Russian settlement and a unique monument to the wooden architecture of the Karelians. It is also a great place for rural recreation. When Kinerma was recognized as the most beautiful village in Russia, the number of tourists immediately started to increase. According to Alexey Lesonen, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Karelia, the tourist flow is now so overwhelming that residents of Kinerma can't cope with it. It has become "a problem but in a good way."
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© Sputnik / Ilya Timin
Kinerma is no ordinary place. In 2016, it was officially dubbed “the most beautiful village in Russia.”
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© Sputnik / Ilya Timin
Now, the tourist overflow is so big that the village residents can hardly manage. From time to time, they cover the road sign with the village's name, because the number of tourists exceeds the capacity of the recreational facilities of Kinerma.
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© Sputnik / Igor Podgornyi
In the center of the village, one finds The Chapel of Our Lady of Smolensk. According to one legend, a gallant warrior dropped his cross pendant in this place in ancient times. Residents found it and took it to another place, but the next morning the cross was lying where it was found. Then it was decided to build a chapel there.
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According to another legend, the place of construction of the chapel was indicated by an icon, which magically appeared in the fields. The miraculous icon attracted many pilgrims. Today the icon is stored in the Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia.
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A Soviet GAZ-63 truck, seen in the village of Kinerma in Karelia.
Kinerma only has five permanent residents. But in the summer, the village comes alive with the arrival of tourists. Every year, thousands of travelers come to Kinerma.
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The villagers attempt to preserve the Karelian culture and language.
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It takes only half an hour to explore the whole village. It has preserved 16 historic Karelian houses, six of which are recognized as architectural monuments.
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Before becoming the most beautiful village in Russia, Kinerma hosted a group of experts. They judged the settlement in terms of its history, traditions and architecture.
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A wooden figure of a bear on the playground in the village of Kinerma in Karelia.
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A wooden house in Kinerma, Karelia.
The Chapel of Our Lady of Smolensk and a house in Kinerma.
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A wooden hut in the village of Kinerma in Karelia.
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Guests and tourists in Kinerma are usually offered a chance to try Karelian cuisine, to visit an exhibition dedicated to the history of the village, to attend workshops on crafting traditional ritual dolls by hand and to enjoy a Russian banya (steam room).
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The first written mention of Kinerma refers to 1563. The name of the village means "precious earth."
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The Chapel of Our Lady of Smolensk was built by a single craftsman 200 years ago.
