To the north from Petrozavodsk, at the end of a narrow bay of Lake Onego, named Chupa-guba, one of the most beautiful monuments of the wooden architecture – the Church of the Assumption, built in 1774, is situated.
It is located on a small cliffy peninsula, on its highest top. An imposing, directed high into the air vertical organizes and accomplishes a vast, widespread area. An open picture strikes by its clearness, completeness of its components.
It is impossible to imagine this Church in another surroundings – the visual pattern will be destroyed, having lost its fundamental component. The Church Uspenskaya is not simply high (though it is the highest Church among all the wooden churches which still remain – 42 m). This building doesn’t have any decorations, it stands without anything that could distract from the perception of its complete appearance. The Church is vewed from the expance of Onego. Earlier, when the city wasn’t built, it was seen by the travellers, going to the lively landing, from afar: the iron ore for works of Petrozavodsk and the marbor for building in St.-Petersbourg were transported through Kondopoga. The Church Uspenskaya was built just when the stone architecture achieved its culmination in Russia and the wooden architecture was living the rest of its days.
At the same time great politic events took place: the governemental army scothed a peasant mutiny in Kizhi (1769-1771), in which the peasants of Kondopoga took part too. Shortly after, the news about Pugachev revolt swept through Russia.
The construction of the Church was even more so amazing, built four years after the mutiny on Kizhi. It was built as a tribute to the best old traditions of wooden architecture, as a monument to the dead in the Kizhsky Parish.
All the volumes of the Church are directed high into the sky, their correlation is simple and logistical. Two high porches are attached symmetrically south and north. They lead into the church. A little hall leads into the refectory, spaciuos and light, with carved benches and two massive rod posts, supporting longitudinal logs of the ceiling. A large refectory could admit a lot of parish. The Church is decorated with an iconostas and painted ceiling.
