Zekhnova - the most beautiful village in Russia

The village Zekhnova is located on the southern coast of Lake Kenozero in the Kenozero National Park. Zekhnova has been an attractive place for many travelers and researchers for many years. The village is one of the most ancient settlements in this district (according to the archeological finds).

In the center of the village located the chapel of John the Evangelist (XVIII). This chapel is the only one in the Arkhangelsk region with an unique wooden constructions — a gallery on consoles.

Inside the chapel visitors can see the oldest twelve-sided «sky» (XVIII). It was painted by the olonets masters within the tradition of vygovskoi old believer. The painting based of ancient icon-painting samples.

In 1997-1998, within the framework of Norwegian-Russian cooperation, the chapel was renovated by a team of Kenozero National Park and carpenters from Arkhangelsk and Norway.

Another significant and important place in the village was the cross (XX). The cross was established on the road junction and aimed to border the territory of the village from the forest and fields.

In the end of the XIX century, on the edge of the village, locals build a watermill. During the year the mill functioned towards needs of the village. The inhabitants paid strong attention to the operating condition of the mill, they novated it. But in the 1970s the mill was abandoned. In 2004-2008, the watermill was completely renovated by the Kenozero National Park with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Nowadays the village Zekhnova is one of the most attractive and beloved by the visitors in the Kenozero National Park.

In September 2020 the village Zekhnova was included in the Association of the most beautiful villages of Russia.

Photo credits to: P. Kosykh, K. Kokoshkin, E. Mazilov (provided by the Kenozero National Park).