The Cathedrals of Kizhi, one
Vocabulary
| island | survive | stand/stood/stood |
| multi- | entirely | transfiguration |
| nail | wooden | octagonal |
| bell | corner | exemplify |
| silver | without | architecture |
| cover | sparkle | large/larger/largest |
| gold | proclaim | small/smaller/smallest |
| steel | open-air | tall/taller/tallest |
| log (3) | tradition | hit/hit/hit |
| tower | UNESCO | build/built/built |
| sturdy | undergo | interlocking |
| dome | century | restoration |
| glory | former | carpentry |
| list | heritage | foot/feet (2) |
| site | legend | completion |
| air | cast (2) | match (3) |
| ax | structure | reinforcement |
Video
Transcript
On a small island in Russia stands a 300-year-old multi-domed church that was built entirely without nails.
Kizhi Island is home to two wooden churches and an octagonal bell tower that exemplify 18th-century Russian architecture. The largest building on Kizhi Island is the Church of the Transfiguration. One hundred and twenty feet tall and covered in 22 domes, the church sparkles like silver when the sun hits it.
It was a tradition in Russian carpentry to build using only wooden logs with interlocking corners and no nails or steel reinforcement.
The structure was sturdy enough to survive until the 19th century when it underwent restoration to return it to its former glory.
In 1990, the island was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and today the island is a national open-air museum.
It might just be a legend, but upon completion of the structure, it was said Kizhi’s main builder cast his ax into the water and proclaimed there was not, and will not be, another one to match it.
Questions
Church of the Transfiguration. The location of the Church of the Transfiguration is high in the mountains. True or false?
Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Do the churches feature spires? Do the churches have spires? How many domes does the Church of the Transfiguration have?
Notre Dame Cathedral. Are the churches made of bricks or stones? What is special or unique about the churches?
Milan Cathedral. The Church of the Transfiguration is medium-sized. Is this right or wrong?
Seville Cathedral. Are these churches new or old? When were they built? Did anything happen after they were constructed?
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. After completing the church, the main craftsman went fishing. Is this correct or incorrect?
Metropolitan Cathedral, Mexico City. Do tourists only marvel at the exterior of the churches?
Winchester Cathedral. I have visited Kizhi Islands. Yes or no? Have your friends visited Kizhi Island? What impressive buildings and monuments have you visited?
Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. What are some famous or impressive buildings and monuments are there in your town, city, region and country?
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. Which renowned buildings, structures and monuments would you like to see in person? I would like to visit . . . .
Cologne Cathedral. What can you say about Disneyland theme parks, fairytales, folktales, cartoons and fantasy movies?
Papal Basilica of St. Peter. What might happen in the future?
Cathedral of Santa Maria. People should restore and build historical and traditional buildings, instead of mostly new, modern structures. What do you think?
