The large 22 domed Church of the Transfiguration on Kizhi Island was not heated and it was used only during the summer months. This smaller wooden church, built about 1764, is heated and it's known as the Winter Church.
The building uses an architectural style typical of 19th century wooden churches: a rectangular base topped by an octagonal section. This bears eight wooden domes surrounding a larger central dome. A tenth dome tops a side chapel. As in the Church of The Transfiguration the walls are pine logs and the domes are covered with hand cut aspen shingles. The domes are similar to those on the Church of the Transfiguration but the cylindrical necks rest on octagonal pillars formed by interlocking log sections.
In the mid 19th century the old wooden architecture was not in favor. The domes were covered with roofing iron. The walls were planked over and painted white, possibly to make them look like stone walls. The church was used for services until 1937.
The Kizhi open-air Museum was established in 1933 to preserve the wooden structures of the Island. In 1966 this became the Kizhi State Open-Air Museum of History, Architecture and Ethnography. Restoration work on the church began in the 1940s and was completed in 1959. The interior has been restored and the church was reconsecrated in 1996. Services are still held regularly. The Island has about 50 people who live here year round.
The Church of the Intercession, the adjacent Church of the Transfiguration and the bell tower between the churches are collectively known as the Kizhi Pogost. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.