Malye Korely
A large open air museum of northern wooden buildings, moved log by log onto hills above the Northern Dvina.
Updated 22 October 2026
Founded in 1964, Malye Korely covers around a hundred and forty hectares of hills and ravines above the Northern Dvina, with more than a hundred wooden buildings brought here from villages across the Arkhangelsk north as those villages emptied - churches, bell towers, peasant houses, granaries, windmills, bathhouses, wells and fences. They are arranged in four sectors by the district they came from, each laid out as a village would have been, which is what separates this from a simple collection of buildings. The northern peasant house is the thing to look at: a single large structure combining living quarters, byre, hayloft and store under one high roof, built so that a family could pass the winter without going outside. Several tent-roofed churches and a set of windmills stand on the ridges. Bell ringing is performed on the belfries, and winter brings sledges and horse traffic on the paths.
History
The museum was created on 17 July 1964 to save outstanding wooden buildings from across the Arkhangelsk region, and its first sector, Kargopol and the Onega, opened to the public on 1 June 1973. It joined the European Open-Air Museum Association in 1983, became independent of the Arkhangelsk Fine Art Museum in 1986, and was designated a cultural monument of federal significance in 1995 (Wikipedia, Malye Korely).
What's there
- The northern house - living space, byre, hayloft and store under one roof.
- The tent-roofed churches - wooden churches moved from emptied villages.
- The windmills - post and tower mills standing along the ridges.
- The four sectors - buildings grouped by the district they came from.
When to go
June to September, or winter for snow and sledges. Half a day; the site is large and hilly.
Before you go
The site involves several kilometres of walking on hills and steps. Interiors of most buildings are closed or open only in part. Mosquitoes are heavy in summer, cold severe in winter. Labelling is Russian and buses from Arkhangelsk are infrequent.
Nearby
Arkhangelsk is half an hour away; the Northern Dvina runs below the site.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q597318, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Malye Korely
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Warm base layers - Merino or synthetic against the skin - never cotton, which chills when damp. Find on Amazon
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- An insulated + windproof jacket - A down or synthetic layer under a hard shell handles most cold. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
