vitoslavitsy museum of folk wooden architecture

Worth a visit to see various wooden buildings which have been collected and reassembled here are a museum. The buildings are mostly open to go inside.

It is a nice wooden-architecture park-museum (we have the similar in Suzdal), good to walk around with the children, buildings in good condition and give a good feeling of "how it was". The ladies inside the houses dressed in traditional outfit do their job very well, explaining about the household traditions

This unusual open-air “museum”, a little way out of Novgorod, is a display of around 20 buildings made of wood that have been reconstructed on the site after removal from various parts of Russia. The idea behind the concept is to recreate village life in ancient Russia, to which end it is staffed by workers wearing the clothes appropriate for the region and the period. While part of our tour during a stopover in Novgorod on the way to St. Petersberg from Moscow, local tourists can reach it from the city by bus, although I understand that advance booking is desirable. The admission fee is quite modest. The buildings are very representative of Russian village life: log cabins, wooden churches, windmills, farmhouses, and a bath-house. The structures are grouped in a manner suggesting the streets of an authentic village of the past, although the number of trees on the site make it seem to be growing out of the surrounding forest. The location------- on the edge of Lake Myachino and the Volkhov River----- is close enough to St. George’s Monastery and its well-regarded Church (Cathedral) that the two can be covered comfortable in the same excursion. Many of the houses can be entered, and they provide an engaging picture of Russian village life, where more than one generation of the same family lived under a single roof, and sometimes in a single room------------- some sleeping above the stove, and others in bench-beds running along the walls. In most, a corner was set aside for icons and “offerings”. Outhouses testify to the possession by most families of a few animals, mainly chickens, cows and pigs. The high ratio of Churches to dwellings is dictated by the much richer architecture of the former, and does not reflect the true balance between religious and secular constructions in ancient rural Russia. Moreover, the pristine cleanliness of the place and its dwellings betrays its provenance as a “museum” rather than a representative slice of “real Russian life”.

As a person from a modern city, the village look nice and you can have a look at the wooden architecture of the Russians centuries ago.

This complex of huts collected from all over the region is a gem! It depicts the daily life of Russian peasant of XVIII-XIX centuries. It was entertaining even for me as a Russian)))) the host of the houses are dressed according the "then" fashion so the place is very atmospheric. I advise also eating in the restaurant in front of the complex. The food is authentically Russian, very tasty and rich.

If you are in Veliky Novgorod this museum is worth the small detour to visit, particularly on a sunny day. It is an outdoor museum so the weather plays a part. We were fortunate to be there on a sunny, cold, snow covered, winter's day. The buildings are beautiful & are are set out in an attractive park setting next to a lake, so you are guaranteed some great photos. There was the added bonus that we were allowed to enter about half of them, being welcomed in by an incumbant Russian granny in traditional dress.To get to the museum you can take the bus (about 20 minutes) from the station. Other reviewers state buses 7 & 7A, however we were told that only 7A goes there. We had to wait about 45 minutes for the bus to arrive, but it was an experience when it did. I'm sure you could get a taxi, though, which shouldn't be too expensive. The entry fee to the museum was very cheap. There is a small souvenir shop on-site, & a cafe (but this was closed in February).

We had a few hours to waste so decided to visit. Easy to find, thanks to the helpful people in the tourist office. Cheap price to enter and nice to see. There were few houses open, but I imagine in summer there would be more.

It is the one of Russia’s most popular outdoor park-museums of wooden architecture. The wooden houses and churches were collected into one museum from different places but they have common idea they are made from ground to tops from wood with no one nail. So, here you can find different type of country houses (in russian it is called izba) which are so magnificent. To get to know how Russians lived many years ago and what things they used in their householding, one must visit this place. My very old grandmother still remember some of them (they used such thing in their family when she was very small) One more important moment is incredible wooden churches, the oldest one was build in 1539. We visited it in December. The museum had wonderful view with buildings in snow. So, if you want to walk around longer it is better to put on clothes warm enough. You can get there from central railways station with buses No.7 and No.7A. Don't forget to buy souvenirs from birchbark (small marketplace in front of entrance). And if you get hungry there is a restaraunt near there. You maybe sure about positive impressions after visiting this place. We are going to visit the museum more in summer time, and enjoy this piece of alive hystory.

A must see when in Novgorad. You may get to hear the angelic singing with the 3 stringed balalaika, and a for a small donation of a few roubles you receive a large smile. The people are pleasant and keen to assist the multitude of tourists who visit this town.All sorts of buildings are represented in this time slot from history.

If you want to get into a Russian fairy-tale, choose this museum of traditional wooden architecture, in just a 10-15 minutes bus ride from the center of Novgorod. It occupies a fairly large territory and may be interesting to visit in any season. At certain times of year some exciting events are organised to entertain visitors, but even if there is none at the time of your visit, enjoy wandering about, looking at wooden churches. houses, barns, sheds etc.,which all possess a character of their own. Add this to the fact that it's a nice park, where you can see something like a crane on a moor, or a carp in a pond, or you'll find a solitaty place to enjoy the Nature and tranquility - do not hesitate and go to this lovely place. I would gladly stay there for a short while,make no mistake.

This is definitely a place worth visiting during your time in Novgorod. It's easy to get there. You can either catch a bus, which will drop you off right in front of the museum, or you can take a taxi. Both are easy and inexpensive. The museum consists of a number of reconstructed, wooden buildings, most of which are furnished to show what life would have been like for those who lived in these places. Everything is represented in this model village - houses, churches, barns, and even a banya. This place would be a wonderful place to visit with children, though we (two adults) enjoyed it immensely ourselves. Do allow for about three hours to wander around the model village and to visit the formal museum (on the same site). And don't visit too close to closing time. The costumed babushkas who look after the buildings (and provide a Russian-language narrative about them, if you wish), will kick you out about twenty minutes before closing-time. There is also a nice restaurant at the hotel across the street. It's worth a visit as well.

If you have time to go to Novgorod, be sure to visit this Wooden Architecture Museum, very cute and different than any other buildings/site that you find in St Petersburg or Moscow. But again, focus your journey in St Petersburg which has a lot more to offer, only if you have extra time and want to explore the ancient town of Novgorod.

I was so impressed with this museum. First of all, it's not a typical museum. It's more like a neighborhood of old wooden (and some reconstructed) buildings. Not much English plaques, but you can read the dates and there's not much more to it. Some of the interiors are set to look like they would have when the buildings were built. Some have re-enactors wearing Russian period costumes inside! It's in a wooded area near a part beautiful of the river. Don't forget your mosquito spray.Students get in half price.

Vitoslavitsy is a park stocked with relocated wooden structures, showing the typical structures used in rural life in Russia: residential homes, churches, workshops, stables, banyas etc.You can actually enter the houses and chant with real people sitting inside, see the furniture and home appliances and watch people involved in ancient trades.

I was a little skeptical about going to the Vitoslavitsy Museum and figured that it would be very cheesy and not for the hardcore traveling types. And while some of the aspects of the museum where on the cheesy side, it was an overall pleasant experience. The wooden architecture shows visitors what sorts of housing past Russian generations lived in and exactly how so (the houses are furnished inside and include real life dressed up people). The best part of the museum was seeing the actual houses and churches from the outside. They are beautifully made and come out great in pictures. If you want to lie a little back home, you can take photos and pretend that those houses are not part of a museum but in a isolated Russian village somewhere. Also, the museum is relatively easy to get to from the Novgorod Kremlin. Once you exit the Kremlin and go to the parking lot, directly across the street is a busy bus stop. Get on the #7 bus (15 rubles), and it will take you directly in front of the museum and pass some beautiful rural scenery as well. It's about a 20 minute ride out.