Village Kimzha

The village of Kimzha, founded in the early XVI century by a peasant from Pinega, is located in the Mezen district of the Arkhangelsk region. The permanent population of the village is about 100 people, but during the holidays and summer, when vacationers and relatives come, population increases in several times. There are 71 historical buildings in Kimzha, 1 of which is the five-domed wooden hip-roof Odygitriya Church constructed in 1709 of federal significance. Kimzha is situated at the intersection of roads to Pinega, Mezen and Leshukonskoye, that is why the village is a very convenient place for trips around the region of Mezen.

On 19th of February 2017 the village of Kimzha became one of the most beautiful village of Russia and joined the Association of the most beautiful villages of Russia. Moreover, Kimzha became the first Arctic village within the Federation of the most beautiful villages of the Earth.

All the houses in the village are more than a hundred years old: they are solid, north-constructed houses. So Kimzha looks like an animated Museum of wooden architecture, only the real life goes on there: children play between the courtyards, gingerbread cookies are baked in the houses, smoke rises from pipes, fishing on the river, gathering berries  and hunting in the woods. People honor sacred customs and ceremonies, most holidays and important dates are celebrated according to the canons. Citizens of Kimzha still go through the village and sing carols at Christmas and in the night after Christmas young people fooling around and throws the woodpile. Kimzha retains (actually has restored) traditional convening holidays, which gather people's choirs of the many villages along the Mezen. There is its own choir of Kimzha, participating in all village cultural events.

Paganism, old belief and orthodoxy left its special mark in Kimzha - there had not been a cemetery in the village up to 1951, and the deceased were buried according to their covenant (where asked), most often on their land plots, but not near the houses, as stated in some sources. It was believed that the spirit of the ancestors will protect land and housing from troubles and misfortunes. Votive crosses were placed near the houses.

There was a group nickname for residents of Kimzha - "chernotropy" (witches), as the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages believed that some of the Kimzha residents really mastered the art of sorcery and conspiracy, and could inflict damage and the evil eye.

The Landscape-museum complex "The northernmost windmill in the world" created in the authentic village of Kimzha. It includes two mills-stolbovka. One of them is a monument of regional importance, was built in 1897 but has not worked since the early 60-ies of the last century. Functionally restored in 2010, with the active cooperation with experts from molinology from the Netherlands. The Museum "North mill" created in the barn of the second mill in 2015.