Pegrema is a beautiful example of the region's wooden architecture. It consists of several large peasant houses, the fronts of which are faced to the lake.[citation needed]
Prehistory
The site of the village Pegrema is believed to have been an "Innovation Centre" throughout the Mesolithic period. Pollen data as well as macrofossils suggest a continuous, albeit sporadic human presence from approximately 4200BC-3000BC. This data does not suggest any significant natural disasters to have occurred in the area throughout this period. However, a distinct lack of any architectural evidence from either the Iron Age or Bronze Age suggests a potential depopulation of the area.[1]
Early history
The start of land clearance for a permanent settlement and cultivation site is approximated to the late 13th Century. More intensive field cultivation, however, is approximately dated to the 15th Century, as according to pollen data.[1]
Later History
An image of the Orthordox Chapel of Saint Varlaam of Khutyn in Pegrema, which has remained mostly intact.
In the 1770s, the Varlaam Khutynsky chapel was built on a little cape in front of the houses. The chapel remains almost completely intact, although all icons were removed from it after the Russian Revolution.[citation needed]
Abandonment and Modern History
Following the Russian Revolution, the village began to depopulate,[2] ultimately being abandoned in 1956 by Soviet authorities. Since, it has been listed alongside the nearby Kizhi Island as a UNESCO World Heritage site. While studying the area, Zuravlev believed the area was depopulated due to an earthquake; however, a study taken by M. Saarnisto in the years 1994 and 1995 suggest this earthquake to have taken place far earlier.[1]
