Paganism prevailed in Russia until the mid-X century. The Basis of the pagan mentality of the Slavic people were ideas of eternity and equality of good and evil as two independent forms of existence. Their presentation is closely associated with natural phenomena. Prince Vladimir had numerous conversations with preachers of many religions, but in the end chose Eastern Christianity for the beauty of its temples and rites according to the Byzantine Canon, which produced a deep impression on him. The final choice was also influenced by long-standing ties with Byzantium.Orthodox Christianity more than the other religions, corresponded with the cultural type of the Slavs. In 988 Vladimir adopted Christianity in its Orthodox version. However, the process of Christianization was long, as the population reluctant to part with paganism. Pagan beliefs and practices were kept in the Eastern Slavs for a long time, they were intertwined with the Christian celebrations for many centuries.
The adoption of Orthodoxy defined a new historical destiny of the Russian state, put an end to pagan barbarism and allowed the Russian society to enter into the family of Christian Nations of Europe on equal terms. This event had epochal significance for the development of culture, the consolidation of the state and development of international relations of Ancient Russia.
During six centuries of its existence, an isolated solitude rose into the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which is the largest Orthodox Monastery in Russia, architectural ensemble of stunning beauty, a world heritage site by UNESCO. The modern magnificence of the monastic city on the Makovets hill does not resemble the first days of the monastery founding. Those days the life was filled […]
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The word “icon” is translated from Greek as “depiction, image”. The system of iconographic artistic devices had been developed in Byzantium by the IX-X centuries. A new hagiographic type of icons was likely to be spread notably from Byzantium. There was a saint’s figure depicted in the middle of an icon, and on the fields of the icons in stamps […]
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1.The Church of Intercession in Fili. The Church of Intercession in Fili is a unique monument of architecture, decorative and fine art of the late XVII century. The temple was built in 1692-1693 by the boyar Lev Naryshkin, the uncle of Peter the Great, in the Moscow – area estate. It is a brilliant example of the architecture of the […]
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Central Andrei Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art was founded on the Andronikov Monastery territory in 1947. By the time of the museum foundation the monastery had been totally ruined, the museum collection was literally gleaned and the collected works demanded a careful and long-term restoration. Nonetheless, 13 years later, the museum was opened on September 21, 1960. […]
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Danilov and Epiphany Monasteries are the earliest monasteries in Moscow. They appeared in Moscow in the late 13th century, and its active construction began only in the second half of the 14th century. At this time Andronicus, Chudov, Candlemas (Sretensky Monastery), Christmas, Simonov monasteries were built. But most of all the famous monasteries in Moscow were built later, in the […]
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