Decorating the interior walls of the temple with sacred images was the primary and most important task of church art. The "painting" of the temple was a visual embodiment of religious dogmas.
Mosaics and Frescoes of Ancient Rus
In this art, everything was strictly subordinated to sacred traditions and age-old customs. Every detail carried deep symbolic meaning rooted in spiritual tradition.
"The church is the earthly heaven," declared church writers, giving symbolic meaning not only to the temple building itself but to each of its details.
Kiev Land
The ancient frescoes and mosaics adorning the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral date back to the 11th century and are the work of Byzantine masters.
Among the Kiev-Sophia mosaics, two monumental works hold a special place: the colossal image of the Theotokos in the altar apse, called the "Unbreakable Wall," and the composition "The Mystery of the Eucharist."
Novgorod Land
The most valuable monument of church fresco painting is the fresco decoration of the Church of the Savior at Nereditsa, dating back to the 12th century.
The Nereditsa frescoes, according to N.V. Pokrovsky, "in terms of the abundance of iconographic subjects and types, satisfactory preservation and absence of later corrections, surpass almost all known monuments of fresco painting."
Pskov and Vladimir-Suzdal Lands
Widely known for its 12th century frescoes is the Church of the Transfiguration in the Pskov Mirozhsky Monastery. Strictly Byzantine stylistics dominated in the fresco painting of the Vladimir-Suzdal land.
The frescoes harmoniously correspond to the architectural appearance of the building, being part of a single artistic concept. This is true wall painting, transforming the extensive planes of walls.