Having been baptized, Kievan Rus began to learn anew to believe in God. An important part of the process of adopting New Testament principles was the ritual aspect of church life. How to pray, what to worship, in what order to conduct the service? All this should be learned and flock, and priests.
By the 9th century, the Byzantine rite as a whole was formed, and at the end of the tenth century it took on a clear form, which was formed in the established church image. The iconoclasts were defeated at the Council of Nicaea, convened in 787. The images of the saints, the Virgin and the Son of God became an integral part of the interior decoration of the churches.
The history of Russian icon painting originates in the years of construction of the first temples. The Byzantine experience accumulated over the centuries was embodied in the painting of Sophia of Kiev, the work in which began with God's help in 1037. The masters of the classical school helped the ancient Russian artists, conveying to them the Byzantine aesthetic views and devoting them to the subtleties of their art.
The founder of Russian icon painting, the Monk Alimpiy (in other sources Alipy) was a student of the Greeks who arrived in Kiev. He possessed an undoubted artistic talent, sent to him from above for his purity of thoughts, industriousness, humility and love of God. The asceticism and asceticism characteristic of Alimpius were reflected in his work, which became visible evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the walls of the glorious monastery. Mosaics, frescoes of the Kiev period of Christianity were distinguished by the laconic fundamentality characteristic of Byzantine art.
The traditions of the first masters of Russian icon painting were interrupted by the Mongol invasion of the 13th century. Many wonderful works have been reproached, damaged, and destroyed. The images created in the XI-XIII centuries suffered, but their artistic merits can be judged by the surviving samples of the Novgorod school, which was in full bloom at about the same time.
Another founder of Russian icon painting is considered Metropolitan of Moscow Peter, whose church activity in the 14th century was combined with artistic asceticism. Unlike the images of the pre-Mongol period, which were characterized by muted and even gloomy coloring, its icons are characterized by a cheerful brightness of colors and simplicity of composition. At the end of the XIX century, this tradition was continued by the founder of Russian icon painting of the Rostov school, Metropolitan Theodore.
National features are most clearly expressed in the images created by Andrei Rublev, the reverend, a true genius, who managed to combine the Byzantine idea with the Russian character. The 15th century is overshadowed by his work, illuminated by faith, reinforced by an exceptional artistic gift. Together with the Monk Daniil Cherny they created masterpieces that became the glory of the art of Russia. Many art historians believe, and not without reason, that Rublev is the founder of Russian icon painting in its most vivid manifestations.
At the end of the XV and in the first decades of the XVI century, the master Dionysius worked, who determined church aesthetics for many subsequent eras. The sophistication of color schemes and forms, the purity of color and the tenderness of tones, together with the dynamic gracefulness of the effect of movement, create the impression of musical harmony with Orthodox chants. In a sense, he is also the founder of Russian icon painting, his works carry the positive emotional charge that is characteristic of Slavic Christianity.
It is difficult to say which of these remarkable creators should be considered the founder of the original art of church painting. Each of them contributed to the formation of Russian iconography, unique and miraculous.