On the Style of Monumental Painting of the Church of the Saviour at Berestove of 1643–1644

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyse the literature and sources covering the issues of the style of monumental painting of the Church of the Saviour at Berestove of 1643–1644 and to revise the terminology traditionally used for the murals of this church. The research methodology is based on the application of a systematic approach, analytical method, art historical, historical-comparative, historical-genetic, historical-systemic and descriptive methods for a comprehensive consideration of the above issues and formulation of reasonable conclusions. The scientific novelty is characterised by the fact that for the first time, on the basis of a critical analysis of literature and sources, the need for a reliable stylistic analysis of the monumental painting of the Church of the Saviour at Berestove of 1643-1644 was identified in order to prove the legitimacy of the term "post-Byzantine art" in relation to this monument. Conclusions. The problem of the style of monumental painting of the Church of the Saviour at Berestove has been in the field of research since the mid-twentieth century. Although the publications of several leading national scholars contain reasonable remarks on the artistic influences on the murals of the Kyivan church, a reliable stylistic analysis has not yet been conducted. Therefore, another appeal to the monumental painting of the church is fully justified. The prospect of further research is to conduct a detailed stylistic analysis of the murals of the Kyiv church in the broad context of post-Byzantine art and Ukrainian painting of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. We believe that such an approach will allow us to resolve the issue of artistic influences on the monumental painting of the church and rethink the problem of terminology in relation to this monument in particular and to Ukrainian art of the first half of the seventeenth century in general.

Key words: Church of the Saviour at Berestove, monumental painting, style, post-Byzantine art, Era of Petro Mohyla.