Some Features of Painting Decorations of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’s Churches at the Late 19th – the Early 20th Century

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to consider common features of the painting decorations of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’s churches in 1890s – 1910s. The research methodology consists in the complex applying to historical and cultural analysis, art study and diachronic one, empirical observation. The scientific novelty of the study. Based on little-known records, visual sources including introduced into scientific circulation, the author identified and analysed the common features of the painting decoration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’s churches in 1890s – 1910s. She considered the common image, compositional, iconographic features of the murals of churches such as the Great Church (Dormition Cathedral), Holy Trinity Gate Church, Church of Venerable Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk with the Refectory Chamber (Refectory Church), Church of All Saints, Church of Conception by St. Ann, Church of Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. She observed the direct and indirect influence of the Great Church decoration on the formation of painting decorations in these churches. The author also studied the emulation of the Dormition Cathedral compositions of the 18th century in the Church of Conception by St. Ann decoration and clarified the dating of mural paintings of this church at the late 19th century (1895). Conclusions. 1890s – 1910s were the period of creation new mural paintings in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’s churches defined by specific features. Painting decorations in different churches were specifying by image, compositional and iconographic similarity. As with images of the Venerable Fathers of Pechersk, these were images of Christ in the upper case of painting decorations according to the Byzantine canon instead of New Testament Trinity. The academic murals of the Lavra’s Great Dormition Church had been emulated, and the mural painting compositions of St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv (V. Vasnietsov) had been cited. The artists could follow the academic tradition (V. Sonin) or originally present images in Art Nouveau style (I. Yizhakevych, V. Shurshykov) preserving the iconography of V. P. Vereshchahin’s compositions. The similarity of panting decorations of the churches (Church of Conception by St. Ann and Church of Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos) also had been realised repeating the plot and topical lines of the Great Church murals. According to archival information, the author concluded that mural paintings in the Church of Conception by St. Ann had been performed in 1895.