GENRE SCENES IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCHES OF KYIV IN THE KYIVAN RUS PERIOD

The study analyzed the principles of the arrangement of secular genre plots in ancient Russian temples. The emphasis is on greater democracy of the churches of the first period of Kyivan Rus in comparison with Byzantine Christian churches. Secular images were systematized by plot and their location in the space of the church and artistic characteristics (composition, detailing, polychromy) were investigated. It is concluded that the artistic and figurative concept of secular genre scenes corresponds to the general artistic and figurative concept of the ancient Russian temple. The scientific novelty of the study was as follows: - with the help of the system-structural analysis method, secular scenes in the space of the temple were analyzed according to the established system of indicators (location, composition, detailing); - comparing the artistic and figurative characteristics of the secular wall painting with the general artistic concept of the temple decoration. The analysis of secular light paintings in the North and South towers of St. Sophia's Cathedral testified to a certain borrowing of ideological subjects from Byzantine traditions. However, if in Byzantium such ceremonial scenes glorifying the emperor and empress could be placed in the altar part directly under the holy images in the apse, then in Hagia Sophia they were depicted less pompously, in fact, on the surfaces of the side stairwells, and those secular images of the princely family, which were located openly in the central nave, were as restrained as possible, without detail, subordinated to the general artistic concept of the interior of the temple.