ABSTRACT
Very little is known of pre-Christian architecture among the eastern Slavs; but with the acceptance of Orthodox Christianity by Prince Vladimir of Kiev in 988, the construction of masonry churches spread throughout the territory of ancient Rus, as Byzantine clerics, artists, and builders were invited to the area. The largest and most complex of these early churches was Kiev’s Cathedral of Divine Wisdom (1037–1050s), commissioned by Yaroslav the Wise and built with the direction of Greek masters. The interior contained extensive mosaics as well as frescoes. Other major churches of this period include the Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod (1045–1052), the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Chernigov (1031–1050s), and the Cathedral of the Dormition at the Kiev Cave Monastery (1073–1078; destroyed in 1941). Typically, these churches were built of opus mixtum (a combination of narrow brick, stone, and a mortar of crushed brick and lime). The application of stucco to church walls began toward the end of the twelfth century.
