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Although icon painting rapidly became an integral part of Russian culture, initially it was an imported art form, brought to Russia from Constantinople. The name “icon” is itself indicative of its Byzantine origin, being a transliteration of the Greek word for a “likeness” or image. In 988, after sending out envoys to report on the various religious options available, Prince Vladimir of Kiev Rus (the first Russian state) adopted Christianity both for himself and his subjects, staging a mass baptism in the River Dnieper. In order to build and embellish Christian places of worship, he invited Byzantine architects and artists to Kiev. As a result, the grand stone churches in Kiev were endowed with magnificent frescoes and mosaics. However, many of the early Kievan churches were built of wood, which made mural decoration impractical. Instead, religious images were painted on wooden panels. And these were often displayed on a screen separating the sanctuary from the body of the church – which eventually evolved into the iconostasis, an elaborate tiered partition adorned with icons.

2. The Miracle of St George and the Dragon. 15th century. Egg tempera on panel, 114 × 79 cm, National Art Museum, Kiev.

3. The Passion of Christ. 15th century. Egg tempera on panel, 192 × 133 cm.

The most famous of these early icons, The Virgin of Vladimir, (now in the Tretyakov Gallery, in Moscow), is thought to have been painted in Constantinople during the first quarter of the twelfth century. Between then and the time of Simon Ushakov (1626–86), arguably the last icon painter of stature, a great variety of schools and styles of icon painting developed, most notably those of Vladimir Suzdal, Yaroslavi, Pskov, Novgorod and Moscow. The earliest icon painters remain anonymous. However, it is known that they were not all monks, and before long workshops specializing in icons and other forms of church decoration were common in many parts of Russia.

Of the masters of icon painting, Theophanes the Greek (c. 1340–1405) came from Constantinople to Russia and greatly influenced both the Novgorod and Moscow schools. Other well-known masters include Andreï Rublev whose most famous work, the Old Testament Trinity, is in the Tretyakov Gallery; his friend and collaborator Daniel Cherniy (a monk, as was Rublev); and Dionysius (c. 1440–1508), one of the first laymen to become a leading icon painter.

At the time when Dionysius and his sons were active, ownership of icons became increasingly common. Previously nobles and merchants had begun the practice of displaying them in a place of honour in their homes, sometimes even in a special room, but now peasant families who could afford it also began to hang icons in a krasny ugol, or “beautiful corner”.

4. Andreï Roublev, Old Testament Trinity, 1422–1427. Tempera with eggs on lime-panel, 142 × 114 cm, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

5. Anonymous, Portrait of Jacob Turgenev, before 1696. Oil on canvas, 105 × 97.5 cm, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.