Moscow is the center of the ancient Russian monumental (frescoes) and easel (icon) paintings. The second third of the 14th century is generally associated with the birth of the Moscow school of Icon painting. It was from this time on that the characteristic features of the Moscow masters became clear. Their painting was in a mild and philosophical manner, quite different from the Byzantine prototype or that of the Kiev or Novgorod Schools. At the end of the 14th century a galaxy of Moscow icon painters came out on stage. Among this group of artists were Prokhor from Gorodets, Daniil the Black and the renowned Andrew Rublev. Later Rublev`s works became the official standard for several generations of artists. Such artists included Dionicious and his son Phedosious, and in the 18th century Simon Ushakov and Joseph Vladimirov. The latter two artists became well known for their ability to bring spiritual and secular painting close together, more so than any other artists before them.

A unique and impressive sample of ancient Russian paintings has been preserved in the cathedrals of the Kremlin. The Assumption Cathedral houses many beautiful ancient icons by Dionicious and other artists of the XII - XVII centuries.

The Cathedral of the Annunciation contains icons by A. Rublev, Prokhor, Theophanus the Greek. The Tretyakov Art Gallery possesses the largest icon collection in Moscow. The worxs of A. Rublev are well represented here: the famous Trinityand The Savior ofZvenigorod. Here is found the well known icons Our Lady of Vladimir (12th cent.) and The Ustjuzskoye Annunciation(12th cent.). This collection includes pieces from Dionicious, Simon Ushakov and frescoes from demolished churches.

Another museum is located on the premises of the ancient Saviour-Andronik Monastery where Andrew Rublev lived. It contains 3 000 pieces of ancient Russian art dating from the 14th through 17th centuries.

You can see many frescoes and icon sets of the 15th-18th centuries in many churches of Moscow. Following is the list of the most significant ones: The Trinity Church in Nikitniky (The Nikitniky Lane, metro station Kitaygorod) containing the beautiful frescoes of the 17th century, icons by S. Ushakov and his pupils, and fresco fragments from the demolished Moscow churches, The Cathedral of the Sretensky Monastery (Bolshaya Lubyanka str., metro station Kuznetsky Most) containing a fresco ensemble from 1707, The Church of Saint John the Warrior (Bolshaya Yakimanka str., metro station Oktyabrskaya) containing icons from the end of the 17th century from the Church of the Resurrection in Kadashy, The New Saviour Monastery (The Square of the Krestyanskaya zastava, metro station Proletarskaya) containing a fresco ensemble from the 17th century Resurrection Cathedral.

Excellent examples of iconic paintings are also well preserved in The Church of The Prophet Elijah Obydenni (The Obydensky Lane, metro station Kropotkinskaya), The Church of the Apparition of the Virgin (metro station: Rizhskaya), The Church of the Resurrection in the Uspensky Vrazhek (Nezhdanov str., metro station Okhotny Ryad), The Resurrection Cathedral in Sokolniky (metro station Sokoiniky), the Church of Saint Nicholas in Khamovniky (Komsomolsky prosp., metro station Park Kultury), the Danilov Monastery (metro station Shabolovskaya).

The most significant collections of icons are available in the Trinity Sergius Monastery (Sergiev Posad), in the museum of the New Jerusalem Monastery (Istra town), and in the museums in the towns of Zvenigorod, Dmitrov, Volokolamsk, Kolomna and Serpukhov.