Nelli Domberg The Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Church These Churches belong to the same branch of Greek Orthodoxy. They are similar in the way services are conducted and the prayers sung. Another powerful factor uniting them so closely is the icon art, which has had a long tradition and many schools in these Slavonic countries.
        The architecture of the churches is somewhat different from the ones of Greece, for they harmonically combine baroque and classicism - an influence of the West. The builders of the churches were not greedy on expensive materials, such as bronze, marble and gold. It was a believed that if the church’s top is beautifully shiny, it will be noticed by God faster. Inside the churches are richly decorated by wall paintings and icons. The effect of the services is enhanced by quires, which often consist of professional voices and is empowered by the acoustic-friendly
architecture. The altar of a church always faces East. The purpose of it is for people to face the Holy Land where Jesus was born.
        The wall painting in Russian and Ukrainian churches are influenced by many phases in Christianity and, therefore, vary. Some of them represent a direct reproduction of the Christian events, others may be highly stylized and symbolic.
        The Church has had a great influence on individuals, culture, art and literature, despite the years of Soviet anti-church propaganda. People’s believes in God have found their reflection in prose, poetry and art of all times. 


 

 
 

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