Viktor Lazarev's studies on early Russian art, particularly frescoes and panel paintings, written between 1953 and 1971 include a broad range of art produced for the Russian church within the context of the Christian tradition. Previously published in Russian, these studies are now available to a wider audience, in this translation into English.

This second volume of Viktor Lazarev's studies makes available a comprehensive selection of his papers on the history of early Russian art, principally fresco and panel painting. Most of the articles gathered in this collection were written between 1953 and 1971. Though they are grouped under the title 'Russian art' they are concerned with the art of a far larger community. All the objects discussed by Lazarev in this volume were produced for the Russian church, but not necessarily by Russians or even on Russian soil. The art discussed in these articles belongs, first and foremost, to a Christian tradition. The majority of these studies have previously been published in Russian, and their translation here into English makes them accessible for the first time to most western art historians. Dr Jana Howlett has contributed an Preface assessing the life and work of Viktor Lazarev.