Remeniaka O. Ukrainian icon-painting of XVI-XVIII centuries at Kholm and Podliashie regions.

The thesis deals with the issues of orthodox icon-painting of the XVI - XVIII c. in Kholm and Podlashie - the cultural border lands, where the cultural resistance of West and East, Catholicism and Orthodoxy was particularly strong. The author investigates unknown icons, which are kept in the museums of Kholm and Podlashie regions, and takes them up in the context of Ukrainian icon-painting traditions. Collected material is compared with well-known and researched works. In this work particularly value and originality of cultural environment of Kholm-Podlashie region are proved. Stylistic changes of icon-painting on the lands of Polish-Ukrainian border in XVI - XVIII are analyzed in the investigation. The complex approach to scientific investigation of this region's icons, which was based on historical, theoretical and practical materials was worked out. The principle of systematising relatively to the most spread of the orthodox icon-painting iconography schemes is used in the work. These schemes keep the sense of an icon, precisely expressing their deeper structure in visual form. The most important supporting elements are displayed particularly strong on the cultural border, as a result of higher dynamic of cultural development. The high level of conservatism is proved out to be in the most concentrate way here. All the tendencies, inherited to the whole Ukrainian icon-painting are discovered.