Netudikhatkin I. Ukrainian church benefactors portrait of second half XVI - XVIII centuries: information potential of historical source.

The Ukrainian church benefactors portrait of the second half of XVI - XVIII is analysed in dissertation as an original and untraditional historical source. Typical and original iconography features of church benefactors portraits were defined due to the analysis of portraits in museum funds, lost portraits known in reproductions, and also the graphicly reconstructed portraits. The date of creation of Vasily Dunin-Borkovskij portrait was specified due to its analysis in near infra-red and reflected ultraviolet rays. There is analyzed most significant portraits in dissertation, such as portraits of Vasiliy Dunin-Borkovskij 1685 , Evdokija Zhuravko 1697, Mikolaj Potockij 1775. Due to the analysis of these portraits and their social-cultured context the different aspects of church "sponsors" life were studied: social-political, private, role in original religious practices.