Guriy
Nikitin

Gury Nikitin (C. 1620, Kostroma — 1691, ibid) — the largest master of Russian frescoes of the XVII century. Nikitin strictly adhere to Canon, but in complex compositions used prints of the Bible Piscator. Biblical frescoes Nikitin different festive decorative, the richness of symbolism; emerges the desire for the secularization of art. Under his guidance had made the most significant ensemble of Russian fresco painting of that century — paintings in the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Yaroslavl.

Born in 1620-ies in Kostroma, where he was trained in the craft of the painter. Owned here iconic shops. In 1653, presumably, participated in the painting of the Moscow Church of the Trinity in nikitniki (China town).In 1660 was called to work in Moscow. In 1661, the Abbot of the Danilov monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky Savva hired him together with five painters to paint the monastery Church of saints. Trinity. In continuation of 1661-1662, they wrote "at the head and socomore", but did not have time to finish the mural, as he was summoned to Moscow. Here in the summer of 1664, he with his comrades under the leadership of Simon Ushakov painted icons in the Church of St. Eudocia, the Emperor in the vestibule.

Sent from Kostroma to Moscow in 1666, he worked on the renewal of the murals of the Archangel Cathedral, and in the following year was granted as a feed icon painter of the first article. From January to may, 1668 by order of the king he wrote a most kind letter, and with a great Scripture two icons for Macarius, Patriarch of Antioch: "the Almighty Saviour, and the fields 12 holidays with passions and this. Of the virgin Hodegetria, the fields kondaki and cosy and hymns". Having successfully completed this work, Gury Nikitin was sent on the petition of Abbot Sava, Daniel of Pereyaslavl monastery for the end of the wall paintings of the monastery Church, but in July of the same year has been summon to Moscow for the correction of the wall of letters in the Church of Gregory of Neocaesarea. In 1670 and 1671 he, along with other Yaroslavl and Kostroma painters re-wrote the letter wall in the assumption Cathedral in Rostov; in 1671 year, Nikitin together with the painter Power by Sawin, "as the kindest of masters", where he wrote for the Emperor two icons: "praise of this. Virgin full, Cathedral of the blessed. Virgin full".

In 1678, working in Moscow at the Ambassadorial yard, he was beaten to the Emperor a petition of his transfer from the aft painters in the patents; thanks to the good opinion of Simon Ushakov on his work, this request was granted. In 1680 under his direction was executed the murals in the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Yaroslavl, and in 1685, in the Kostroma Ipatiev monastery. In two recent works in its execution, composition and diversity of subjects considered to be one of the most remarkable works of the second poloviny XVII century, Guria, belonged to the most important role: "he Znameni", that has drawn the outlines of all figures which have already finish the letter to the other painters.