Mstera

There are four traditional centres of miniature lacquered box painting in Russia, which today have become the most famous . Palekh

Fedoskino

Kholui

MSTERA holds a special place in this group, due to its more ancient and maybe more colourful traditions.

A special place in the Mstera icon painting tradition was held by Byzantine art, the successors of which were first and foremost the Vladimir and Suzdal icon painters. The Byzantine technique of painting and Byzantine icon painting was preserved in Mstera for many centuries, right up until the start of the 20th century.

The leading Mstera artist among the painters of miniatures should by right be Nikolai Klykov

Klykov painted works depicting Russian folk tales and episodes from the works of Russian writers, but hardly changed the landscapes in which his contemporary heroes found themselves.