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The church of Fedor Stratilat was built in
1360-1361 by the mayor of Novgorod Semen Andreyevich, who attached much
importance to its outside appearance and decoration. His church also has four
piers, a single cupola and single apse, but the piers are put closer to the
walls which made the space under the dome more open and large. A narrow stone
staircase leads to the gallery. This was one of the details that made the
Church of Stratilat differ from the others. But even more interesting was its
eight-sloped roof; two slopes on each side beginning from the base of the drum,
a novelty obviously introduced from the west. The drum of the cupola is
decorated with bands of blind ornamental arcades, small niches etc. , and on
the outside walls we again see the pilasters, joined at the top by blind arches
that reflect the inside vaulting. The interior was covered with frescoes,
presumably painted by Theophan Grek (Theophannes the Greek) around 1370. When
discovered and cleaned in 1910, they were already severely damaged. The artist
painted them in reddish-brown hues.
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