This book is the result of many years of research and teaching activities by the author O. S. Popova, a leading Russian Byzantine scholar, professor at the Lomonosov State University and doctor of art history. The volume traces centuries-old history of Byzantine art styles interpreted in church and architecture, mosaics and frescoes, in icons and illuminated manuscript miniatures. Stylistic qualities are examined as symbolic expression of the meaning of images in Byzantine art, shaped by Christian ideology and traditions of Classical culture. That legacy provided the foundation for artistic cultural development in Ancient Rus and other Orthodox countries. In this illustrated scholarly publication the history of Byzantine art is presented in a form accessible not only to specialists, but also to a wider circle of readers.