: and the Scandinavians resorted to joining and
dove-tailing. Thus, the latter early attained great skill in naval
construction.

These two methods of construction in wood have persisted till the
present day, which fact is easily established on examining the
rural dwellings of Russia.

The Sclavs, moreover, as well as the Varangians, possessed certain
art expressions which denote an Asiatic origin.

Even in Byzantine art, so far as ornamentation is concerned, there
were origins that were evidently common to those that are felt in
the Sclav arts; and these original elements are again found in
Central Asia.

That ornamentation, composed of interlacings and conventional floral
motives, dry and metallic, which was adopted at Byzantium, where it
very soon destroyed the last vestiges of Roman art, also appears
on the most ancient monuments of the Sclavs, and even on objects
that in France are attributed to the Merovingians, that is to say,
the Franks who came from the shores of the Baltic.

Thus, Russia was to take her arts, as regards ornamentation, from
branches that are far apart from one another in time and distance,
but which sprang from a common trunk.

About the Tenth Century, the Russian buildings were of wood; all
texts agree on this point, and consequently these constructions
could have no part in Byzantine architecture, which does not recall
even the traditions of carpentry work.

Towards the Eleventh Century, when the Russians began to build
religious edifices of masonry, the structure of which, particularly
in the vaulting, is inspired by Byzantine art, they adapted to this
structure, together with a sensibly modified Byzantine garb, an
ornamentation, derived from Asiatic, Sclavic and Turanian elements
in variable, that is to say local, proportions.

[Illustration: CHURCH OF THE REDEMER, MOSCOW.]

For at least three centuries, Byzantium was the great school sought
by the Latin, Visigothic and Germanic nations of Europe for art
teaching, and it was not till the end of the Twelfth Century that
the French broke away from these traditions. Their example was
followed in Italy, England and Germany more or less successfully.
Russia held aloof from these attempts: she was too closely identified
with Byzantine art to try any other course; it may be said that she
was the guardian of that art, and was to carry on its traditions
by mingling with it elements due to the Asiatic Sclavic genius.

All the dominant e