Volume 8 book 1 - Russian art of the first third of the XIX century - In the first third of the XIX century, Russian art develops in complex and contradictory ways. At this time, seemingly incompatible artistic phenomena coexist, opposing tendencies struggle and intertwine with each other, new trends are approved and old ones continue to live. So, in the first decades of the century, classicism in architecture retains all its significance, enriched with new features; in painting, romanticism plays an innovative role, but different streams are outlined in it, and a protest is brewing against the extremes and one-sided understanding of the essence of the new trend; deepens and expands, including diverse artistic searches, realistic direction; in the fight against the conventions of the outdated classical doctrine, a living and free interpretation of the ancient heritage is defended.