The Byzantine collection of the Museum is unique in its composition, old age and the creative value of the monuments which remain unmatched even in comparison to the collections of the largest Russian state museums. They give us a chance to at least partially reconstruct the rich interiors and church spaces of the Byzantine Empire, as well as get a vivid idea of the numerous decorative objects which were brought in during the pre-Mongolian times to adorn the churches of the newly christened Kievan Russia.