Town of Suzdal

This impressive view of the ancient Russian town of Suzdal has been painted by Alexey Puchkov. Alexey is one of the best modern Fedoskino painters who specializes in the genre of architecture. Alexey inherited the talent of an artist from his father, Piotr Puchkov, an outstanding Fedoskino painter who died in 2000. Alexey's works are exhibited in the All-Russia Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art.
Suzdal is one of the major religious centers of Russian Orthodoxy. It was the capital of the Rostov-Suzdal Principality in the 11th century. Located approximately 200 km from Moscow, it is now an important tourist center that features many fine examples of old Russian architecture. 
White, grey and blue tones of oil paints help the artist to create an atmosphere of a dull winter day. Shining pieces of mother-of-pearl are inlaid into the architecture of the cathedrals. Gold metal leaf helps to create a sparkle of the domes, crosses, roofs, some of the trees and also produces bright splashes in the sky. 
The composition is framed with a wide gold line; the box's sides are decorated with two parallel gold lines.
The box is constructed from paper-mache. Black lacquer is used to paint the exterior of the box while red lacquer completes the interior of the work. A hinge is fastened to the top of the composition, and the box rests on four legs. The work is signed with the artist's name, Fedoskino, the title