Yaroslavl Church of Elijah the Prophet

Standing on the central square of Yaroslavl, this seventeenth-century church is celebrated for the completeness and brilliance of its interior frescoes, among the finest surviving cycles of the Yaroslavl school of painting. Commissioned by wealthy merchants, its whitewashed exterior with green-tiled domes gives little hint of the vivid biblical scenes covering the walls within. Ornate porches and a bell tower complete the ensemble. As the centrepiece of the reconstructed historic centre, it is a leading monument of the city.