Yundoltseva E.Yu.

Key words: relief images, frescoes, Cappadocia, Abkhazia, Transcaucasia, Felidae beast, bull, lion, construction.
The article compares, for the first time, a group of relief images from Abkhazia and frescoes from some of the cave churches in Cappadocia. Analysis of the iconographic and stylistic peculiarities of the two groups revealed common traits. Studies of their archaeological and historical context allow stating that both groups date to one and the same period between the third quarter of the 10th c. and the year 1071, when the Macedonian dynasty ruled in Byzantium. The article raises the topic of artistic contacts (possibly migration of builders’ teams) between the two regions and outlines the areas for further study, for instance, the façades of churches in the historical provinces of Tao and Klarjeti. The constructional features of some of the Cappadocian churches show similarities to certain monuments in northern Mesopotamia, which fact also calls for a more detailed study.