The professional musical art in the Russian monasteries in the 16th - 17th centuries

Preservation and development of the ancient church singing as the high musical art occupied an important place in the spiritual life of Russian monasteries in the 16 th - 17 th centuries. On the basis of the documents the author reveals the activities of the monastic choirs, their composition and structure, information about the peculiarities of the chanting repertoire, the system of salaries for the singers and their service and off-duty employment. The researcher also presented the most outstanding monastic chanting masters’ creative works of their authorship which have gained recognition among their contemporaries.