Among the works of Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich devoted to religious subjects, a special place is occupied by “Studies of the chapel mural.” They were commissioned by the Moscow merchant L.S. Livshits for his villa in Nice. The artist completed fourteen monumental panels in 1914. Because of World War I, they could not be sent to France and remained in Russia.

In 1962, the Moscow collector, Doctor of Medical Sciences Sergey Alekseevich Mukhin donated to the Gorlovka Art Museum 14 panels, as well as 14 paintings and graphics that Nicholas Roerich created during the so-called Russian period of creativity.

Nicholas Konstantinovich created something new, which, he believed, was “rooted in the aesthetic ideals of Byzantine Orthodox art.” The theme of the Tree of Life, which goes as far back as biblical times, is reflected in the entire series of chapel murals. It symbolically reflects the idea of a spiritual principle permeating all spheres of Existence.

Down to our days, has come the legend of the ancient Slavs about how a tree grew in the middle of endless waters and two birds built a nest on it, from which life on earth began. It is not surprising that trees were also present in the paintings of ancient Slavic dwellings.

Russian art historian and art critic Sergei Rostislavovich Ernst (1894–1980) wrote,