ARTISTIC ARTIFACTS WITH THE HORSEMEN IMAGE OF THE URAL-HUNGARIAN CENTER IX CENTURY
The article is dedicated to the study of rare artifacts associated by their origin with the Ural-Hungarian center for the manufacture of art products. According to N.V. Fedorovа, the center was located in the Urals and functioned in the 9<sup>th</sup>-10th century. The article features a study of silver dishes and a roundel with an image of a rider (Fig. 1). Most of the items feature a rider with a bird on his right arm. The figure is turned to the right or to the left. The man is dressed in a long caftan and boots. There is a tall hat on his head. In addition to the bird on the right hand arm, another bird is usually depicted above the horse's head. Sometimes the items feature images of a hare. The horse has distorted proportions. The background of the image is gilded. The author is convinced that the figure of the image of the rider symbolizes the strength and power of the ruler. This is probably associated with the Byzantine tradition. Another contextual images on round medallions feature a hunting scene (Fig. 2). These artifacts were crafted in various time periods on the basis of different artistic traditions: Muslim, Christian, and pagan.