The lecture is devoted to first stone buildings in Rus'. Important buildings were the first to be made of stone (e.g. the Church of the Tithes in Kiev). First Russian stone buildings are a proof that the Russian culture of that time was strongly influenced by the high construction technologies of the Byzantine represented by the perfect outline of a cross-domed church, its technical, engineering, construction, stylistic, and graphic characteristics. The invitation of Byzantine masters to build the early churches of Kiev and Chernigov was of utmost importance for further development of the Old Russian architecture.