The Church of Fyodor Stratilat on the Stream, built in 1360-1361 by the posadnik Semyon Andreyevich, is one of the outstanding examples of Novgorod architecture. Previously, the temple stood on the banks of the ancient Fyodor Stream, which has recently been filled in, and a highway from Moscow to Leningrad has been laid in its place.

The frescoes of the church were likely created in the late 60s or 70s of the 14th century and were uncovered from whitewashing in 1910. Although the painting has survived only in fragments and with significant losses, it holds exceptional artistic value. The frescoes employ a monochromatic approach in red-brown tones, distinguishing them from the bright polychrome paintings of other Novgorod churches of the 14th century. This aligns the painting of Fyodor Stratilat with the frescoes of the Church of the Savior on Ilyin Street, created by Theophanes the Greek.

Some researchers believe that the painting of Fyodor Stratilat is an earlier work by Theophanes the Greek, while others argue that it is a later work by a Novgorod master influenced by Theophanes. The painting vividly expresses the 14th-century love for narrative themes and the emotional interpretation of human suffering, transitioning into pathos. The compositions and figures of the painting bear the imprint of Byzantine art from the 13th-14th centuries.

The pictorial texture of the painting of Fyodor Stratilat is similar to the frescoes of the Church of the Savior. The base is a red-brown color, on which lightened pasty white strokes are applied. A dark brown outline defines the shapes. However, the painting of Fyodor Stratilat lacks the virtuosity characteristic of the frescoes of the Savior. Many characters in the painting of Fyodor Stratilat resemble those in the frescoes of the Savior, and some secondary details of the compositions are literally repeated in both churches.