Churchwardens: a circle of care and responsibility in the 18th – early 20th centuries (based on the materials of the Olonets diocese)

The article discusses the main directions of churchwardens' activity. It was revealed that the legislative norms provided for them a wide range of responsibilities related to control over the collection of alms for the parish church needs, control over the preservation of church funds, and streamlining their spending. Churchwardens acted as an intermediary between the laity on one hand, and the clergy, including church governing bodies of different levels, on the other. The main trend in the legislative regulation of the wardens' activities was the gradual increase in the powers of the parish clergy in matters of church property disposal.