Construction of parish churches in the 18th – early 20th centuries: problems of legislative regulation (by the materials of the Olonets diocese)

The article deals with the main problems of the evolution of the order of construction of parish churches. It was revealed that the main trend in the regulation of the construction of churches on the territory of the Olonets diocese, as well as throughout the country, was the growing control from the spiritual and secular authorities. The main goal of progressive supervision was the unification of the appearance of the church building. The second significant trend was the gradual increase in the role of the merchant class in financing the construction of churches, while undoubtedly preserving the order of building churches inherited from the past at the expense of the parish. Ultimately, the construction of temples reflects the complex process of finding a compromise between tradition and legislation, the need to build churches at the expense of the parishioners and the administrative containment of their initiative based on the possibilities of fully providing the clergy of the future church.