Orthodox church building of the beginning of the 20th century in the territory of the present-day Lithuania

The publication is devoted to a previously unexplored topic - the late Orthodox church building on the territory of modern Lithuania. It is based on unpublished materials from the Lithuanian State Historical Archives, as well as the Russian State Military Historical Archive, Kaunas Regional State Archives and local periodicals. The article contains a significant number of new attributions, the vast majority of churches and the names of architects were introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The biographies of the largest builders of Lithuanian churches in the early 20th century are given – Diocesan architects M.M. Prozorov and A.A.Shpakovsky, the names of other architects of the Vilna diocese are established. The mechanisms of financing the construction of churches, mainly state-owned, with the support of the Peasant Land Bank, the composition of parishioners - in rural areas - Orthodox peasant settlers, in cities - Russian officials, military men, merchants, are considered. The special importance of resettlement (on the lands confiscated from Catholics), military, and station churches is considered. The style of temple building within Lithuania corresponded to the general imperial one: the dominance of the Russian style (Thon, Moscow-Yaroslavl, neo-Russian) and the presence of the Byzantine style. The long-term use of the style of K.A. Thones, the lack of local funds for construction, the proximity of the prerequisites for the construction of churches and their style in Lithuania and Belarus, and the difference from the situation in the territory of modern Latvia (except Latgale) and Estonia.