Orthodox religious objects of the Republic of Mordovia and their role in development of religious tourism

The article emphasizes the role of religion in strengthening of intercultural relations, social and scientific activities. It discusses the scientific basis of religion and religious infrastructure; considers specific features of the current stage in development of the religious sphere of Russia and the Republic of Mordovia; pays attention to issues of construction of new religious objects and reconstruction of those which were destroyed in the Soviet period; the author classifies orthodox religious sites of the Republic of Mordovia by status, time of occurrence, number of members, belonging to different architectural styles; determines the prospects of religious objects for tourism development in Mordovia; emphasizes the importance of development of religious tourism in the Republic, which should be based on a developed religious infrastructure.