Long-lost monuments of the orthodox cultural heritage in the Zavolzhsky district of Ulyanovsk

This article examines the history of creating, functioning and destructing the significant cultural heritage sites such as Orthodox churches in the villages of Kanava and Chasovnia. During the Soviet times they formed part of the Zavolzhsky district in Ulyanovsk. They were flooded when the Kuibyshev reservoir was put into operation. The article introduces into scientific discourse particular archival documents that reveal the history of the churches during the 19th and 20th centuries. It also analyses the documents that testify of the purposeful policy of the state aimed at «dismantling» the religious world view and replacing it atheistically by the consistent destruction of Orthodox churches and chapels.