Historical Features and Current State of Development of Ortodox Church Building in Cherkasy Region

The author's field and theoretical study of Orthodox churches in the Cherkasy region allowed us to identify and argue the basic features of the sacred architecture of this region and the evolution of modern church building from a direct attraction to historical forms to the introduction of new forms within the canon, which indicates the direct influence of new construction and engineering technologies. Church building in Cherkasy region dates back to the times of Kyivan Rus, which testifies to the ancient roots of the architectural school of Orthodox construction in Cherkasy region. However, at that time these were isolated churches and monasteries, while Orthodox construction in Cherkasy region acquired a mass character only in Cossack times. It was the 17th-18th centuries that became the period of the apogee of the folk style in Orthodox construction in the lands of the Hetmanate, when a peculiar synthesis of the traditions of wooden architecture and reinterpreted features of Western European Baroque was formed, the types of plans, compositions and forms of temples diversified, and the techniques of decoration reached maximum mastery. The signs of modern Orthodox construction in the Cherkasy region are as follows: - the spread of the cross-banal composition of churches; - modernization of the features of historical styles (Old Russian and Baroque) in combination with modern materials and structures, energy efficiency; - introduction of digital design technologies into the design process (BIM-modeling, 3D-visualization); - multifunctionality of modern temple complexes and their acquisition of the function of important spiritual and social centers. The prospects for the development of the architectural school of Orthodox construction in Cherkasy region lie in the further diversification of architectural forms and compositional techniques based on a harmonious combination of traditions, technical innovations and modernity.