Priest Nikolai Shmakov (1829–1902) – the historiographer of the Ponoi parish of the Kola deanary

For the first time, the article examines the research activities of Priest Nikolai Ivanovich Shmakov (1829-1902) in studying the history of churches in the Ponoi parish of the Kola deanery of the Arkhangelsk Diocese. The undoubted advantage of his work on local temples is the use of various sources. It turns out that the priest is attracted not only by the local traditions he knows about parish churches, but also by the ancient documents he discovered in the church sacristy dating back to the 18th century. It is assumed that thanks to Nikolai Shmakov, the complex of materials he studied from the Ponoy Peter and Paul Temple became known to the staff of the Archeographic Commission in St. Petersburg. The information published by the priest has not lost its relevance to this day and can be used in the study of parish life in the Kola North.