Wooden Church architecture of the XIX - early XX century is a little-studied part of the Russian architectural heritage, completely forgotten in Soviet times. Temple construction is studied on the example of objects in the area of the lower reaches of the Onega River. The research is based on archival sources identified in the state archive of the Arkhangelsk region, and materials from field surveys of objects. A significant volume of historical documents and projects is introduced into scientific circulation, revealing the specifics of the process of preparing and building wooden churches in the province. The article analyzes stylistic changes that occurred during the period under review - from eclecticism to the predominance of Russian motifs. Attention is focused on the use of model projects and their interpretations. Model projects were simplified, which was typical for all remote provinces of the country. The construction, carried out by peasant artels, further removed the result from the project and int