The Church of St. John Chrysostom is located in the village of Kunino Kargopol district, Arkhangelsk region, 5 km from the town of Kargopol. Nordic landscape is familiar, that the monuments of wooden architecture, "derevyashki" like them affectionately calls the local population, located in a picturesque area, usually near a river or lake. However, the ancient Church of St. John Chrysostom, built in 1665, is standing in a field near the village, in the old cemetery, once surrounded by a wall of huge stones.

Shaoninsky the Church is a classic example of hip architecture: octagon quadrangle. The height of the temple from the earth to the cross is 35 meters. The tent is covered with boards in 5 rows. Trimming the ends of the boards are formed by toothed belts. At the foot of the tent over the felling down plank boards with carved ends, performing the function of vadoteji. The Eastern side of the Church quadrangular apse added, has in plan the shape of a square. She, according to tradition, covered with a barrel of curved profile with the gable, which is a small cupola. From the West to the temple quadrangle rigged refectory. It represents a rectangular frame, indoor 2 Stingray. In the refectory discussed rural Affairs, organized holiday treats, in addition, it gave the opportunity to expand the room by a large gathering of people. There were often a service that arranged the altar, the iconostasis (altar). It is this chapel was in the refectory of the Church of St. John Chrysostom (on the South slope of the roof rises a cupola, which symbolizes II the ecclesiastical throne).

If you go inside the Church, you find yourself in a small vestibule, from which a low door leads to the spacious refectory. Coming out of the refectory in the Church, you can see a small prayer room. The height of the interior of the temple is approximately 1/3 of its height. Painted ceiling ("sky") hides the escalation of construction of the square to an octagon and to the tent. "Heaven" is arranged with a slight rise up to the center circle, where you can see the image of the Trinity. It is divided into 12 sectors (stocks), which depicted the evangelists and archangels.

The refectory was probably built later sauninskoye Church. It cut down not close to the temple, so she just adjacent to it. Apparently, it didn't bother the ancient master. In the Church of St. John Chrysostom refectory shifted southward, in the direction of the side wall so it protrudes beyond the wall of the quadrangle. The Northern wall of the refectory cut down in a line with the Church's wall.

Shaoninsky Church is located high on the cellar, so the Windows of the refectory are located approximately under the eaves. Often, at a later time, when repairing the buildings, Windows were enlarged. Originally the Windows were mica (mica was expensive), they were made small, and therefore, the light passed not all but only some of them, which was called red. Traditionally, these were medium-sized box. The side Windows was called the portage, they began to move (clouded) wooden shields.

The bell tower, featuring beauty and originality, stands near the Church on the South side. Form of log – 6-sided (most of the bell tower was built with 8 faces), and also, unlike the temple building, the reception of the cuttings in the leg with no protruding ends is a thoughtful way to allocate the direct line of faces. Inside the bell tower each face correspond to the vertical posts that form the spans of the belfry on the open upper deck. In the center of the bell tower set axial pole, which connects the cross. The bell tent has roof trusses, unlike chopped tent temple.