DEVELOPMENT OF MARRIAGE SEARCH RECORDS IN PARISH CHURCHES OF TOBOLSK DIOCESE IN THE 18<sup>TH</sup> - EARLY 20<sup>TH</sup> CENTURIES
The article discusses the development of marriage search records in parish churches of Tobolsk Diocese in the 18<sup>th</sup> - early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries. The aim is to clarify the extent to which marriage search records in the parish church of Tobolsk Diocese comply with legal requirements. The work is relevant due to the fact the study of marriage search records registered in Tobolsk Diocese during the synodal period, as well as the analysis of factors determining changes in record content and design shall contribute to understanding the laws and development of church records management. The study is of a practicular research novelty, since so far the researchers have not addressed the development of marriage search records in Tobolsk Diocese of the 18<sup>th </sup>- early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries. In this work we define the notion of «marriage search record» as a specific type of document and analyse the forms of marriage search records, their development and correspondence to the legal requirements. Particular attention is paid to the degree legal norms regulating the rules of marriage search record in Tobolsk Diocese in the 18<sup>th</sup> - early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries are implemented. The study proves that the parish church practice was subjected to regulation, was constantly improved and that new elements were added. The study revealed no marriage search records of the 18<sup>th</sup> century in the state archives. Parish churches of Todolsk Diocese began registering marriage search records in 1802 when the diocese approved the requirement to theological consistories to give the clergy a special book to record such search records. This fact indicates that the statutory rights and improvement of «church letter management» contributed to the best preservation of church documents. After analyzing marriage search records registered in 1802-1910 we concluded that these documents were mostly registered by hand in cord (search) books fastened with wax seal of Tobolsk Theological Consistory and had almost the same form of presentation. Startin gfrom the middle of the 19<sup>th</sup> century there were several churches which began to use printed forms of marriage search records. Thus, not all clerics recognized the importance of drawing up the search records in accordance with the the prescribed form.