ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the recent church construction boom in Armenia in light of political and oligarchical power as a means of symbolic legitimization and fixing of political and economic power. It considers that the concept of 'neo-feudalism' is appropriate to describe some recent social and cultural developments in post-Soviet Armenia. Religion has played a significant role in the formation of the post-Soviet nation-states as part of their national identity. The 'business' piety is a phenomenon common to all the countries of the post-Soviet space. T. Kollner considers them in the context of newly formed social norms and moral practices. Study of church construction practice among the Armenian businessmen or 'oligarchs' provides interesting points that might help us to a deeper understanding of the social dimensions of the religion-state and the religion-power relationships in the country. The process of construction and renovation of churches in Armenia was launched after the establishment of the independent Republic of Armenia in 1991.
