The article examines the influence of religion on social capital formation in Russia. The study suggests that active involvement of the parishes in the organization of social work, based on the principles of delegation of power and authority from priests to the laity, increases the parish social networks, attaching more lay people to it, including those who are «unchurched». The data for the article come from the research projects conducted in 2011 – 2013 at the «Sociology of Religion» Research Seminar, St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University: a mass survey of parishioners of 12 Russian Orthodox Church parishes, located in different types of settlement and in different regions of Russia (the total sample size is 985 respondents); in-depth interviews with parishioners and priests at

15 Russian Orthodox Church parishes (153 interviews altogether); and the first wave of a nationwide survey «OrthodoxMonitor» (national representative sample of 1500 respondents).