Russians damage historic church in Sumy Oblast – photos
Russian attacks have damaged the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in the village of Yunakivka, a monument of national significance and one of the most notable architectural structures in Sumy Oblast.
Source: Orthodox Sumy Oblast, the website of the Sumy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia
Details: Volodymyr Bykov, the chief architect of Sumy Oblast, has published photographs of the damage which show that the wooden scaffolding around the building has burned down and one of the domes is broken. Moreover, the bell tower and the tops of the nearby towers have crumbled.
The church still belongs to the Sumy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). The church was once the centre of spiritual life in Yunakivka. However, from the 2000s to the 2010s, it gradually began to deteriorate and was in a semi-dangerous state of disrepair.
The church looked like this before the Russian attack.
For reference: Built in 1806, the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God is an example of early classical architecture.
The church was built of brick and decorated with columns. Four domes with round windows surround the central dome, and a freestanding bell tower was also built.
The church features in the Sumy district's coat of arms, approved on 31 January 2001. The building is depicted against a blue background – a colour typical of Cossack flags.
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