Russians damage ancient church in Sumy Oblast – photos
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a national monument and one of the main architectural structures of Sumy Oblast, was damaged in the village of Yunakivka.
Source: Orthodox Sumy Oblast of the Sumy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia
Details: Volodymyr Bykov, the chief architect of Sumy Oblast, published photos of the church's destruction. These photos 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 towers nearby crumbled.
Until now, the church belonged to the Sumy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). Previously, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was the centre of spiritual life in Yunakivka. However, from the 2000s to the 2010s, it gradually began to deteriorate and was in a semi-emergency state.
The church looked like this before the Russian attack.
For reference:
The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built in 1806. It is an example of early classicist architecture.
The church was built of brick and decorated with columns. Four domes with round windows surround the central dome, and a bell tower was also built separately.
The church is pictured on the Sumy district's coat of arms; the symbol was approved on 31 January 2001. The building is depicted on a blue background, a colour typical of Cossack flags.
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