Russian forces destroy historic church in Sumy Oblast – photo
Russian forces have destroyed the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, a monument of national significance, in the village of Yunakivka in Sumy Oblast.
Source: Kordon.Media, a regional media outlet in Sumy Oblast
Details: The church, which appears on the Sumy district coat of arms, was built in 1806. Its construction took 13 years. It is an example of early Classicist architecture. The building was made of brick and decorated with columns. Four domes with round windows were placed around the central dome. A freestanding bell tower was also built.
The church is depicted in the Sumy district coat of arms, which was approved on 31 January 2001. The monument appears against a blue background – a colour typical of Cossack banners.
The church formerly belonged to the Sumy diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and it was once the centre of spiritual life in Yunakivka. However, it gradually began to deteriorate in the 2000s and 2010s and was in a semi-derelict condition.
Architect and activist Ihor Tytarenko told Kordon.Media that the monument had survived revolutions and the First and Second World Wars. The church had long been undergoing restoration. Up until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, services were held in the basement of the building, which was known as the "winter church".
Background: The church had already been damaged by Russian attacks in 2024.
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