Russians damage 120-year-old church in Kyiv

Russian forces have damaged the 120-year-old Holy Intercession Church in Kyiv's Priorka neighbourhood. It belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Source: Volodymyr Nakonechnyi, Head of Podilskyi District State Administration

Details: Nakonechnyi said the church's windows, domes and historic façade made of yellow Kyiv brick were damaged.

He noted that it is the oldest church in the Mostytskyi and Vynohradar neighbourhoods and was built in 1906.

"The enemy is not only targeting people and their homes. It is trying to destroy our historical and spiritual heritage," Nakonechnyi added.

The Holy Intercession Church is located at 2 Mostytska Street. It was built between 1902 and 1906 on the site of the Church of St Demetrius. It was designed by architect Yevhen Yermakov, while construction was completed under the supervision of architect Mykola Kazanskyi.

The building has survived with almost no alterations and has never been destroyed. It was closed only once, in 1938, when the church was shut down and converted into a vegetable warehouse. However, the church reopened in September 1941 and has not been closed since.

Many religious artefacts were lost after the closure. Only the iconostasis doors and an icon of the Archangel Michael survived. The current iconostasis was installed in 1944 through the efforts of the church's then priest, Tymofii Koval. The iconostasis was painted by Ukrainian artist Ivan Yizhakevych.

The main part of the church is approximately square in plan, and its central volume is crowned by five onion domes. The façades are decorated with arches, semi-columns, niches and other decorative elements.

Background:

• On the night of 23-24 September, Russia carried out another large-scale attack on Ukraine. Russian forces used almost 300 drones of various types, as well as ballistic and anti-ship missiles.
• Eight people were injured in Kyiv in the attack; at least two were taken to hospital in a serious condition, and two others were killed. Most of those injured were diagnosed with multiple trauma, blast and shrapnel wounds.

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