Russian Drone Strike Destroys 300-Year-Old Wooden Cossack Church in Ukraine
On August 1 and 2, a drone attack from Russia led to the destruction of the Holy Vvedenska Church in Beryslav, situated in Ukraine's Kherson region. This 18th-century structure, built in 1725 from oak without nails, was the last example of wooden Cossack architecture and had been moved to Beryslav in 1784. Oleksandr Alchiev, who heads the Beryslav City Military Administration, highlighted its importance as a unique national landmark essential for the city's cultural heritage. The church is linked to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, historically connected to the Moscow Patriarchate. Despite some areas in Kherson being liberated, the region faces ongoing assaults. Meanwhile, a Lviv organization named Skeiron is collecting images to create a digital version of the church.
Key facts
- Russian drone strike destroyed the Holy Vvedenska (Presentation) Church in Beryslav, Kherson region, Ukraine.
- The church was built in 1725 from oak from the Perevolochna fortress of the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks.
- The church was constructed without a single nail and transported to Beryslav in 1784.
- It was the last remaining example of wooden Cossack architecture from the 18th century in Ukraine.
- Oleksandr Alchiev, head of the Beryslav City Military Administration, called it a unique architectural monument of national significance.
- The church is under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, historically affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate.
- Skeiron, a Lviv-based cultural heritage organization, appealed for images to create a 3D digital version.
- In April, a Russian drone strike destroyed the Dontsiv-Zakharzhevsky Manor in the Kharkiv region.
- The Kherson region is strategically located on the route to Crimea and has been under constant bombardment since liberation.
Entities
Institutions
- Beryslav City Military Administration
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church
- Orthodox Church of Ukraine
- Skeiron
- Moscow Patriarchate
Locations
- Beryslav
- Ukraine
- Kherson region
- Perevolochna fortress
- Dnipro River
- Lviv
- Kharkiv region
- Crimea