A unique church in Yunakovka—yet another victim of the war
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Yunakovka, in the Sumy region, was considered the finest example of ecclesiastical Classicism in all of Ukraine, and it was destroyed as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God in Yunakovka
Construction of the church was completed in 1806, and historians consider Prince and Chamberlain Mikhail Golitsyn to have been its organizer and financier.
The church is classified as an example of early Classicism in church architecture. It was a massive, multi-story building featuring a dome, columned porticos, a complex system of vaults, decorative stucco work on the exterior, and rich interior decoration.
The History of the Church of the Most Holy Mother of God
For more than two hundred years, the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God remained in good condition. It weathered the upheavals of the 1917 Revolution, during which religious services were alternately resumed and suspended.
The building also weathered World War II without serious damage. During the period of independent Ukraine, reconstruction began here (though it lasted several decades), yet nothing threatened the shrine’s survival.
In 2006, the church became a symbol of the Sumy District. By a decision of local deputies, it was depicted on the district’s coat of arms.
During the restoration, services were held in the basement, in the so-called Winter Church.
The Destruction of the Church of the Most Holy Mother of God in Yunakovka
During the Russian-Ukrainian war, Yunakovka found itself at the center of the fighting, as it is a border area in the Sumy region. The Ukrainian army’s route runs through here, and the roads are under fire. Over the course of two years (from 2024 to 2026), the church was repeatedly struck by unguided shells and guided aerial bombs. The destruction began as early as 2024, and by early June 2026, the architectural landmark was completely lost.
It is highly likely that the attack on the church was targeted.
And in Yunakovka itself, not a single building remained intact.
