During a Russian missile strike on Kyiv on Friday, December 20, a nationally significant architectural monument, St. Nicholas Church, was damaged.
According to the rector of the church, Fr Pavlo Vyshkovsky, the windows in the church's towers were blown out and the stained glass windows were damaged, UP.Kultura reports.
“[The] 'Rose' is damaged, that is, the largest flower in the center [a large decorated circular window above the entrance, which is a traditional element of Gothic churches - UP.Kultura]. No stucco molding was damaged; only stained glass windows were shattered, windows on the towers, too,” said Fr Pavlo.
Photo: St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv damaged as a result of the attack (facebook.com/uiir.org)
According to Fr Pavlo, believers have gathered in the church, ready to clean up the aftermath of the attack. They are waiting for a commission from the Ministry of Culture to record all the damage.
Fr Pavlo noted that the representative of the House of Organ Music, as the balance holder of the church building, told them not to touch anything before the commission's work.
“We have been waiting for the commission from the Ministry of Culture since the morning, but so far, they haven't arrived. We cannot do anything on our own. And we need to close the church, at least to some extent, because of the cold. But for now, we must wait,” added the rector of the church.
Later, it was reported that despite the damage, the church invites everyone to the Christmas Mass on December 24 and 25. “This will be a demonstration of our invincibility, for no one and nothing can steal Christmas from us,” said Fr Pavlo.
St. Nicholas Church is one of two Roman Catholic churches in Kyiv built before 1917. It was erected in 1899-1909 in the Neo-Gothic style by Kyiv architect Vladyslav Horodetskyi.
Since 2009, the church building has been in disrepair. Activists have repeatedly noted that parts of the facade are falling off.
In 2021, a fire broke out in the church. After the incident, the Ministry of Culture promised to transfer the church to the community of believers, but as of December 2024, this has not happened.