Media: Zaborol villagers cut ancient wooden church of OCU with chainsaws
The Church of the Conception of John the Baptist (OCU) in the village of Zaborol. Photo: Mykola Bendiuk's Facebook
In the village of Zaborol, Rivne region, local residents destroyed a church from the 18th century by cutting it down with chainsaws. This was reported by the head of the art cluster of the Ostroh Academy, Mykola Bendiuk on his social media page on May 20, 2025.
The church in question is a wooden church of the Conception of John the Baptist, built in 1762. As reported by the UOJ, the church was taken from the UOC many years ago and has recently belonged to the OCU.
According to Bendiuk, after the structure was cut down, the area was leveled with tractors. “On the leveled surface, there are fragments of skulls and human bones,” he reported, adding that this is a true 'burial' of history and culture.
At the moment, there is no official information from law enforcement or the Ministry of Culture regarding the reaction to the incident. The church in Zaborol, although it did not have the status of a national monument, represented an example of traditional wooden sacred architecture of Volhynia from the 18th century.
As reported by the UOJ, a prayer service was held at the site of the Tithe Monastery of the UOC on the anniversary of its demolition.
Read also
"Stigmatization based on faith": DESS reprimands TSN for story about Muslims
DESS criticized TSN because "the investigation in the "1+1" news story immediately took on an accusatory bias, and the accused themselves were not given a voice."
His Beatitude Onuphry: Through fasting, man returns to Paradise
On Forgiveness Sunday, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry reminded the faithful about Adam's fall and urged them to repent before Great Lent.
Archbishop of Greece speaks about his successor and the Church's future
On the occasion of the 18th anniversary of his leadership of the Greek Church, the Primate gave an interview in which he spoke about relations with the state, the situation in Sinai, and the challenges of the modern world.
In Barcelona, Sagrada Familia’s central tower completed after 144 years
In Barcelona, a glass cross was installed on the Sagrada Familia temple, completing the central tower and bringing the building to the height of 172.5 meters.
On Forgiveness Sunday, His Beatitude Onuphry celebrates Liturgy at Lavra
During Cheesefare Week, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry celebrated the Liturgy at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, addressed the flock with a sermon, and offered prayers for peace and the preservation of Ukraine's people.
In Hnidyn, St. Nicholas Church of UOC damaged by shelling
As a result of shelling, the St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in the village of Hnidyn of the Boryspil Eparchy was damaged.