In Rovzhi, Kyiv region, UOC church burned down, parishioners suspect arson

A burned Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Rovzhi. Photo: Facebook

On January 25, 2026, a fire occurred at night in the dacha community "Druzhba" in the village of Rovzhi, Vyshhorod district, Kyiv region, as a result of which the church in honor of the Nativity of John the Baptist of the Boryspil Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was completely burned down, reports the rector of the church, Archpriest Volodymyr (Denysenko) on Facebook.

By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had already completely engulfed the wooden building. It was not possible to save the church and the property inside it – the structure and all interior elements were destroyed by fire. Official causes of the fire have not yet been announced, however, parishioners and the rector do not exclude the possibility of deliberate arson.

The burned church was built by the efforts of the rector Archpriest Volodymyr (Denysenko) and parishioners with their own funds and for many years remained the spiritual center of the local community. Here they regularly held divine services on Sundays and feast days, provided assistance to those in need, displaced persons and low-income families. According to local residents, on the morning of the same day, Divine Liturgy was still being held in the church.

Commenting on what happened, the rector of the church wrote on his Facebook page: "This is truly a nightmare. It's hard to even imagine how a person can raise their hand to such a thing – consciously burn down a church, a place of prayer, hope, silence and the presence of God. In this case, there are doubts that this was not arson. But in Novoselki of Vyshhorod district and in other regions of Ukraine, churches were set on fire. Unfortunately, this was done by those who openly wore vyshyvankas and patriotically, loudly expressed their love for the country."

Currently, the rector and parishioners are appealing to believers for prayer support and assistance in restoring the liturgical life of the community. For these purposes, a fundraising campaign has been launched for the construction of a new church.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that a UOC church burned down in Zarichne, Dnipropetrovsk region.

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