Temporary church of persecuted UOC community burns down in Telchi

Fire in the repurposed premises of the UOC parish in the village of Telchi. Photo: Volyn Eparchy

On the night of April 3, 2026, a fire broke out in the village of Telchi in Lutsk district at a temporary building where a persecuted community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had been holding services. As a result, the structure was partially destroyed, and the flames also damaged church property, according to the press service of the Volyn Eparchy.

According to the parish rector, Archpriest Vitaliy Ivankiv, the fire was first spotted by local teenagers, who alerted the priest and parishioners. Before emergency crews arrived, the faithful tried to save church property on their own – smashing windows and carrying items out of the flames.

The priest said the points of ignition were located outside the building, after which the fire quickly spread to the roof. At the same time, the interior of the premises, where services were held, sustained relatively minor damage. Two rescue crews who arrived at the scene not only extinguished the blaze but also helped carry out church utensils. Medics and police officers also joined the effort.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities, although several people suffered minor burns while rescuing property. Despite the extensive damage to the building, most of the church items were saved.

The UOC community has already found a new temporary premises and, in a very short time, prepared it so that liturgical life could continue. On the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Orthodox Christians were already praying there.

As the UOJ previously reported, supporters of the OCU seized the community’s Church of the Three Hierarchs on February 1, 2019, in the presence of police.

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