Historic UOC church destroyed in shelling of frontline village of Horsk

Burned-out St. Nicholas Church in the village of Horsk. Photo: Chernihiv Eparchy

On August 26, 2026, shelling of the frontline village of Horsk in the Chernihiv region caused a fire at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s St. Nicholas Church. The pre-revolutionary wooden building was completely destroyed by the blaze, the Chernihiv Eparchy press service reported.

The church’s history is connected with the future Hieromartyr Feoktist Smelnytskyi, who initiated its construction in the early 20th century. The two-domed wooden church was built between 1908 and 1911. It was intended to be dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. Theodosiy of Chernihiv.

In the 1930s, the Soviet authorities closed the church, converting it into a school and club. Services resumed during World War II and continued without interruption thereafter. In the 1960s, parishioners defended their shrine and prevented it from being shut down. During the Soviet period, residents of 11 surrounding villages came there to pray.

Over its 115-year history, the church survived revolution, persecution, wars, and Soviet repression. On August 26, 2026, the historic shrine was destroyed by fire as a result of shelling.

As the UOJ reported, on the night of August 12, 2026, the UOC Church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki in the village of Pamiatne was damaged when a drone fell and exploded during a Russian air attack on the Chernihiv region.

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