Rocket attack damages St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv: details and consequences
On December 20, another Russian missile strike on Kyiv damaged the Church of St. Nicholas, an architectural monument of national importance. The damage affected stained-glass windows, windows in the towers, and the church’s characteristic Gothic element, the round rose window.
Source: UP Life
The rector of the church, Father Pavlo Vyshkovsky, said that the blast wave smashed the glass in the towers of the church and damaged the stained glass windows, including a large round window above the entrance. Fortunately, the stucco molding of the church remained intact.
“Stained glass windows were blown out, the ‘rose’ – a large round window in the center – was damaged. Glass was also smashed on the towers. We gathered the faithful to clean up the aftermath of the shelling, but we are waiting for a commission from the Ministry of Culture to record the damage,” said Father Pavlo.
According to the rector, a representative of the House of Organ Music, which is the balance holder of the building, pointed out the need to wait for the commission’s inspection before starting any restoration work. Despite the damage, the faithful and priests are ready to organize Christmas Masses to demonstrate the strength of spirit and resilience of the community.
“We invite everyone to the Christmas Mass on December 24 and 25. This is our demonstration of invincibility. No one and nothing can steal Christmas from us,” emphasized the rector of the church.
History of the church
St. Nicholas Church is one of two Roman Catholic churches in Kyiv built before 1917. It was built in 1899-1909 in the Neo-Gothic style by the prominent architect Vladyslav Horodetskyi.
Since 2009, the church has been in a state of disrepair: parts of the facade are crumbling, which has been repeatedly pointed out by activists. In 2021, a fire broke out in the church, after which the Ministry of Culture promised to transfer the church to the community of believers. As of December 2024, the transfer has not taken place.
Despite all the challenges, the church community continues to fulfill its mission and maintain spiritual connection among the faithful, even in the difficult conditions of war.
