Russia-Ukraine War:
A top Ukrainian official has said Russian troops have destroyed 43 religious buildings in Donetsk since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war on February 24.
Most of these buildings belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. The head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, Pavlo Kirilenko, said in a social media statement on Sunday that “the All-Holy Skete (hermitage) of the Sviatohirsk Lavra (monastery) burned down as a result of the shelling.”
But it is not the first religious building destroyed by the Russians.
He said that there are three heritage monuments in Sviatohirsk itself, the Russians damaged the historical and architectural museum and destroyed the church, two monasteries and two cell buildings, killing four monks.
Russia destroys 43 religious buildings of Moscow Patriarchate
“In total, the Russians have already destroyed or damaged at least 43 religious buildings in the region, most of which belong to the Moscow Patriarchate,” Kirilenko said.
On Saturday, a fierce fire engulfed the All-Holy Skete of the Sviatohirsk Lavra of the Holy Dormition in Donetsk of the recent Holy Dormition in Donetsk. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate said it was “as a result of military operations,” according to a report by the Ukrainian Pravda.
Russian invasion has destroyed cultural centers of Ukraine
The Russian invasion destroyed cultural centers such as the Mariupol Museum and the Makarivska Public Library in Kiev, which contained unique art and literature. Historic buildings and monuments dedicated to Ukraine’s fight against Nazism in World War II, including the Drobitsky Yar Holocaust Memorial, were damaged.
Seven world heritage sites in Ukraine
Ukraine has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the entire historic city district of Lviv and the Struve Geodetic Arch. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the United Nations and UNESCO to expel Russia as a terrorist state for destroying historical monuments and social infrastructure in Ukraine.
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