Wooden churches of Ukraine are important not only for believers:  they are distinctive elements of the rural landscape and help preserve authentic elements in the era of modernization and technologies.

The church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Viazivka village of Zhytomyrska oblast at the Center-North of Ukraine was among those precious buildings, dating back to 1862. The landmark was under protection by the Ukrainian state and attracted travelers to stop and step in. For prayer or out of ethnographic curiosity to discover the ancient handmade wooden altar.

After March 7th 2022, when Russian troops fired upon the building, only the bell tower of the church remained standing. For whom its bells toll?

Since the beginning of Russia’s war on Ukraine, many human lives were lost or wrecked. Cultural and religious heritage also became victims of this cruel invasion into an independent country that highly respects freedom of religious beliefs.

Join our campaign on social media: share evidence of Russian war crimes related to cultural heritage destruction in Ukraine and stories of protecting Ukrainian culture. #ARTvsWAR #StandWithUkraine