Arson of an Orthodox Church in Ukraine
January 5, 2016. Unidentified people attempted to set on fire the church of St. Petro Mohyla of the Second Shevchenko Deanery of Kiev (Ukraine) as the information department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) reports. The residents of neighbouring apartment houses interfered immediately and the fire was put out before the arrival of the fire-fighters.
According to the church rector, archpriest Ioann Tronko, at about 2 AM the culprits set fire to the north wall of the church sanctuary from outside using incendiaries. Because of the arson, the church façade was damaged, but the fire was not spread inside the temple.
“The church was set on fire in a place that would not be noticed until later. Only by the mercy of God the blaze was not spread further in the church, because the people called the fire service in time” the priest commented.
The Construction of this church was begun on the 12th of September 2007. In June 2008 His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All the Ukraine (Sabodan; 1935-2014) consecrated it in honour of the Holy Hierarch Petro Mohyla (Peter Mogila) and the Icon of the Mother of God “Softener of Evil Hearts”.
Photo documents from the information department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
