Forgotten Shrine: Unique 18th-century Wooden Church in Vinnytsia Region Falling into Disrepair

In the village of Burkivtsi, Pohrebyshche district, Vinnytsia region, the wooden Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist is gradually deteriorating. The current structure was built around the mid-19th century on the site of a previous church that burned down in 1818. The first church in this location was mentioned as early as 1743. This was reported by the regional online outlet 20 Khvylyn Vinnytsia («20 Minutes Vinnytsia»).

The building is constructed in traditional folk wooden architecture: three log chambers, a separate bell tower, and decorative elements — some of which still remain. As of 2024, no restoration work is being carried out, and the church is in a state of neglect.

In 2018, Lesia Vovk, head of the NovoFastiv village council, stated that the church was planned to be restored using private funds, including from a German citizen with family ties to the village. No further information about the project has been reported.

According to Landmarks.in.ua, no repair or restoration work has been carried out since 2018. In January 2023, the site was visited by creators of the YouTube channel Khashchi, who documented its partially ruined condition. Some fragments of frescoes remain inside.

Local residents confirmed that there had been plans to dismantle the church. According to them, the building once served several neighboring villages and had two choirs. The village population has significantly declined, making it difficult to maintain the structure.

Currently, there is no information about plans to preserve or restore the site.

It is also worth noting that Oleksandr Smerechynskyi, a «chaplain» of the Ukrainian Navy and a representative of the UGCC, made a number of critical remarks about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In particular, he questioned the Church’s presence in Odesa and the status of the Transfiguration Cathedral, stating: “This is not a shrine of Odesa — it is a shrine of a separate Church.”