In Transcarpathia, a unique wooden church of the UOC of the XVII century burned down

On the night of January 7, 2026, a tragic fire occurred in the village of Ivashkovitsa, Khust district, Transcarpathian region, destroying the unique wooden church of St. Michael the Archangel, built in 1658. This temple of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the XVII century represented one of the few surviving small wooden shrines of the region, and its loss is considered as a significant blow to the sacral heritage of the region. This was reported on Facebook by the scholar and researcher of Transcarpathian antiquity Mikhail Markovich.

According to Mykhailo Markovych, the fire completely destroyed a three-brick structure, which, according to the inscription on the doorjamb, dated back to 1658. Markovich also noted that in the mid-1990s the appearance of the temple was changed: it was covered with metal tin and covered with spruce parquet, which, according to the researcher, significantly affected its original appearance, but did not diminish its historical value.

The fire was first noticed by the priest of the church, Archpriest Stepan Savke, who was preparing for the evening service. Finding smoke under the dome of the church, he went outside and saw that the building was already engulfed in flames. The clergyman immediately called the fire department and before their arrival began to save the church property. Local residents rushed to his aid, using improvised means to try to contain the fire. However, due to the wooden structures, the flames spread rapidly.

The Department of the State Emergency Service of Zakarpattya region confirmed that 16 rescuers and 4 units of special equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire. The fire, the area of which was about 80 square meters, was localized in 16 minutes, and completely eliminated — by 02:33. As a result of the elements was destroyed part of the roof, furniture, iconostasis and other church utensils. It is important to note that the rescuers managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the nearby bell tower, which survived.

We shall remind you that in the evening of December 30, 2025 in the village of Nichogivka, Lutsk district, a tragedy occurred: a temporary prayer room was completely burned down, where for almost seven years the congregation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, whose temple had previously been seized by supporters of the OCU, had gathered. The fire destroyed the entire structure, the church furnishings, and everything that the faithful had set up for worship services. This loss is especially bitter as it occurred just days before the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, leaving the community without a place to pray.