The hermitage of Svyatogorskaya Lavra in Donetsk region was robbed and desecrated

On the night of January 25, 2026, in the village of Bogorodichne, Kramatorsk district, Donetsk region, there was a daring robbery and desecration of the Skorbyashchensk Skete of the Assumption Sviatogorsk Lavra, dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God «Joy of All Who Sorrow». The intruders took out of the church valuable church supplies, including eight bells and Gospels, and caused significant damage and vandalism.

According to the press service of the monastery, to penetrate the territory of the hermitage, the criminals cut the locks off the gates and broke down the doors to the lower and upper aisles of the temple. At the scene were found traces from the wheels of a truck and numerous human footprints, indicating the participation of a group of people in the raid.

The bells were a particular target of the robbers. A wrought iron grate was dropped from the belfry, after which the intruders stole eight of the ten bells. The largest bell, weighing 1.3 tons, had its tongue torn off, and the second largest bell (600 kg) was thrown to the floor. The other smaller bells were lowered down the stairs and taken out through the church, while the tongues of all the stolen bells were torn off and left lying on the floor of the belfry.

In addition to the bells, four candlesticks were stolen from the lower aisle of the church. From the altar the robbers took out the Gospels, the Gospel and the Requiem Gospels, altar lamps, candlesticks, a seven candlestick, a crucifix and a brass lectern. Not limiting themselves to theft, the perpetrators scattered the remaining church objects and broke the lamps, which is evidence of vandalism and desecration.

The perpetrators also broke open the donation box. The brethren of the Lavra, who arrived at the scene, filed a statement to the police on the fact of the incident.

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