OCU to build a symbol-temple of war and dignity near the RF border

The project of the military church of the OCU in Kharkiv. Photo: stgeorge.com.ua

In Kharkiv, on the territory of the Eastern operational-territorial association of the National Guard of Ukraine, with the "blessing" of the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko, the construction of the "main military temple of Ukraine" has been commenced, which will have the status of "stavropegia", according to the project website.

“The Ukrainian temple – closest to the state border with the Russian Federation (35 km) and located on the military premises – is an architectural symbol of our history, war and dignity, and another parish of the OCU in Kharkiv with the stavropegic status, which is directly subordinate to ‘metropolitan’ Epiphany,” the message says.

The temple is planned to be erected by October 14, 202 – on the Day of Male and Female Defenders of Ukraine. Deputy Head of the National Guard of Ukraine Lieutenant General Yuriy Lebed said that it is important to provide the guardsmen with "the possibility of psychological relief, communication with military chaplains, and meeting religious needs." Lebed is also confident that the temple will become "a symbol of our military prowess."

According to the project, the lower tier of the structure should look like a checkpoint and symbolize the war. It will be equipped with an installation made of cartridges collected in the combat zone. The area around the temple will be surrounded by a circular bench made of planks brought from the ATO.

St. George the Victorious, in whose honor the temple will be built, is depicted on the logo of the project in the Greek-Ukrainian tradition, which is different from the features of the saint’s image in the Russian Orthodox Church.

As the UOJ previously reported, an attempt was made to seize the church of the UOC by OCU activists in the Vinnytsia region.

Read also

Interview with His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas, First Hierarch of ROCOR

The Southern Clergy Retreat and the Growth of Orthodoxy in the South

Christian Orthodox Coalition Calls for Action Amid Syrian Crisis

March 19, 2025 – The Christian Orthodox Coalition in the United States has issued a powerful statement condemning the ongoing persecution of Orthodox Christians in war-torn Syria.