Horlivka, February 2, 2015
On the night of January 26/27 the Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Luganskoye village of the Artemivsk district of the Donetsk region was shelled with the “Grad” (“hailstones”) missile launchers. The shell fell right in front of the church. The church front and windows were damaged and the vestry partly damaged: its roof was torn off and doors were broken. During the shelling there were no people on the territory of the church.
The combat operations in Luganskoye which is situated near the town of Svetlodarsk have been occurring already for a week. In spite of this, Sunday Liturgies are still celebrated at the church, reports the Horlivka and Sloviansk Diocese’s website.
The ancient Church of Holy Protection, built in 1811, is the largest church building in the area. Its height together with the cross is 36 meters (118 feet). Up to the 18 meters (59 feet) height the church is slate-covered. The ancient wooden dome on the top of the church still exists. The church was constructed by the craftsmen and masters so skillfully that from the time of its foundation until the 2000s it did not need any repairs. This temple with fine architecture survived the Great Patriotic War.
