An ancient church burnt to the ground in Rivne region.

A wooden church in the village of Vysotsk burned down in Rivne region

In Rivne region, in the village of Vysotsk, located on the border with Belarus, a fire occurred that completely destroyed a wooden church that had existed for almost 150 years. This was reported by the main department of the State Emergency Service in Rivne region.

Information about the fire was received at 5:04 a.m. Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters saw that the wooden temple was engulfed in flames.

«Everything indicated late detection and reporting of the fire» - stated the State Emergency Service.

Five units of firefighting equipment and 17 rescuers were involved in extinguishing the fire. However, the building and everything inside could not be saved. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are currently being determined.

Although the State Emergency Service does not name the church, based on the photos and videos published, it is clear that this is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the website 'Wooden Churches of Western Ukraine', this church was built in 1877 at the expense of the parishioners.

It is worth noting that in 2007, this church fell victim to theft. At that time, a silver altar cross, a brass chalice with a silver-plated bottom, and three icons were stolen from the church. Also, in May 2022, the parish transitioned from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

We also remind that in Chemery, Chernihiv region, the wooden St. Michael's church and its unique paintings were burned down, and in Kirovohrad region, another wooden church was engulfed in fire.