SACRED ARCHITECTURE OF LUHANSK REGION IN THE CONDITIONS OF RUSSIAN MILITARY EXPANSION (2022): LOSSES AND RESTORATION POTENTIAL

Abstract

The sacred architecture of Luhansk Oblast is a pearl of the region, an integral part of the national and world cultural heritage, an element of national security. The work is aimed at the examining the sacred architecture of Luhanshchyna in the conditions of a full-scale Russian military expansion in a historical and cultural dimensions. The methodological basis of the article includes the philosophy and history of culture, historical and cultural approaches. The scientific novelty of the study consists of the fact that it reveals the current, little-investigated problem of the sacred architecture of the Luhansk region in the conditions of Russian military expansion, its losses and the restoration potential. Conclusions. It has been ascertained after the results of the study that the sacred architecture of Luhansk Oblast affects irreparable losses because of a full-scale Russian military expansion. Fifty-four church buildings suffered from enemy shelling during the spring-summer of 2022 have been detected in Luhansk Oblast. The largest number of losses is localized in the Siverskodonetsk district. Among the affected objects 19 are completely destroyed or severely damaged. Currently, 9 church buildings are architectural monuments of the local importance.At the same time, 2 temples, the Second St. Mytrofan Church in the city of Lysychansk and the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Popasna, have historical and architectural value, but are not on the government accounting as well as the preservation order is absent. These facts make the problem of identifying cultural heritage sites those have value and assigning them a protected status relevant in the all-Ukrainian dimension. Most of the damaged churches have the potential for restoration, but it depends primarily on the region de-occupation. Currently, monitoring the condition of the specified buildings and reporting information about these Russian crimes against the international community are considered as the fundamental tasks of the state. The problem has prospects for the further research after the materials from the other regions of Ukraine.