Ruins of a Christian church in Volhynia in evening mist

Educational cultural project

Restoring the memory of churches that no longer stand.

This project is dedicated to destroyed Christian churches of Lutsk and is based on the research of P. O. Tronevych, M. V. Khilko and B. T. Saichuk.

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About the Project

Every church was once a community gathered together

Over the past few centuries Lutsk has lost dozens of Orthodox churches, Catholic churches, chapels and synagogues. Some burned down in wars, others were dismantled for building material, and still others became flower beds, warehouses or gymnasiums.

We bring together already researched materials and new family testimonies in order to return these churches to the shared memory of Lutsk: pre-war postcards, insurance plans, parish registers, amateur photographs and oral testimony. Every site has a record in the register and a marker on the map.

The memory of a building lives as long as someone can still point to where it stood.

Interactive map

Interactive map of Lutsk

The map marks churches that no longer survive. Select a marker to open its temple record. Filters help you explore the available materials and confessional tradition.

Plan of the city of Lutsk with the lost Christian churches marked

Select a number to see the name of the church

Available materials

Confession

Select a marker on the map to see the temple record.

Church stories

Four fates from our archive

Four churches, four different traces in the memory of Lutsk.

Artistic reconstruction of the Cathedral Church of St John the Theologian after the research of M. V. Malevska

Cathedral Church of St John the Theologian

Built in the 1170s as the princely church of the Yaroslavych dynasty, it was already a cathedral by 1289. Oaths of Lutsk officials were sworn here, court sessions were held here and the acts of the castle chancery were kept here. After more than six centuries the church fell into decay and was dismantled in 1775–1776.

Source: P. O. Tronevych, M. V. Khilko, B. T. Saichuk, «Втрачені християнські храми Луцька», pp. 8–12.

Artistic reconstruction based on materials from the book.

Church of St Nicholas

A town church known from the mid-16th century, it stood beside the first town hall of Lutsk. This was a church of the urban community — built for the townspeople rather than for a prince or a monastery. After the fire of 1617 it was not rebuilt.

Source: «Втрачені християнські храми Луцька», pp. 18–20.

Artistic reconstruction based on the acts and iconographic materials in the book.

Church of the Transfiguration of the Krasnosilskyi (Chernytskyi) Saviour Monastery

The Saviour Monastery at Krasne Selo is documented from 1566. According to tradition and to the sources, it was here that the Lutsk Gospel was created — one of the most valuable manuscript monuments of Volhynia. The history of this small monastic church links Lutsk with the wider European culture of the book.

Source: «Втрачені християнські храми Луцька», p. 37.

Artistic reconstruction based on materials from the book.

Church and Convent of St Bridget

Founded in 1624, the convent of St Bridget was a place of education: a school for young noblewomen operated here. In 1642 the complex with its church was completed. In the 19th century the monastery was turned into a prison — the sacred space thus lost its original purpose, but did not disappear from the memory of the city.

Source: «Втрачені християнські храми Луцька», p. 47.

digitised materials from the book

lost churches in the register

The archive is open to family testimonies

markers on the historical map