Iconic Church of St. Nicholas Damaged in Kyiv Missile Strike
Though there will be international outrage that the church suffered additional damage, it is now likely that Putin will spin the narrative, much as he has done in the past.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has often cast himself as the defender of the Orthodox faith, and he even allowed the church to regain a level of prominence in Russia not seen since before the revolution. Yet, the reality may be that since taking power a quarter century ago, Putin has simply exploited his religious connections to the Orthodox Church for his own political gain.
That would seem to be the case on Friday, as the Church of St. Nicholas in Kyiv—a national architectural monument—was damaged in the most recent Russian missile strike. The windows in the church's iconic twin towers were shattered, while other stained glass windows suffered damage.
"The rose window has been damaged, that is, the largest flower in the centre [meaning the large circular window above the entrance, a traditional feature of Gothic churches]. No plasterwork was harmed, only the stained-glass windows were shattered. The windows in the towers were also smashed," Father Pavlo Vyshkovskyi, parish priest of the Church Nicholas, told UP.Kultra per Ukraine's Pravda news outlet.
Ukraine's Ministry of Culture has yet to assess the damage, but images and videos posted on social media highlighted the aftermath of the missile strike directed at the heart of Kyiv.
Another Symbol of Resistance
The Church of St. Nicholas, known for its Gothic architecture, is the second oldest Catholic church in the Ukrainian capital. Constructed by the Latin Catholic community at the turn of the twentieth century, it was severely damaged in a September 2021 fire that destroyed its organ and damaged the interior.
Repairs began before Russia launched its unprovoked invasion in February 2022 and have continued even as Kyiv has come under missile and drone attacks.
Despite the recent attack, it was announced on Facebook that a Christmas Mass is still planned for December 24 and 25.
Putin Cast Himself as a Defender of the True Faith
Though there will likely be international outrage that the church suffered additional damage, it is now likely that Putin will spin the narrative, much as he has done in the past.
"This is another attack on the civilian population of Ukraine, there's no military reason to do this, and it should be considered a war crime," suggested Matthew Schmidt, associate professor of homeland security, international affairs, national security, and political science at the University of New Haven.
Russians may see it differently, and that may be the point.
"Ukraine is a multi-confessional country in a way that Russia is not, and Russian chauvinism is a heavy part of Putin's ideology," Schmidt told The National Interest. "Putin views Jews, Ukrainian Catholics, and even those who follow the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and not the Russian Orthodox as pawns of the West and as threats to the true church, which is the patriarchy in Moscow."
A New War of Religion?
Around 85 percent of Ukrainians identified as Christian, with 72 percent even identifying as Eastern Orthodox, yet, the country is also home to Muslims, Jews, and many other religions. Its western region is also far more religious, as opposed to its south and east.
That is where Putin's claims of defending the faith have also been part of his justification for launching the so-called "special military operation."
"This is part of the idea that 'neo-Nazis' have purportedly oppressed the Russian Orthodox population in the east, which Putin had called the 'New Russia' at the start of the war," explained Schmidt. "Putin has claimed that it is also part of protecting the holy Orthodox population of the so-called New Russia against a regime in Kyiv that is Catholic, that is Jewish and that simply isn't Russian – and falsely claiming that the true faith is being persecuted in Eastern Ukraine."
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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