On Troitska Street in Sumy stands a small red-brick Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary — a neo-Gothic temple with a high pediment, pointed windows, and a rose window above the entrance. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century for Catholics working in Sumy, on land donated by sugar factory owner Pavlo Kharitonenko.
Kharitonenko’s Gift
In the 1890s, Pavlo Kharitonenko donated a plot of land to Germans and other foreign Catholics who were then developing Sumy, and helped with money for the construction of the church. They received permission from the zemstvo in 1900, began building in 1901, but due to lack of funds only completed it ten years later. The church was consecrated by the Mogilev bishop Yan Tsiplyak and became a branch of the Kharkiv Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Neo-Gothic in Sumy
The temple is built of red brick and faces the street with its high roof gable. The side facades are divided by pilasters and pointed windows, with a rose window above the central portal. The portal resembles medieval ones: on the high pediment is a pointed arch. Since the 1910s, carved doors with metal grilles have been preserved. The interior is restrained — only graceful pilasters between the windows.
Museum, Gym, and Church Again
Under Soviet rule, the church was closed. During the German occupation, it was briefly reopened, but after the return of Soviet troops it was closed again. From 1945 to 1953 it housed the regional local history museum, then a gym for the pedagogical institute, and since 1972 — a school gym. In May 1994, the church was returned to the faithful, and in 1998 it was reconsecrated. Services are now held here in Ukrainian and English, and the church operates a Catholic exhibition center.
How to Get There
Address: Sumy, Troitska Street, 6 — in the city center, near the Trinity Cathedral.
What to Keep in Mind
Sumy regularly suffers drone and missile strikes. Before traveling, check the security situation and restrictions of the Sumy Regional Military Administration.
