The Resurrection Cathedral is the oldest masonry structure in Sumy and a masterpiece of Cossack baroque. It was consecrated in 1702 at the expense of the first Sumy colonels, Herasym and Andriy Kondratiev. The three-bay, three-dome, two-tier church once also served as a fortress: its walls are up to one and a half meters thick, and underground passages led from the basement to the Psel River. Today, it is the cathedral church of the Sumy Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The Kondratiev Fortress Church
The church was erected in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and 1702 is considered the year of its construction. It became the first stone building in Sumy and the ancestral burial vault of the Kondratievs. The church belongs to a particularly valuable type that combines the techniques of wooden and stone Ukrainian architecture. It has two tiers: the lower, heated church was consecrated in honor of Andrew the First-Called, the heavenly patron of Andriy Kondratiev, and the upper one in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. Deeply recessed windows and thick walls remind visitors that until the late 18th century, the church also served defensive functions.
The original bell tower was tent-roofed and adjoined the church. The present separate neo-baroque bell tower was built in 1906.
The Legend of the Colonel's Sister
According to legend, the city's founder, Herasym Kondratiev, had a sister named Mariia with a fierce temper. When Sumy suffered from bandits, the gang was finally caught, and its leader turned out to be Mariia. At a family council, the colonel made a harsh decision: to wall his sister up inside the church walls. During later investigations, passages to the Psel and the remains of a female body were indeed found within the walls and dungeons.
Soviet Times and the Present
Under the Soviet regime, the church served as warehouses, followed by the decorative and applied arts department of the art museum. In the 1970s, the church was restored, acquiring its modern appearance. In 1991, the dilapidated church was handed over to the community of the Kyiv Patriarchate — it was the only historical church in Sumy returned to believers at that time. In 2002, the city celebrated the cathedral's 300th anniversary.
On September 11, 2025, during the liturgy, a Russian drone hit the building of the cathedral, which is an architectural monument of national significance. Fortunately, no one was killed.
How to Get There
Address: Sumy, Nezalezhnosti Square, 19 — the historic city center. Nearby are the Transfiguration Cathedral and the Regional Museum of Local Lore.
What to Consider
Sumy lies about 30 km from the border with Russia and regularly suffers from drone and missile strikes. Before your trip, check the security situation and restrictions of the Sumy RMA, monitor air raid alerts, and know where the nearest shelter is.
