On the northeastern outskirts of Hlukhiv, amidst the old Voznesenskyi Cemetery known since the 18th century, stands the Church of the Ascension. It was built in 1767 by a guild of folk masters under the supervision of architect Andrii Kvasov. Researchers call the church a unique example of an archaic type of religious structure, the only one on Left-Bank Ukraine. Since 1988, it has been an architectural monument of local significance.
Three-part temple beneath later extensions
Initially, the church was three-part and single-domed — the traditional layout of a Ukrainian church translated into brick. Following a fire in 1784, the dome was rebuilt and a narthex was added to the north; in 1811, a southern narthex was added, along with a deacon's vestry and a sacristy on either side of the altar. In the 1820s, a bell tower appeared on the west side.
The church was most altered by the 1866 reconstruction designed by Hlukhiv architect Oleksandr Gross. At that time, wide semicircular arches were punched through the walls of the original sections, and the triangular pendentives supporting the original dome were cut down to half their height. Today, the original three-part volume is completely hidden behind later extensions.
What it looks like today
The church is rectangular in plan, three-nave, without a protruding apse. The western facade is adorned with a porch-portico featuring paired Tuscan columns beneath a triangular pediment. Rising above it is a two-tier bell tower of an «octagram on a quadrangle» design with a faceted dome and spire: the quadrangle features arched openings for bells, while the octagram has round ones. The church had three altars: of the Ascension of the Lord, the Dormition of the Mother of God, and Saint Theodosius of Chernihiv.
The parish in the early 20th century
In 1895, a parish school was opened at the church, where about 70 boys studied; it was maintained by the Synod and the district department. The parish owned 110 hectares of land and a brickyard outside the town. Surrounding the church is the old municipal necropolis, where many residents of Hlukhiv from the 18th and 19th centuries are buried.
How to get there
The church is located at the Voznesenskyi Cemetery on the northeastern outskirts of Hlukhiv. Combine your trip with the churches in the center: St. Nicholas, Three Anastasias, and Spaso-Preobrazhenska churches, as well as the local history museum.
What to consider
Hlukhiv lies approximately 15 km from the border with Russia and regularly suffers from shelling. Before your trip, check the security situation and the restrictions imposed by the Sumy Oblast Military Administration.
