Kyiv’s Historic St. Nicholas Cathedral, Over 100 Years Old, Damaged in Russian Missile Strike

A Russian missile strike on Kyiv caused significant damage to the historic St. Nicholas Cathedral, located in the city center, according to the Kyiv City Administration on December 20.

The blast wave damaged the cathedral’s stained glass facade and left debris marks on its walls.

Nearby structures also sustained damage. The administrative building of the National House of Music had its windows broken, while the Toronto Business Center suffered severe damage to its facade, windows, and roof.

The St. Nicholas Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church, is an iconic Kyiv landmark.

Built between 1899 and 1909 in the Neo-Gothic style, it was designed by Ukrainian-Polish architect Władysław Horodecki and based on a project by S. V. Valovsky.

In the past, the church was closed and looted by the Soviet authorities around 1933, the clergy were subjected to repression.

The last time the building was under fire was in 1943, during World War II when the church was badly damaged by artillery shelling and burned.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Russia killed at least 50 priests and destroyed 700 churches with missiles and bombs.