On May 4–5, 2022, the name of the small city of Popasna in the Luhansk region was among the most popular queries on Google in many countries. The reason was that the city became one of the hotspots in Donbas during the full-scale Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The town of Popasna suffered the same fate as Mariupol, Sievierodonetsk, and other cities and villages where the Russian forces used scorched-earth tactics, destroying entire settlements along with their residents with aviation and artillery.
The stone St. Nicholas Church became a silent witness to these tragic events. The temple serves as a symbolic representation of Popasna’s turbulent past.
The construction of St. Nicholas Church began in 1907. Its bells rang out for the first time during the opening service on Easter in 1909. But in 1936, the temple was closed because the Soviet authorities began to impose a policy of state atheism. The Komsomol members, representatives of the communist youth union, removed two domes from the church, broke the bells, and burned church items and books. Until 1941, there was a grain warehouse and a stable.

With the beginning of World War II, Popasna came under Nazi occupation. In the spring of 1942, however, the Germans granted the request of the city’s mayor to resume church services. The second closure of St. Nicholas Church by Soviet authorities occurred in 1961, when it was converted into a club. Later, in the 1970s, the former church was transformed into the House of Pioneers, a creative space for children. A stage was installed in the place where the altar used to be.
Only at the end of 1989, shortly before the collapse of the USSR, did St. Nicholas Church gain a chance for a new life. Since that time, restoration work has been carried out here continuously with the help of donors and churchgoers. In 2003, the 20-metre bell tower was returned to the church, and the residents of Popasna finally heard the festive chime again.
In the summer of 2022, the city community was going to celebrate the 115th anniversary of the temple. Even at the beginning of February, most people didn’t know that most of them would have to leave their hometown with its ancient church. There are almost no buildings left intact in Popasna after two months of fierce fighting. The bells of St. Nicholas Church have fallen silent again.
The site that once held memories for many years is now turning into a memory itself.