“Sobor” by Oles Honchar

The work is based on the real story of a unique eighteenth-century monument — a wooden Cossack church built by master craftsmen without a single iron nail. For Ukrainians, this structure symbolizes harmony with nature, bearing a deep affinity with traditional Japanese architecture.

However, during the Soviet era, the sanctuary came under threat. The communist authorities of the time, who rejected religion and tradition, planned to demolish the church in order to construct an industrial plant. For officials, the historic building was merely an “outdated object” that stood in the way of industrialization. This conflict between a soulless state machine and the living memory of a people became the central theme of the novel.

The story of defending the cathedral in Ukraine finds meaningful parallels in Japan’s own experience of preserving sacred lands. In the 1950s, plans to establish a military training ground near Mount Fuji on land considered sacred by local residents provoked a wave of public resistance. Just as the Japanese protected the peace of Fuji, Honchar’s characters stood in defense of their cultural roots.

The writer advanced the idea that the cathedral is, above all, an inner sanctuary within every individual. He argued that the destruction of architectural heritage inevitably leads to the moral decline of society. Because of this bold position, Soviet censorship banned the book for nearly two decades.

Today, in the context of russia’s full-scale invasion, ongoing since 2022, and the war that began in 2014, the struggle for the “cathedrals” of Ukrainian culture has become a reality. As of spring 2026, more than 1,723 cultural heritage sites and 2,524 infrastructure objects in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed. UNESCO data confirm damage to 526 verified sites, including 153 religious buildings and 39 museums, with direct losses exceeding 4 billion dollars.

The regions most affected include Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk, Odesa, and Kyiv. The resistance described by Honchar is now embodied in the actions of millions of people who preserve their identity under constant shelling. The protection of every church and museum today continues the writer’s mission — safeguarding the spiritual foundation without which the future of a nation is impossible.

The history of this novel demonstrates that true values endure any pressure, enabling a people to remain steadfast in their pursuit of freedom.