The article considers such a historical and fortification phenomenon as church defense
complexes. Their existence dates back to the late Middle Ages and Early Modern Times. This type of
fortified structures was spread on the territory of such modern countries as the Republic of Poland,
the Czech Republic, the Republic of Belarus, and Romania. Ukraine is no exception.
The question of the existence of church defense complexes or defense churches was considered
by Ukrainian historiography during the 20th century exclusively on the territory of the Western
Ukrainian and part of the Right Bank of Ukraine. However, the question arises whether such
complexes existed on the Left Bank of Ukraine including Chernihiv region? The problem with the
allocating of this type of fortifications in Chernihiv region is problematic due to the fact that they
were wooden. Today there are almost no traces of them left on the earth's surface. These complexes
can be studied only by a small number of written sources, as well as archaeological remains.
Therefore, by the beginning of the 21st century they did not come in a view of researchers. A brief
review of the above issues in this article allowed us to make some conclusions. The article gives an
example of 7 complexes that could be classified as defensive. These are primarily churches in such
settlements as Stolne, Loknyste, Veresoch, Kladkivka, Pechi, Olenivka and Saltykova Divytsia. In
general, these were architectural ensembles consisting of a wooden fence or a stockade, the church
sometimes with the bell tower. The bell tower also simultaneously served as an observation and signal
point, defensive tower. Such defensive churches were not stationary fortresses. They served as
temporary fortifications in case of sudden Tatar attacks. Тhe military and political situation in the
Left Bank of Ukraine stabilized at the beginning of the 18th century. Due to that fact church defensive
functions gradually disappear with its fortification elements.
Bogdanowski, J., 1996. Architektura obronna w krajobrazie Polski. Od bisupina do Westerplatte.
Warszawa-Krakow: Wydawnictwe PWN.
Chanturiya, V., 1969. Istoriya arkhitektury Belorussii. Minsk: Vyshei.shkola.
Čechura М., 2000. Opevněné kostely v Čechách. Hláska. Roč. 11.C.2. S. 17–21.
Akty otnosyashchiesya k istorii Yuzhnoi i Zapodnoi Rossii, 1878. Tom desyatyi (dopolnenie k ІІІ tomu).
Sankt-Peterburg: Tipografiya brat. Panteleevykh.
Bondar, O., 2015. Zamky i fortetsi Chernihovo-Sivershchyny XV-XVIII ct.: iliustrovanyi dovidnyk. Kyiv:
Vydavnytstvo O. Filiuka.
Bondar, O., Volkov, M., Kondratiev, I., 2015. Nevidomyi maliunok Liubecha 1651 r. Siverianskyi
litopys. № 4. S. 44-56.
Vecherskyi V., 2005. Pamiatky arkhitektury y mistobuduvannia Livoberezhnoi Ukrainy. Vyiavlennia
doslidzhennia i fiksatsiia. Kyiv: Vydavnychyi dim A.S.S.
Gryuneveg, M., 2013. Zapiski o torgovoi poezdke v Moskvu v 1584–1585 gg. Moskva: Pamyatniki
istoricheskoi mysli.
Dereviani tserkvy v Ukraini. Toronto: Mystetska biblioteka «My i svit».
Entsyklopediia istorii Ukrainy: u 10 tomakh, 2012. Tom 10. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka.
Zhelezko, R., 2018. Ukrainsko-moskovska viina 1668 r. v Nizhyni: prychyny, perebih ta naslidky.
Literatura ta kultura Polissia. №92. Seriia «Istorychni nauky». №10. S. 83-96.
Istoriko-statisticheskoe opisanie Chernigovskoi eparkhii, 1873. Kniga 5. Chernigov: tipografiya G.I.
Shapiry.
Istoriia Ukrainskoi arkhitektury, 2003. Kyiv: “Tekhnika”.
Kresal'nyi, N., 1980. Russkaya i ukrainskaya arkhitektura XIV–XVII st. Uchebnoe posobie. Kiev: KISI.
Kulakovskyi, P., 2006. Chernihovo-Sivershchyna u skladi Rechi Pospolytoi (1618-1648): naukove
vydannia. Kyiv: Tempora.
Narodna arkhitektura Ukrainskykh Karpat XV-ХХ st., 1987. Kyiv: Naukova dumka.
Sichynskyi, V., 1993. Ukrainska arkhitektura. Ukrainska kultura. Kyiv: “Lybid”. S. 241-273
Stan'kova, Ya., Pekhar, I., 1987. Tysyacheletnee razvitie arkhitektury Moskva: Stroiizdat.
Taranushenko, S., 2017. Dereviana monumentalna arkhitektura Livoberezhnoi Ukrainy. Povna
redaktsiia. Kharkiv: Vydavets Oleksandr Savchuk.
Taras., Ya., 2019. Sporudy dlia dzvoniv u sakralnii arkhitekturi Ukrainy. Visnyk Natsionalnoho
universytetu “Lvivska politekhnika”. Seriia: Arkhitektura. 2019. Tom 1. Vypusk 1. S.20-60.
Chepelyk, V., 2013. Besidy pro ukrainsku arkhitekturu. Kyiv: Feniks
Shekun., A., 1992. Otchet. Arkheologicheskie issledovaniya na teritorii Chernigovshchiny v 1991 g.
Naukovii arkhіv Іnstitutu arkheologії NAN Ukraini. Chernigov.