Church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki, Sukleya Village

The Church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki first appeared in Sukleya in 1866, establishing a place of Orthodox worship for this village community that would endure through remarkable trials over the following century and a half. During the Soviet era, before the outbreak of war, the church was closed and its building transferred for use as a club. A temporary revival occurred during the 1940s-1960s, when services briefly resumed, but this proved short-lived — worship ceased once again, and the building was subsequently converted into storage facilities before ultimately being transferred to the local history museum.

The church’s return to its original purpose began in 1990, when the requests of the faithful community were honored and the church was formally reopened. Since then, extensive restoration work has been carried out throughout the building: the altar was rebuilt and beautiful interior paintings were created, gradually restoring the church’s spiritual and aesthetic character. In 2006, a carved oak iconostasis was installed, adding a striking and intricate centerpiece to the restored interior, while new crosses and domes were added a few years later — completing this comprehensive journey of architectural and spiritual revival for one of Sukleya village’s most historically significant buildings.

Address: 90b, Gagarin str., Sukleya village, Slobodzeya district
Phone: +373 557 7 55 11 | +373 777 11 883