У статті простежується історія шедевру дерев’яної архітектури – Покровської церкви, яка була збудована у Ромнах у 1764-1770 рр. коштом останнього кошового отамана Запорізької Січі Петра Калнишевського та представника козацької старшини Давида Чорного, а у 1908 р. завдяки унікальному науковому експерименту М. Макаренка перенесена до Полтави. Акцентується увага на внеску краєзнавців, вчених,
окремих організацій у справу охорони старовинної пам’ятки. Публікується документ, складений у 1923 р. директором Полтавського музею М. Рудинським на захист Покровської церкви.В статье прослеживается история шедевра деревянной архитектуры – Покровской церкви, которая была построена в Ромнах в 1764-1770 гг. на деньги последнего кошевого атамана Запорожской Сечи Петра Калнышевского и представителя казацкой старшины Давида Черного, а в 1908 г. благодаря уникальному научному эксперименту Н. Макаренко перенесена в Полтаву. Акцентируется внимание на роли краеведов, ученых, отдельных организаций в деле охраны памятника старины. Публикуется документ, составленный в 1923 г. директором Полтавского музея М. Рудинским в защиту Покровской церкви.The article traces the history of the unique cult construction, a masterpiece of
wooden architecture – the Intercession Church. It was built in 1764-1770 in Romny, the last
ataman of Zaporozhye Sech Peter Kalnyshevsky and the Cossack representative David Chornyi
gave money for this building. The church was located on high ground, in the plan it had the
shape of the cross and consisted of five baths: one central and four laterals. The basic building
material was selected oak. In the first half of the nineteenth century the major renovation was
made in the Intercession Church. By the end of the nineteenth century among the parishioners
and the clergy of the idea to build a new stone church was born, destroying the wood one. It
was supposed to restore and transfer only the iconostasis, which was a unique work of art.
These events, among others, were described by a well-known local historian I. Kurilov in his
work “Romenskaya Antiquity” (1897).
In 1900 a wooden church was examined by a famous archaeologist, art historian, one of
the founders of museum work N. Makarenko. He described his notes in one of the first
publications of “In the homeland of the last Hetman of Zaporozhye P. Iv. Kalnyshevsky” (1901).
Later N. Makarenko conducted a detailed analysis of art criticism of both the Intercession
Church and its interior decoration; he has published an article entitled “Monument of Ukrainian
art of the XVIII-th century” (1908), thanks to which the temple became widely known.
The author emphasized the need to preserve the church as a masterpiece of Ukrainian
Baroque architecture. For this purpose N. Makarenko and P. Pokryshkin implemented a
unique scientific experiment – the transfer of the Intercession Church from Romny to Poltava
and the restoration of it in the new location in the same forms. However, over time the
structure again demanded restoration.
A new stage of the struggle for the preservation of the temple began after the
revolutionary events, the separation of church from the state, an active attack on the religious
communities. At the same time the formation of societies for the protection of the monuments and
art was held. Starting from 1918 the need to preserve the Intercession Church had been raised
repeatedly at meetings of the Archaeological Committee, commissions and societies. However,
due to the lack of funds to do this would be extremely difficult.
At the turn of 20-30 years of the twentieth century the church was closed. Taking into
account the unique structure and trying to save it from ultimate destruction the exposition
was placed there, later the structure was adapted for household needs. In 1943 the church
was completely destroyed.
The latter, who has studied this architectural monument, was S. Taranushenko.
The Institute of Archaeology NAS of Ukraine stores the documents that reveal all the
stages of the struggle for the protection of the monuments. Among them there is a letter written
in 1923 by the Director of the Poltava Museum M. Rudinskiy to various authorities with the
purpose to draw attention to the destruction of the Intercession Church and the need to protect
it once again. In full volume it is published for the first time
