Birch cross, which saved soldiers of the "Iron brigade", was exhibited at Lviv Church



The history of this unpretentious birch cross began in Pobeda village of the Novoaydarsky district, Luhansk region (Ukraine). Near this village a tent camp of the 3-th separate mechanized infantry battalion of the 24th mechanized "Iron brigade" was located.

Last year, in August, the soldiers of the battalion arranged there a tent chapel and the birch cross nearby was installed and consecrated on Day of independence of Ukraine. On September 3 the positions of battalion survived a devastating rocket attack by "Smerch" multiple rocket launchers from Russian invaders. Therefore, the tent camp was burned to the ground, and infantry fighting vehicles, trucks, buses and cars were completely destroyed. The shelling killed several soldiers from other units. However, surprisingly, no single soldier from the 3rd battalion was killed. All of them remained alive. The next day the Ukrainian military men returned to destroyed camp. To everyone's surprise, the birch cross near the chapel still stood, and nothing around it was burned. The icons that were in the chapel and a plaster figure of the Virgin Maria also survived the attack. In 2015, the chaplains together with military men of the 3rd OMPB built here the stele of memory to fallen soldiers of the anti-terrorist operation, and built a wooden chapel of the Archangel Michael near the birch cross.
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- So, this cross has become a symbol of the fortitude of the Ukrainian people and a symbol of our victory in the struggle for the truth, - says the head of the Spiritual-pastoral Department of UCU, Yury Sakvuk.

At the consecration of the cross in Church of Peter and Paul in Lviv, and a joint pray was also attended by survivors of the terrible attacks. In order to reconstruct all these events and atmosphere as much realistic as possible, the installation with remains of broken shells and other debris from the battlefield was created beside the cross.