THE CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUE OF THE CHURCH OF SAINTS SERGIUS AND BACCHUS IN ROME FOR UKRAINIANS IN ITALY

Abstract

The article deals with the history and cultural and spiritual significance of the Church of the Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus and the Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God of Zhyrovytsia. In 1970, the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Josyf Slipyj, returned it to Ukrainian ownership. The main focus is on the study of the role of the church as a unifying element for our compatriots who emigrated abroad for one reason or another. An attempt is made to summarize the historical facts of the development of the Temple in the period after the death of Josyf Slipyj, who was the main driver and stimulator of the Ukrainian spirit in the diaspora. The events of the last decade and the main historical dates in the life of the parish are highlighted. The purpose of the article is to explore the history and significance of Ukrainian heritage abroad, as well as its popularization among foreigners, especially considering recent events; to show Josyf Slipyj's love for Ukrainian culture, history, and the church and his great passion for preserving them for future generations. The methodology of the study is to apply methods of historical analysis, to process biographical references of individuals, to synthesize information materials, and to use the comparative method when writing conclusions. We consider the attempt to make a generalized overview of the history and activities of the temple over the past fifty years, i.e., from the last attempt at such a description made in 1971 by Ivan Khoma, to be a scientific novelty. Conclusions from the study. Undoubtedly, the issue raised is interesting and relevant and requires further research, processing of archives, archaeological exploration in the dungeons of the temple, and systematization of all theoretical material in a separate work. The artistic dimension, restoration, and reconstruction of the shrine should be the subject of future research. The use of modern technologies, in particular, digitization, will make it possible to immortalize the heritage of Ukrainian culture and pass it on to future generations.