Nova Sloboda Нова Слобода | |
|---|---|
 Nicholas Church in Nova Sloboda | |
  Nova Sloboda Location of Nova Sloboda in Sumy Oblast Show map of Sumy Oblast Nova Sloboda Location of Nova Sloboda in Ukraine Show map of Ukraine | |
| Coordinates:51°22′25″N34°07′34″E / 51.37361°N 34.12611°E /51.37361; 34.12611 | |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Oblast |  Sumy Oblast |
| Raion |  Konotop Raion |
| Hromada | Nova Sloboda rural hromada |
| Established | 1593 |
| Population | 1,568 |
 | |
Nova Sloboda (Ukrainian:Нова Слобода;Russian:Новая Слобода,romanized: Novaya Sloboda) is a village in Ukraine, inKonotop Raion within the country's northernSumy Oblast. It is the administrative centre ofNova Sloboda rural hromada, one of thehromadas of Ukraine. Its population is 300 (as of May 2025[update]).[1]
Nova Sloboda was founded in 1593.[2] In 1630 theSophrony Monastery [uk] was founded in the village. In the present day, it is a men's monastery of theUkrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate),[3] and it was selected in 2007 as one of the threeWonders of Ukraine from Sumy Oblast.[4]
On 7 July 1942 586 inhabitants of the village (including 70 children under the age of ten) were killed by Nazi Germany in retaliation for the village allegedly providing shelter to theSoviet partisans. The massacre has been compared by some, including the government of Sumy Oblast, to theKhatyn massacre in Belarus.[5]
TheMuseum of Goryun Culture [uk], dedicated to theGoryun ethnic group, was established in the village on 28 September 2017.[6]
During theRussian invasion of Ukraine, Nova Sloboda was shelled by Russian forces throughout 2022 and 2023.[7] Russians also launched anunsuccessful attempt [uk] to take the village from 23 April until the total Russian withdrawal after the end of theNorthern Ukraine campaign.[8] The same year, theMinistry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands celebrated the village for its production of herbal teas, while the Institute of Partnership and Sustainable Development non-governmental organisation purchased a stock of teas to be supplied to internally displaced persons inPokrovske.[9] On May 13, 2025, a mandatory evacuation from the village was announced.[10]