Ascension Church also well known as "Red Church" was founded in 1905 and built in 1913 on base of design of architect Alexey Beketov. Ascension Church is a one dome church that is cruciform with the attached bell tower. Walls of Ascension Church were built of red bricks with numerous decorative elements - relief inserts and half-columns.

Ascension Church was built at the request of residents of Trostyanets. All construction costs assumed by sugar manufacturer and leading industrialist Jury König - the son of Sugar King Leopold König. The construction costs were considerable - only bricks was spent over 2,5 million items and the total estimated construction amounted to more than 900 000 Russian Empire rubles.

Forty-meter bell tower of Ascension Church is still the highest building of Trostyanets. In 2008 the domes of the church were given new crosses as well as began work on the replacement of the roof. To date only the roof of bell tower repaired although according to the project both domes should soon become green with gold edges.

Leopold König's Family

In the nineteenth century in Russian Empire sugar production was the most profitable due to the increasing demand for this product.

When in sugar refining became a new trend - the transition from sugar cane to sugar beet - Sugar King Leopold König in 1870 acquired the estate in Akhtyrka and Lebedinskoe in Kharkiv province and gradually brought the total area of ownership in Ukraine to 40 000 hectars. At the same time Leopold König bought and refurbished two beet sugar factories and a refinery.

In the beginning of XX century the annual turnover of sugar factories of Sugar King Leopold König was 40 million Russian Empire rubles. He released the eleventh part of the whole Russian Empire refined sugar. In addition to sugar production Leopold König had parquet factory in Trostyanets. It produced a massive parquet (oak, ash, maple variety of colors and patterns). Production has been established from its own forests. In 1908 at the International Art Exhibition of Construction and Production Leopold König's parquet factory has been awarded Grand Gold Medal. In 1890 Leopold König also acquired the distillery and built a steam mill in Ukraine.

The estate of Leopold König was in Sharivka (Sharovka) about 60 km from Kharkiv. The palace and the luxury part of the park survived to the present day.

In the early 1900 Leopold König became State Councillor and Adviser in Commerce. In addition to factories, estates, apartment buildings, palaces and mansions in Ukraine Sugar King Leopold König built a villa in Bonn, Germany.

Leopold König died in 1903 leaving five sons - Charles, Leopold, Alexander, Frederick and Juliy. Sons organized trading house in the form of a general partnership "Leopold König - Heirs". It includes more than a dozen companies: beet-sugar, sugar refinery, bricks, wood processing, mills and the stud farm. In 1913 the total number of employees in enterprises of "Leopold König - Heirs" were than 20 000 people. At this time the actual leader of the family business was the youngest son of Leopold König - Jury König. But soon in 1918 "Leopold König - Heirs" businesses were nationalized. Jury König with his brothers emigrated to Germany.

You could visit Ukraine Trostyanets Sights | Ascension Church with Ukraine Tour East Ring