Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa

Wednesday, 2 August 2023 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union
Category/Kategorie: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa is the Orthodox Cathedral in Odesa, Ukraine, dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus and belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). It was severely damaged by a Russian missile attack on Odesa on July 23, 2023.

The first and foremost church in the city of Odesa, the cathedral was founded in 1794 by Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni. Construction lagged several years behind schedule and the newly appointed governor of New Russia, Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, employed the Italian architect Francesco Frappoli to complete the edifice.

The cathedral was designated the main church of New Russia in 1808. It was continuously expanded throughout the 19th century. The belltower was built between 1825 and 1837, and the refectory connecting it to the main church several years later. The interior was lined with polychrome marble, and the icon screen also was made of marble.

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Several churches in the region, including the Nativity Cathedral in Chişinău, were built in conscious imitation of the Odesa church. The cathedral was the burial place of the bishops of Tauride, including Saint Innocent of Kherson, and Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov, the famous governor of New Russia.

The original structure was demolished by the Soviets in 1936. It was rebuilt starting from 1999. The new cathedral was consecrated in 2003. The remains of Prince Vorontsov and his wife were reburied in the cathedral. There is a statue of him on the cathedral square. The cathedral bells are controlled by an electronic device capable of playing 99 melodies.

On July 23, 2023, the cathedral was severely damaged by a Russian missile attack. UNESCO strongly condemned repeated attacks by Russia on World Heritage sites in Ukraine, including the Transfiguration Cathedral.

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