Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa

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.^[4]

Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa
Спасо-Преображенський собор (Одеса)
46°28′59.44″N 30°43′51.75″E
Location	Soborna Square 3, Odesa
Country	Ukraine
Denomination	Eastern Orthodox
Website	Sobor.odessa.ua
History
Dedication	Transfiguration of Jesus
Architecture
Architect(s)	V.Vonrezant
Completed	1795-1808
Specifications
Capacity	9,000 (main)[1] 3,000 (underground)[1]
Length	90.6 m [2]
Width	46.6 m [2]
Height	77 m (top cross bell tower)[3]
Floor area	3,100 m2
Administration
Division	Moscow Patriarchate

History

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.^[5]

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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. On 11 November 2023 the monumental status of this sculpture was scrapped in order to comply with 2023 derussification-laws.^[6]

The cathedral bells are controlled by an electronic device capable of playing 99 melodies.^{[citation needed]}

On July 23, 2023, the cathedral was severely damaged by a Russian missile attack.^[4][7] UNESCO strongly condemned repeated attacks by Russia on World Heritage sites in Ukraine, including the Transfiguration Cathedral.^[8]

Gallery

• 
  The belltower and the main entrance
• 
  The total view
• 
  The Cathedral Square in the early 20th century
• 
  The icon screen in a side chapel
• 
  Interior of the cathedral after the missile attack

See also

• List of largest Eastern Orthodox church buildings

References

1. "ОДЕССА:СОБОР,ЩО ПРЕОБРАЖАЄ". Risu.Orh.ua.
2. "Прошлое и будущее Одесского Кафедрального Спасо-Преображенского собора". Sobor.Odessa.ua.
3. "Спасо-преображенский кафедральный интернет". Sobor.Odessa.ua. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
4. "Разрушения колоссальные, половину крыши снесло: последствия удара РФ по собору в Одессе". RBK. July 23, 2023.
5. Brumfield, William Craft, ed. (2001). Commerce in Russian urban culture : 1861–1914. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Center Press [u.a.] ISBN 0801867509.
6. "The government has adopted a decision that removes the protection status from a number of monuments of the Soviet and imperial era" (in Ukrainian). Istorychna Pravda. November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
7. "Damage to the Odesa Transfiguration Cathedral (video)". New York Times. July 23, 2023.
8. "Odesa: UNESCO strongly condemns repeated attacks against cultural heritage, including World Heritage". United Nations. July 23, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Transfiguration Cathedral (Odesa)