President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Transfiguration Cathedral of Odesa, destroyed by the occupiers. He saw the extent of the destruction of the church and its current state.

This was reported by the press service of the Presidential Office. The Head of State inspected the destruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral caused by the recent massive Russian shelling of civilian infrastructure and the historic city centre (to see photos and videos, scroll to the bottom of the page).

Experts are currently working to determine how the building can be restored. It is noted that foreign partners have expressed their willingness to participate in the restoration of the Transfiguration Cathedral.

As you know, this is the most Orthodox church in Odesa, founded in 1795 and consecrated in 1808. In 1936, it was completely destroyed by the Bolsheviks. The cathedral was built in 1999-2011 on the site of its destroyed predecessor.

However, on 23 July 2023, due to a criminal missile attack by Russia, the cathedral suffered significant damage. The altar was completely destroyed and the supporting structures of the building were damaged.

"The consequences of Russian terror against Odesa. The destruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Odesa and one of the most valuable churches in Ukraine. A Russian missile hit the altar - it was completely destroyed. The entire structure of the building was damaged. Experts are currently working to identify opportunities to restore the church. We thank our partners in Europe for their willingness to contribute to the restoration. The main thing is that the Kasperovska Icon of the Mother of God has been saved. The heart of the church is alive," the president said.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, 25 architectural monuments in Odesa were damaged as a result of Russia's night attack on the city on the night of 23 July. Among them are UNESCO-protected buildings of the XIX-XX centuries.

Since Moscow's withdrawal from the grain deal, the southern regions of Ukraine, including Odesa Oblast, have been subjected to massive attacks by the occupiers on a daily basis. Unfortunately, in addition to architectural monuments, there are also casualties among people.

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