Russia strikes Odesa cathedral, as Putin says Ukraine counteroffensive ‘failed’

Subject : Art and Culture

Section: Climate Change

Concept :

Russia’s latest strike on Odesa on Sunday killed two people and severely damaged a historic Orthodoxcathedral, drawing a vow of retaliation from Ukraine’s leader.

Transfiguration Cathedral

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

History

The first and foremost church in the city of Odesa, the cathedral was founded in 1794 and 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.
Several churches in the region, including the Nativity Cathedral in Chişinău, were built in conscious imitation of the Odesa church.
It was consecrated in 1809, destroyed during the Soviet era in 1936 before being rebuilt when Ukraine became an independent nation.
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.
The cathedral lies in Odesa’s city center, which UNESCO named a World Heritage Site amid the threat of Russia’s invasion.