Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa

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Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa
Спасо-Преображенський собор
Храм Христа Спасителя в Одессе.jpg
The rebuilt cathedral
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Location  Ukraine, Odessa, Soborna Square, 3
Designer V. Vonrezant
Type Orthodox Cathedral
Beginning date 1795
Completion date May 20, 1808
Dedicated to Transfiguration of Jesus

The Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa is the Orthodox Cathedral in Odessa, Ukraine, dedicated to the Saviour's Transfiguration and belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).

History

The first and foremost church in the city of Odessa, the original small building had been built in 1221 during Grand Prince Yurii Ysevolodovich. This had just a single cupola and a tiled roof.[1]

Another cathedral was founded in 1794 by Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni. The construction was part of a large refurbishment of the whole of the city. 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.[1]

The cathedral was designated the main church of New Russia in 1808 and 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 of marble.

Several churches in the region, including the Nativity Cathedral in Chişinău, were built in conscious imitation of the Odessa 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 Vorontsov and his wife were subsequently 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.

Gallery

  • The Belltower and the main entrance
  • The total view
  • The Cathedral Square in the early 20th century
  • The altar
  • The icon screen in a side chapel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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