Italy donates €500,000 to reconstruct destroyed UOC cathedral in Odesa

Transfiguration of the Savior Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Odessa. Photo: RBC

The Government of Italy transferred 500 thousand euros for the restoration of the Transfiguration of the Savior Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Odesa. This was told by the mayor Hennady Trukhanov and published the site of the mayor's office.

He said that the destruction of the cathedral after the Russian missile hit it was so significant that waiting for the money to come from Italy was not possible, as there was a threat of destruction of the remaining part of the cathedral. Therefore, the roof was restored with the money of benefactors and parishioners of the Odessa diocese of the UOC and work began in the most damaged part of the cathedral.

Trukhanov also said that an expert group and the head of the UNESCO office in Ukraine are expected to arrive in Odesa in the near future. Italians and UNESCO will help to restore other cultural monuments that suffered from shelling.

As reported by the UOJ, on the night of July 23, 2023, the Transfiguration Cathedral of the UOC in Odesa was almost destroyed due to a missile attack by the Russian Federation, with an RF missile hitting the altar.

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