The churches of Odessa are realarchitectural monuments, many of them are the main sights of Ukraine. Not exception is the Transfiguration Cathedral, considered one of the largest Orthodox churches in the country. Due to historical reasons, it was also destroyed by the Bolsheviks, like other religious buildings, was restored several years ago. About this cathedral we learn many interesting historical facts further from the article.
Birth of the Cathedral
In 1794 all the construction workers were consecratedsite of the city that did not exist then, including the one where the church of Nikolai the Wonderworker was planned to be erected (Odessa). The Savior's Transfiguration Cathedral was started to be built a year after this event, next to a temporary wooden church standing there.
The erection of this stone structure was planned to be completed in a couple of years, but the plans were not given to be realized, and the construction was delayed for many years.
Stages of construction
The creation of the temple allocated fundsEmpress Catherine II, but after her death, the erection of the church stopped on the orders of Paul I. Six years after these events, the Duke de Richelieu received her new mayor, Odessa. The Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral, thanks to his order, continued to build on.
And now, at last, in 1808 was completedthe erection of a stone temple, but the finishing work went very slowly, as there was not enough money for the interior. A few months after the completion of the construction work, the church was consecrated by Archbishop Platon Lubarsky. Since that moment the temple has ceased to be called Nikolaevsky. It was then that one of the main attractions of the city of Odessa - the Savior's Transfiguration Cathedral.
Originally, this structure could notboast of its impressive size and beautiful decoration. But after the Kherson diocese was moved here, large-scale works on its expansion began in the temple.
Restoration
Thus, in 1837 the Savior-Transfigurationthe church turned into a cathedral. Its reconstruction lasted for ten years, during which the church buildings and bell towers were combined, and the temple was also renovated.
Recent large-scale restoration workwere held here in the early twentieth century, thanks to them were corrected many architectural flaws in the structure that arose afterwards of its repeated rebuilding. After that the Odessa cathedral became one of the main temples of the Russian Empire, it accommodated more than twelve thousand parishioners. He had an eighty-meter bell tower and thus could serve as a reference point for all ships that were heading to Odessa port.
The temple impressed with its magnificent architecture of allwithout exception. Also a strong impression on the local residents and visitors of the city produced and interior decoration. The premises of the temple were huge and seemed to radiate light from the inside due to the fact that the floor and columns of this structure were made of white marble. In this cathedral were buried many individuals who played an important role in the formation and development of the city.
The destruction and decline of the cathedral
Unfortunately, in the early thirtiesIn the last century, many of its cult buildings were lost by Odessa. The Transfiguration Cathedral also could not escape the sad fate and in 1936 was destroyed to the ground by order of the authorities of the USSR. Previously, everything from the valuable to the unknown direction was taken from it.
On that tragic day when the temple was blown up,The whole area on which this structure stood was cordoned off by troops. The destruction of the cathedral attracted to this place many local residents who were pushed back by soldiers to neighboring streets. After the demolition of the building, an ordinary fountain was placed in its place.
New look
Many years have passed since then, morals have changed.Therefore, in 1999, a decision was made to restore the church. The construction of the cathedral was carried out exclusively for donations and was held under the auspices of charity, as budget funds were not used at all.
When the construction of the new church was strictly observedall the parameters of the previously destroyed to the foundation of the building, from which only its foundation was preserved. Designers and architects in the construction were guided by the old pictures and drawings made after the last reconstruction of the cathedral. In 2005 all works were finished, and in Odessa the center of spiritual life of this city again appeared.
Interior decoration of the newly rebuilt cathedralalso recreated in exactly the same way as before destruction. It is executed in the academic style and represents rooms of surprising beauty. The walls of the halls are decorated with Orthodox paintings and ancient ornaments of Byzantium and Kievan Rus.
The temple is a two-story structure and can accommodate up to fifteen thousand parishioners. All people come to see here at his shrine: the icon of the Kasperovskaya Mother of God and the remains of the Vorontsov family.
Helpful information
Any local person knows whereTransfiguration Cathedral. Its address is as follows: Odessa city, Sobornaya square, house 3. There it is possible to get there by any public transport: by tram No. 3 or No. 10 or by buses No. 146, 121, 198, 195, 208 or 241. For clarification of all necessary information you should call this number: +3 (048) 729-36-60.
