Facade of UOC cathedral in Odesa fully restored after shelling

The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the UOC in Odesa. Photo: Screenshot from video t.me/odeparh

On February 10, 2025, the Odesa Eparchy announced the full restoration of the facade of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky (Transfiguration) Cathedral, which was damaged as a result of shelling in July 2023.

According to a representative of the eparchy, the scaffolding and all traces of the tragic event have been completely removed from around the cathedral.

"Now it’s all gone. We can see that a new wall of the altar of St. Peter has been restored, covered with a roof, and painted in the 'native' color of our cathedral. It features beautiful stucco work – everything that was there before the tragedy. This inspires us to continue the restoration, as there are still many costly and labor-intensive works ahead inside the cathedral."

A priest from the Odesa Eparchy noted that the restoration work is funded by donations from concerned individuals, the resources of the Odesa Eparchy, and personal contributions from Metropolitan Agafangel.

It is worth recalling that the Transfiguration Cathedral was severely damaged by a missile strike in July 2023. Immediately after the shelling, work began to clear the debris, reinforce the walls, and install a temporary roof to prevent further destruction.

In October 2023, Ukraine signed an agreement with Italy and UNESCO for the financing of the cathedral's reconstruction, under which the Italian government allocated €500,000 for priority repair work.

Currently, restoration efforts continue, with particular attention being paid to the cathedral's interior.

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