Odesa gets about EUR 70,000 from UNESCO to rebuild Transfiguration Cathedral

Ivan Liptuha, head of the Department of Culture and European Integration at the Odesa City Council, told this to Ukrinform.

"UNESCO started working with the Stikon construction company. An agreement was signed and about EUR 70,000 was transferred to restore part of the roof of the Cathedral, which was the epicenter of the explosion," Liptuha said.

On July 23, 2023, Russian forces launched a massive attack on the city of Odesa and the Odesa region. The invaders fired 19 missiles of various types. The attack targeted the historic center of Odesa, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The attack damaged 25 architectural monuments, including the Transfiguration Cathedral. Half of the cathedral was left without a roof, the building's central piles and foundation cracked, all the windows were broken, and the stucco was damaged. Rescuers and clergy managed to save some icons, including the Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God, which is considered the patroness of Odesa. The Iberian Icon, installed for the 100th anniversary of Odesa, also survived.

In August, the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Italy planned to contribute to efforts to rebuild the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa.

In November, heavy rain flooded the cathedral, and urgent conservation work was started by the Odesa diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which owns the building.

In February 2024, an agreement was signed between Italy and UNESCO regarding the allocation of EUR 500,000 for the renovation of the Transfiguration Cathedral.

Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov said in an interview with Ukrinform that at the moment there was no question of allocating the entire amount for restoration, because the Odesa Diocese has carried out part of the work using its own funds.

"We asked UNESCO to record these works and allocate funds for them, which we would direct to further reconstruction. But Italy and UNESCO replied that they cannot give money for already completed works, because there are procedures and their legislation. Currently, about 160 square meters of the roof in the epicenter of the strike has yet to be repaired. More than 2,500 square meters that were damaged by the blast waves have been repaired by the diocese. That is, part of the Italian funds will be used to repair the part of the roof that was directly hit. The remaining funds will be used later," Trukhanov said.