Ukrainian President Visits Odessa Orthodox Cathedral Destroyed in Russian Attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the historic Orthodox cathedral in Odessa on Thursday, days after it was destroyed in a Russian attack, the president’s office said.

“Volodymyr Zelenskyi inspected the damage to the Transfiguration Cathedral caused by the recent massive bombing of civilian infrastructure and the historic center of the city of Odessa,” the president’s office said in a statement.

“The head of state was informed about the extent of damage inside the church and its current condition,” the statement said.

Russia has shelled the Black Sea port city of Odesa since it pulled out of a deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain amid the war.

The air attack carried out by Russia, which was directed against Odesa on the night of Sunday, caused significant damage to the building of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the auspices of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The cathedral was originally built in 1794 during the time of imperial Russia, it was destroyed in 1936 during the time of Soviet leader Stalin, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the cathedral was restored in the nineties of the 20th century.

The cathedral is located in the UNESCO World Heritage city center of Odesa, which has suffered significant damage from Russian airstrikes.

2023-07-27 22:51:06
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