Odessa Gallery
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral
After about a 10 minute walk on Deribasovskay Street you will see Sobornaya Square that houses an impressive looking Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral. Sobornaya Square is a pleasant location to take in the scenery while sitting on a bench, people watch or do a little shopping in the Passage shopping mall, located directly across it. Even if you have no desire to shop, it is worth seeing this work of art.
In 1795, just one year after the founding of Odessa, the Nickolayev Church was built on Sobornaya Square. During Vorontsov's tenure the grandiose bell tower was constructed. Designed by Italian architect Torricelli it was separate from the cathedral. The church was finally completed in 1827. Odessites didn't like how the bell tower was not attached to the cathedral, so the authorities then built a refractory. But the refractory was narrow and dark and Odessites were still unhappy. So the authorities completely rebuilt the church. It was remodeled with a larger dome and refractory, the bell tower spire and altar were changed, and two side-chapels were added. After this extensive reconstruction the cathedral became one of the biggest in Russia. The cathedral was almost 50 meters wide and over a hundred meters long. It could now accommodate over 10,000 people. It was the pride of Odessa.
In 1932 it was closed down. The square was officially renamed Soviet Army square, but unlike the over 170 other street and park name changes, the newer name never stuck with Odessites. In 1936 Stalin order the Cathedral to be destroyed. In a cowardly manner the cathedral was dynamited in the night. Bricks recovered from the site were used to build a school.
Now the Cathedral is rebuilt. The architects have only the old paintings and drawings to guide them in the rebuilding.
The Cathedral is one of the most important monuments of the city's history and culture.
