The Italian capital Rome is hosting a photo exhibition entitled "Behind the Lens: Culture Under Attack", featuring images of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Odesa, which was destroyed by the Russians.
Source: Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Details: The exhibition is part of the international conference on Ukraine's reconstruction (Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, URC2025), which will take place in Rome from 10 to 11 July.
The Italian ministry noted that "Behind the Lens: Culture Under Attack" shows not only the scale of the destruction caused by the war in Ukraine but also the power of culture, which remains strong "despite the conflict".
The photographs show the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, which was destroyed by the Russians on 23 July 2023. The House of Scientists, Zhvanetskyi Boulevard, residential buildings and port infrastructure were also damaged in that attack.
A Russian missile hit the central altar, partially destroying the cathedral building. The ceilings of the three lower floors were also destroyed, the interior decoration and icons were significantly damaged, and the service premises in the lower part of the cathedral were completely destroyed.
"The exhibition documents the loss of cultural heritage – the Odesa Cathedral, which was reconstructed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, which will continue its work on the cultural heritage of the historic city centre," the ministry wrote.
The photos were selected from 6,000 photographs taken by Ukrainian photojournalists.
In addition to the Transfiguration Cathedral, the photo shows:
the building of Lviv National University of Natural Resources in Dubliany, which was damaged by the Russians on 1 January 2024. Photo by Roman Baluk,the Church of Archangel Michael, built in 1906, which was destroyed on 16 April 2023. Photo by Dmytro Smolenko.the Chernihiv Drama Theatre, which was hit by the Russians on 19 August 2023. Photo by Stas Kozliuk.



The ministry noted that this project honours the contribution of journalists who continue to document the war and protect collective memory.
The photo project was implemented in 2024 by the Institute of Mass Information, with financial support from the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund and the Japanese people.
The Transfiguration Cathedral on Soborna Square is the biggest Orthodox church in Odesa. According to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church diocese, its construction began 228 years ago to celebrate Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Architect and military engineer Vincent Vanresant was chosen to design the building. The construction began in 1803, after the Duke de Richelieu became the mayor of Odesa.
The church was consecrated on 25 May 1809.
In 1825, the plans for a new bell tower, designed by the Italian Giovanni Frapolli, were approved. In 1841, the architect Deolaus-Heinrich Heidenreich designed the refectory, which combined the bell tower and the old church.
In the late 19th century, parts of the cathedral were renovated, and in 1894 the entire building underwent an extensive renovation.
The Transfiguration Cathedral is a Classicist architectural monument.
It was not the first time Russian occupation forces attempted to lay waste to the Odesa cathedral; they had already done it once nearly 90 years ago.
On 2 March 1932, the Bolsheviks locked the church up. In 1936, they detonated explosives in the cathedral’s bell tower and its main building – but only after looting it.
When the Soviet occupation of Ukraine ended, Ukrainian experts found the church’s original foundation during archaeological excavation. In 1999, the Cabinet of Ministers (the Ukrainian government – ed.) included the Odesa cathedral in the Programme for the Restoration of Outstanding Lost Monuments of History and Culture of Ukraine.
The Transfiguration Church was rebuilt during 2000-2005, and on 6 January 2005, the lower church was consecrated in honour of St Innocent of Odesa.
In 2023, the Transfiguration Cathedral and the rest of Odesa’s historic city centre were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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