27 July 2023
The destruction of the Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration of the Saviour in Odesa as a result of a missile attack has become one of the most dramatic pages of the present bloody war. One of the most beautiful Ukrainian churches and a majestic monument to Orthodoxy in the southern lands of Ukraine, the cathedral was the true centre of spiritual life in Odesa. This church, erected by the founders of Odesa in the late XVIII century, was once destroyed by the Bolsheviks back in 1936. At the beginning of the 2000s, the cathedral was restored in its original form, and tens of thousands of ordinary people participated in the restoration of the church with their donations.
I sincerely grieve together with the people of Odesa and want to assure that despite the sanctions imposed against me and the blocking of my bank accounts, I will find a way to contribute to the restoration of the destroyed Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration of the Saviour by donating not less than one million dollars to that end. In the days of war and persecution of the Church, it is very important to be able to keep and revive shrines of Orthodoxy while showing faith, unity, and mutual support. For the true Orthodox Church is based upon these principles.
All related news I sincerely grieve together with the people of Odesa and want to assure that despite the sanctions imposed against me and the blocking of my bank accounts, I will find a way to contribute to the restoration of the destroyed Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration of the Saviour by donating not less than one million dollars to that end. In the days of war and persecution of the Church, it is very important to be able to keep and revive shrines of Orthodoxy while showing faith, unity, and mutual support. For the true Orthodox Church is based upon these principles.