Transfiguration Cathedral description and photos - Moldova: Bender (Topic)

Transfiguration Cathedral description and photos - Moldova: Bender. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

The Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Bender is a functioning Orthodox church, an architectural monument of the 19th century, one of the main attractions of the city.

The history of the cathedral dates back to 1814, when the Assumption and Nikolskaya churches, located on the territory of the fortress esplanade, were destroyed. At the same time, it was decided to build a new cathedral in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord on the site of the former Turkish barracks. A year later, namely on August 22, 1815, the laying of the first stone of the temple took place. The event was timed to the anniversary of the liberation of Bessarabia from the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The author of the project was Archimandrite Ioaniky, who proposed to divide the temple complex into three side-altars, two of which were named after the Nikolskaya and the Assumption churches, respectively, and the third - the central one - was named Preobrazhensky.

The construction of the temple was fully completed in 1840. The Transfiguration Cathedral was erected in the best traditions of Russian classicism, while elements of Moldovan decorative art were present in its design. One of the most interesting and impressive details of the cathedral is its main dome. Since the Transfiguration Cathedral was conceived as a symbol of victory over the Turkish yoke, it was decided to make its main dome in the form of a helmet of an ancient Russian warrior.

From 1918 to 1944, the cathedral belonged to the Romanian church, its interior decayed significantly during this time ... Only in 1934 were reconstruction works carried out, the interior was renewed, murals on the walls.

During the Second World War, the cathedral was significantly damaged. After one of the shelling, a fire broke out in the building, which destroyed the famous iconostasis on seven wooden columns and the archive, which contained significant data on the life of the inhabitants of Bendery in the pre-war period. In 1948, the church was reconstructed, it was awarded the official title of an architectural monument of the 19th century.

1992 was another tragic milestone in the history of the cathedral. The roof and domes of the Preobrazhensky Cathedral were damaged during the fighting.
Today the Transfiguration Cathedral is one of the main centers of the spiritual life of Transnistria.

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Topic: Transfiguration Cathedral description and photos - Moldova: Bender.