Damage caused by blast waves was discovered in the Kirs district of Odessa

High-precision 3D laser scanning of the Odessa Church, conducted with the support of UNESCO, revealed structural changes caused by nearby blast waves. 

This was reported by the press service of the Odessa City Hall following the visit of the UNESCO mission to Odessa.

The data obtained will serve as the basis for developing a project to reinforce the structure. St. Paul’s Church in Odessa is not only an important landmark for the city but also the main church of the Lutheran community.

In the early 19th century, thousands of Evangelical colonists arrived from European countries at the invitation of the Russian emperors, who needed laborers. Some of the colonists settled directly in Odessa. The city’s first Lutheran church was built for the Lutheran community and consecrated in 1827. It was designed and built by architect Francesco Boffo. The opening ceremony took place on October 9, 1827. This date is considered the founding date of St. Paul’s Church. The growth of the religious community led to the need for reconstruction of the church in the late 19th century; however, it turned out that the building was in a condition unsuitable for reconstruction. To save money, in the summer of 1894, it was decided to preserve part of the foundations and the first tier of the tower, which had been built not of cut stone but of fieldstone. The design for the new church was created by the German-born architectHerman Karlovich Shevrembrandt; one of his assistants was the future architectA. B. Minkus, while the construction work and consulting were carried out by the Swiss-born architectChristian Yakovlevich Skveder.

A delegation from the UNESCO Office in Ukraine, led by Director Chiara Dezza Bardeschi and Head of the Culture Section Maria Acetozo, is currently in Odessa. The main purpose of the visit is to assess the condition of the “Historic Center of Odesa” World Heritage site and to move from discussions to concrete practical solutions. Currently, as a result of enemy attacks in Odesa, 270 historical and architectural monuments have been damaged, the vast majority of which are located within the World Heritage site. 

In addition to the Church, UNESCO representatives also visited the Transfiguration Cathedral, which suffered significant damage as a result of a Russian missile strike in July 2023. The Italian government has taken a leading role in the reconstruction of this building, channeling funding through a UNESCO trust fund. In particular, work to restore the church’s heating system was carried out under UNESCO’s guidance. Currently, interior finishing work is underway in the cathedral, as well as the delicate process of restoring the wall paintings.

It should be noted that in September 2025, French engineer Emmanuel Durand, who specializes in the collection and processing of 3D data, brought high-precision sensors to Odesa, which were used to monitor the condition of the Roman Colosseum, St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and the silo towers of Beirut. In collaboration with the Odessa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, the first device was installed on the bell tower of the Kircha.

Кирило Бойко