Churches

The nearby Transfiguration Cathedral, which was recently bombed, is very gradually being repaired, including diamond-shaped pieces of metal being laboriously hammered back onto the dome.

The lovely fountain in front of the cathedral has not been on since the bombing, probably for safety reasons.

The wooden roofing is being replaced.

The front vestibule is being repaired and there is no entry to the cathedral. But services continue outside.


Religion is very important here so bombing a religious building, as well as being a terrorist act, is also symbolic, as is the destruction of so many cultural/historic buildings and educational establishments. Putin is trying to stamp out the history, identity, culture and beliefs of Ukraine.

Yesterday, the Russian army fired at a church in the centre of Kherson — three people who were traveling on a bus past the cathedral were hospitalised, including a 74-year-old man who is reportedly fighting for his life. Whilst the fire was being extinguished, there was a repeat attack and four emergency service workers were injured.
One of our friends reported that an apartment block was shelled overnight in Kherson.

If anyone is interested, there is a nice article in the Lancashire Telegraph, written by a reporter who called us here in Odesa and quoted us exactly. The bias is towards my experiences, which was intentional because there are so few female foreigners driving aid vans, particularly older women. In fact, I'm the only one I know!
Driving has never been something I've enjoyed, just a necessity, and overtaking several lorries at once, on a single track, warped and potholed road, is definitely out of my comfort zone! But it's something I've got used to, like a lot of things here, and I actually missed driving the van in the week it was off the road.
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23637768.trawden-pensioners-delivering-aid-war-torn-ukraine/#comments-anchor

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