A memorial sign to ruined churches and shot priests to be installed in Odessa
The meeting of the historical and toponymical Commission of Odessa City Council, held on November 4, 2016, examined the appeal of NGO “Ukraine is me” on the establishment of a memorial sign – a symbol of destroyed churches and priests of Odessa shot by Communists.
The memorial sign is proposed to be installed at 11 Zankovetska street, near the site, where in 1936 the church of St. Clement, destroyed by the Bolsheviks, was located.
As the Director of NGO “Ukraine is me” Oleksandr Chernega told RISU, it was the initiative of Bishop Bronislaw Bernatsky of the Roman Catholic Odessa-Simferopol Diocese. He appealed to their organization for assistance in installing the memorial sign in Gamow Park, on the side of Zankovetska street, with the purpose of honoring Catholic priests and bishops who were persecuted in times of communism and political repression of 1920-40.
The initiative was supported by representatives of other denominations. They lodged an appeal with the mayor. The appeal reminds that Odessa has deep historical, cultural and spiritual roots, its churches, synagogues, chapels were always the pride of the city. The document also tells about the fate that befell the churches and priests in Soviet times.
“Getting back to the issue of revival of the spiritual heritage of our city, we, the Heads of Christian Churches of Odessa, are requesting you to facilitate the allocation of land to set a memorial sign in the park of George Gamow, on the side of Zankovetska street and corner of Balkova street,” the statement says. “The memorial sign will be an expression of respect for priests and bishops of Odessa, who were repressed and executed during the communist regime and political and religious repression of 1920-40, which accompanied it.”
The letter was signed by representatives of ten denominations of the city, including: bishops Mark (UOC-KP), Bronislaw Bernatsky (RCC), Mykhail (Bubniy) (UGCC), Serhyi Mashevskyy (GELCU), Anatoly Pyshtoy (ECB), Serhyi Kruchenyuk (CEF), Kozachenko (CRC) and head of the “Odessa Evangelical Church” Association, chairman of the Union of Ukrainian Christian churches “Word of Life” Andriy Bakal, senior pastor of ERPC Valery Zadorozhnii, senior pastor of Seventh-day Adventist Church in Odessa region Yuriy Dudenko.
