The Transfiguration Cathedral is one of the symbols of Sumy. The two-dome cross-shaped church with a gilded dome and a 56-metre bell tower stands on Soborna Street in the very centre of the city. Its chimes, brought from England, still mark time over Sumy. The cathedral combines features of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicism. Today, it is the cathedral church of the Sumy Eparchy of the UOC (MP).
From a two-tier church to the Sukhanovs' cathedral
The cathedral was built on the site of a wooden church; the name of the first architect is unknown. By the mid-19th century, the building began to deteriorate, so in 1858 it was rebuilt from a two-tier into a single-tier structure. The church acquired its modern appearance after a major renovation in 1882–1892 under the direction of academician of architecture Mykhailo Lovtsov. The funds were provided by Sumy merchants Mykola and Dmytro Sukhanov.
Apostles, marble, and chimes
At the base of the drum with the gilded dome stand four three-metre sculptures of the apostles, united by a black balustrade. The facades and cornices are decorated with exquisite stucco moulding. The Baroque-style bell tower has five tiers and is topped by a small spherical dome with figures of saints. Inside, there is stucco over marble, an iconostasis made of white marble and malachite, and paintings by artists Klavdii Lebediev and Volodymyr Makovskyi.
Chimes ordered from England were installed in the bell tower. During the revolution, they were damaged, and in 1947 they were restored by workers of a local plant. The chimes are wound only once every three days.
The Shpylivka icon
For almost three hundred years, the cathedral kept the Korsun, or Shpylivka, Icon of the Mother of God — the patroness of Sumy, which was considered miraculous and called "vision-restoring": pilgrims believed it healed the blind. Every autumn, religious processions were held with it. On 24 March 2009, the icon was stolen from the cathedral, and its fate remains unknown.
How to get there
Address: 31a Soborna Street, Sumy — city centre. Nearby are the Resurrection Cathedral and the local history museum.
What to consider
Sumy regularly suffers from drone and missile strikes. Before travelling, check the security situation and the restrictions of the Sumy RMA, and monitor air raid alerts.
