Italy developed a three-year restoration plan for the historical center of Odesa with a total cost of EUR 45 million, the Culture and Information Policy Ministry of Ukraine has said.

"A meeting was held between Acting Culture and Information Policy Minister Rostyslav Karandeyev, Special Envoy of the Italian Foreign Ministry Davide La Cecilia and Second Secretary, Consul of the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Ukraine Stefano Moser. The parties discussed a project for the restoration of the historical center of Odesa, which was damaged as a result of the war," the press service of the ministry said.

The Italian side informed about the restoration plan for Odesa, which consists of three parts: restoration of the Transfiguration Cathedral, protection and digital registration of 52 cultural heritage sites included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger, as well as the development of a master plan for the city, which will contain recommendations for the development of Odesa and the involvement of other funds and partner countries in the restoration process.

According to the ministry, the plan is designed for three years and its total cost will be EUR 45 million.

"For the Transfiguration Cathedral, the first step is to restore the roof, as well as close the crater remaining after the missile strike. We plan to carry out this work at the beginning of winter 2024. Half a million euros have already been allocated for the restoration of the roof. In total, we plan to allocate EUR 2 million for the restoration of the church," Davide La Cecilia said.

According to him, UNESCO can provide assistance in implementing the restoration plan, in particular, it is planned to attract the Ukrainian office of the organization and create a supervisory board with the participation of Italian and Ukrainian institutions, as well as UNESCO.