The city of Ilyichevsk is well known to all lovers of the economy of Ukraine. After all, it is its port, which is in the shadow of the brilliant Odessa, that accounts for the maximum domestic cargo turnover. The status of the city of Ilyichevsk received in 1973, although this area of the Northern Black Sea coast was inhabited by people in the Copper and Bronze Age, as evidenced by the burials found here. In the XIII century the Tatars settled on these fertile lands, and in the XIV century their patrons — the subjects of the Turkish Sultan.
The last significant migration was the concentration of fugitive serfs from the western territories of the Russian Empire and Moldavian Principality on the bank of the Sukhoi Liman in the beginning of the XVIII century. The settlers were mainly engaged in fishing, cattle breeding and wheat growing. Later, when the Northern Black Sea coast became part of the Russian Empire, Greeks, Germans and Swedes were invited here, who were engaged in the same fishing, herding sheep-cows and growing bread.
Today the city is home to 45,000 people. To meet their spiritual needs in Ilyichevsk there is a Museum of Fine Arts and Saint Transfiguration Church, which was built in the XIX century and is shrouded in a whole host of mysteries and secrets.
Holy Transfiguration Church was built in a very popular in the century before last pseudo-classical style. It is a small structure consisting of a narthex, cross-shaped body of the temple, refectory and adjoining bell tower. A distinctive feature of this temple were differently colored domes above the narthex and above the bell tower. Above the temple it is spherical and golden, above the campanella (bell tower) — pointed and silver. The church itself is painted in the color of fallen rose, which is equally well matched with both domes. The church is active and is under the jurisdiction of the Odessa Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Orthodox people who come on vacation in the Black Sea region visit this church with pleasure. Although it is not included in the UNESCO list or in the register of sights of Ilyichevsk, but it is beautiful, and the sun’s glare shimmers so wonderfully on its colorful domes.