Let us restore the church of St. Barbara in Vevey!

The church of St. Barbara in Vevey is a true emblem of the Orthodox presence in French-speaking Switzerland. There is now an urgent need to restore its interior.

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5 good reasons to support the restoration

Built in 1878, the Church of St. Barbara in Vevey is one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Western Europe.
The whole church is classified as a historical monument, and protected by the State of Vaud and the Swiss Confederation.
The church is fully part of the cultural life of the region. Its rich history and unique style give our church a special place in the religious architecture in Western Europe.
Apart from some makeshift repair, the church has never benefited from any complete restoration of its interior since its construction. This heritage is today in a worrying state of dilapidation.
The State of Vaud is supporting this project, which is implemented under the high patronage of both the General Directorate of Buildings and Heritage (DGIP) and the Department of Cultural Affairs.

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Urgent works

Restoring the interior decoration of the church as well as more than 500 liturgical objects of great value, which are in very bad condition, has now become necessary to ensure the preservation of this heritage. Technical installations (e.g. heating, lighting, and electricity systems) must also be brought up to standard quickly to avoid any incident, guarantee safety and ensure optimal preservation of this heritage. The total estimated cost of the restoration works amounts to 5.63 million francs.

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A Foundation to take care of the restoration process

The Foundation for the Restoration of the Church of St. Barbara in Vevey was created in early 2020, in order to carry out the fundraising campaign. The Foundation is recognised as a public interest entity, which is independent of the parish. The statute of the Foundation guarantees that the collected funds will be used only for their stated purpose.

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The church of St. Barbara in Vevey is an important heritage treasure. Its interior is now in a serious state of dilapidation. Help us restore it!

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News

Planting of a new tree to replace the century-old chestnut tree

10 October 2024 | Church life

Severely damaged by the storm of June 22, 2023, the century-old chestnut tree in the garden of Sainte-Barbara church had to be felled. An unavoidable decision, as the tree threatened to fall on the garden's occupants and the railroad tracks. However, Vevey's municipal...

The Iconostasis of the church damaged during a burglary

13 May 2024 | Church life, Works

During the night of April 28th to 29th, individuals broke into our church, presumably to steal funds collected during the Sunday afternoon service. To reach their target, the criminals broke the royal doors of the iconostasis and knocked down icons in their haste. The...

2024 programme to restore and refurbish the church

15 March 2024 | Works

Following on from the programme of restoration and rehabilitation of Saint Barbara's Church and its heritage assets, which began in stages in 2017, this year of 2024 will focus particularly on the issue of lighting. The church's interior lighting system, which dates...