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 parish community is obviously very affected by this sad event and calls for solidarity to repair the damaged items.
According to the most probable scenario, the perpetrators broke into the church around 3 a.m. to steal funds collected during a special offering from parishioners on Sunday, April 28th. They damaged the sanctuary’s centerpiece, the church’s iconostasis. Icons placed on lecterns were also knocked over, probably when the intruders tripped over a chain.
A priceless item damaged only 3 Years after its restoration
Created in 1845 on the orders of Emperor Nicholas I for Princess Barbara Butera-Shuvalov, the iconostasis of St. Barbara’s Church in Vevey is a highly valuable item, classified as historical movable heritage in the Canton of Vaud. It had been fully restored in 2021, requiring no less than 11 months of work by artisans tasked with reinforcing its wooden structure, filling structural gaps, restoring the paintings, and regilding the entire piece. The cost of this well-deserved rejuvenation was 150,000 Swiss francs.
Barely restored, the church’s iconostasis now needs to be restored again. The schedule and cost of this work will be communicated shortly.
Deeply saddened by these senseless acts, the community of St. Barbara’s Church is no less determined to restore all its beauty to this highly symbolic and historic item! Feel free to make a donation to support the restoration of the iconostasis: