Relics worth over $250,000 stolen from patriarch's residence in Trinity Laura of St. Sergius

   

 Moscow, November 13, - Orthodox relics have been stolen from the patriarch's residence in the Trinity Laura of St. Sergius.

The thieves broke a window of the patriarch's residence in the Trinity Laura of St. Sergius and stole a chest that contained the Calvary stone, a Gospel in silver setting (made in 1720), a shroud called the Assumption of Our Lady, and an icon bearing the image of Our Lady on Sunday evening, the source said.

The patriarch's residence was unguarded and was not equipped with any alarm system at the time of the theft.

The police have opened a criminal case based on Article 164 of the Russian Criminal Code (stealing objects that have special value).

The estimated worth of the stolen objects exceeds 8 million rubles, the source says.