Zagreb, April 24, 2026
Photo: mitropolija-zagrebacka.org
The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Zagreb was vandalized overnight on April 22-23, with an unknown perpetrator throwing chairs and other objects from nearby restaurants at the church entrance, fence, and gate.
According to a news report from the Diocese of Zagreb and Ljubljana, the incident occurred on Cvjetni Square in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 23. An old stained glass window was smashed and entrance lighting was destroyed, causing material damage to the historic cathedral.
The cathedral, built in 1866, is a protected cultural monument of the Republic of Croatia and the center of the local Serbian Orthodox diocese.
In its public statement in response to the incident, the diocese expressed “deep concern, sadness and distress” over the attack, which occurred on a day when “we prayerfully remember the victims of the Holocaust, including those who innocently suffered in Jasenovac.”
The diocese called on Croatian authorities “to prosecute this attack fairly and responsibly, as well as to do everything to ensure that hate speech in the public space is recognized, condemned and prevented.”
The statement emphasized that “an attack on a sacred site represents a blow to the fundamental values of peace, dignity and coexistence among people.”
Noting the cathedral has undergone major renovation following the devastating earthquake that struck Zagreb in 2020, the diocese stated: “With gratitude to God and all who participate in it, we witness that the church is returning to life, is again filled with believers, as a place of peace and prayer among people of different names and origins.”
The diocese encourages the faithful “to continue coming to their church with confidence and peace, which remains a place of prayer, gathering and community, open to all.”
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