Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord vandalized in Zagreb

On the morning of April 23, 2026, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Zagreb was attacked by vandals. The incident took place the day after the Serbian Orthodox Church commemorated the victims of the genocide, including victims of the Jasenovac concentration camp, which made the incident particularly poignant and caused deep concern among the religious community.

According to Orthodoxia News Agency, the Archdiocese of Zagreb-Ljubljana expressed «deep concern, sadness and pain» over the desecration of the shrine. In an official statement, the diocese called on the competent authorities of the Republic of Croatia to conduct a fair and responsible investigation, as well as to take all necessary measures to ensure that hate speech in public space is timely recognized and suppressed. The Church hierarchs emphasized that the attack on the sacred site is a blow to the fundamental values of peace, dignity and human coexistence.

The Cathedral of the Transfiguration, built in 1866 and designed by Croatian architect Franjo Kline, is a protected cultural site in Croatia. Despite the fact that during its long history the church has suffered from wars and persecutions many times, it has always been restored by the efforts of the faithful. In recent years, after the devastating earthquake in Zagreb, the building was in the process of extensive restoration. «Material damage will be repaired, but such events are a blow to the hard-won trust and brotherhood between people,» the text of the appeal says. The diocese called on public institutions and citizens to make efforts to preserve the spirit of mutual respect, emphasizing that the cathedral has always been and will remain a place of prayer for all people of good will.