Russia is appalled by news that the Russian Orthodox Church’s St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tehran was damaged in an airstrike by the US and Israel, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"We are horrified by the news of the serious damage and significant material losses inflicted on April 1 on St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tehran as a result of yet another barbaric airstrike by the U.S.-Israeli tandem," Maria Zakharova said.
The diplomat pointed out that we are talking about a unique historical and architectural site, "a one-of-a-kind Orthodox church operated by the Russian Orthodox Church and included in the Iranian national cultural heritage list."
The spokeswoman also clarified that since 1945, this religious site has served as "a place of strength for the Russian Orthodox diaspora and a spiritual link to the historical homeland."
"The entire Orthodox community of Tehran, regardless of citizenship, contributed as much as they could to preserving it through labor or donations," Maria Zakharova said.
