Saint Barbara Church, Vevey

The Russian Orthodox Church, also called the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Megalomartyr Barbara, is a Russian Orthodox Church in Vevey, canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It is listed as a heritage site of national significance.

History

In the 19th century, an important Russian population resided around Lake Geneva, mainly in Geneva and Montreux/Vevey. One of the most prominent Russians in Vevey, Count Schouwaloff, saw his spouse and his only daughter Barbara die. Barbara was married either to Prince Dolgorouki or to Count Orloff, depending on the sources. Schouwaloff wanted to immortalise the memory of his daughter and built an Orthodox church dedicated to the Great Martyr Barbara.
The church was designed in Saint Petersburg by Ippolito Antonovitch Monighetti between 1875 and 1878. It was built by Vaudois architect Samuel Késer and consecrated on November 1, 1878. It became a parish church in 1949 and was listed among the Cultural Property of National Significance in 1977. For a long time, the administration of the church aroused controversy between the churches of Vevey and Geneva.