REGIONS.Ru reports that the senior priest Eduard Solovyev from Nizhniy Novgorod region has been sentenced to 2.5 years-imprisonment for icons stealing. Supported by an assistance he counterfeited icons and books from his church and sold the originals all over the country and abroad.

The cost of items stolen is about 500 thou roubles. Among the values there are XVII century icons and a Gospel with unique silver engraving. The items have not been found yet.

It is the first case of a priest being condemned in Russia.