What? Come again? An entire church ... stolen?

A church has vanished from the Russian village where it stood for almost 200 years, the local diocese said Tuesday.

The Church of Christ's Resurrection, in the central Russian village of Komarovo, was built in 1809 but in early October someone took it away brick by brick, Father Vitaly a spokesman for the local Russian Orthodox Church, told Reuters.

"We have sent a letter to local prosecutors," he said. "Who exactly did this, the investigation will show."

The church was in an isolated area only occasionally visited by clergymen, so the disappearance was not immediately noticed.

...

Thieves routinely make off with church property in rural Russia, where unemployment, petty crime and alcoholism are widespread.

Criminals target religious icons stored in churches because they can fetch a good price, and church buildings are dismantled to provide building materials. Full story...

See also:

1. Okay, times are hard but, stealing 120 tons of ... salt???
2. In Jamaica they steal ... beaches!!!
3. Thieves break into shop and steal a ... shark???
4. Repentant thief sends letter of apology and returns money he stole 7 years ago!!! Wow!