For the Russian Federation's lawyer, Andrea Pinna, the episode was a "non-event," nothing more than "a property owner wanting to inspect their premises." For the faithful of the Saint-Nicolas-et-Sainte-Alexandra Orthodox Church in Nice, the shock was much harsher. On Thursday, May 22, as the congregation was leaving the service, they saw a bailiff arrive, accompanied by lawyers and a locksmith. After a tense, hour-long standoff – and the arrival of the police – the parishioners had to step aside to allow the visitors in. Armed with cameras, they inventoried all the objects inside the church, starting with the icons.

"There were about 30 of us attending the liturgy on this Saint Nicholas Day, patron of our parish," recounted Tatiana Chirinsky Abolin, a 79-year-old retired physics professor. "We were having a snack in the library, on the first floor, after the service, when they arrived. If we hadn't been there, what would they have done? Was the locksmith there to force the door or to lock us out?"

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