A famous 18th-century Russian church was destroyed by fire last week. The Dormition Church at Kondopoga in Russia’s northwest region of Karelia was widely seen as a marvel for its design and longevity. Built in 1774, it was one of the few remaining examples of Russia’s wooden architecture from that period.
The blaze erupted Friday after a group of tourists visited the building. Officials at first suspected that some of them could have violated fire safety rules. But they were also considering arson as the cause. Yesterday, Russia’s state-run news outlet reported that a 15-year-old boy claimed responsibility for dousing the building in gasoline and setting the fire.
The fire quickly engulfed the exclusively wood building. Fire teams arrived within minutes but were unable to save the structure, which was commissioned by Russia’s Empress Catherine the Great. It had burned to the ground in just two hours.
Local authorities are considering building a replica. They estimate the cost at around $1.2 million.
(AP Photo: The Dormition Church in Kondopoga, Karelia region in northwest Russia, as it appeared in 2012. The 244-year-old wooden church was destroyed by fire on August 10, 2018.)
