A fire broke out early Saturday at St. Basil’s Cathedral on Moscow’s Red Square, but was quickly extinguished without injuries, Russia’s TASS state news agency reported, citing operational services.
The blaze started on the first floor in the director’s office, where personal belongings and furniture caught fire, an agency source said. The area of the fire was around 10 square meters, according to the source.
Around 10 fire engines were deployed to the scene, TASS reported, noting that operational services later confirmed the fire had been extinguished. The cause of the fire was not immediately disclosed.
The cathedral, with its iconic multicolored onion domes, is one of Russia’s most recognizable landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage site adjacent to the Kremlin. It was built in the 16th century on the orders of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of Kazan.
The incident came as Moscow authorities have been on heightened alert, publishing bomb shelter maps in the capital region amid repeated Ukrainian long-range drone and missile strikes on Russian territory in recent months. Earlier in the week, a major fire engulfed the NKNK petrochemical plant in Tatarstan, over 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
There was no immediate indication that the cathedral fire was linked to any attack, and emergency services said no one was injured. The building remains among the most visited tourist sites in Moscow, drawing millions of visitors each year.
Sources: Kyiv Post, TASS, Moneycontrol
Author: Russia Desk
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