Having mastered the fire, mankind has significantly advanced on the path of development. He has become an integral part of life. But, getting out of control, fire can cause great harm, and is deadly to life. Fires are terrible not only by fire, but also by combustion products. This all-consuming force sweeps away everything in its path. Let us look back at the architectural monuments that suffered from fires.
The most famous architectural monuments that suffered from fires:
1
Temple of Artemis
We begin our list with the history of the burning of the Temple, built in honor of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis at Ephesus. A religious building was erected in the middle of the VI century BC, and it was included in the list of Seven architectural wonders of Antiquity.
According to legend, in 356 BC, on the night of the birth of Alexander the Great, a citizen of Ephesus named Herostratus burned the temple of the goddess. The only motivation for his crime was the desire to become famous.
The temple was restored, and the name of Herostratus became a household name and remained in history. This, despite the fact that the authorities of Ephesus decided to permanently erase his name.
Intentional arson opened a chain of tragic fires that damaged architectural masterpieces.
2
Royal Exchange in London
The first commodity exchange in England was located in a building built in 1571 in the business district of the British capital. Its founder was Thomas Gresh, who paid for the construction.
The opening was attended by Queen Elizabeth I of Great Britain, and the exchange became a symbol of the financial well-being of the kingdom. In 1666, a severe fire broke out in London. Many city buildings, including the trading exchange building, suffered.
The building was restored, and in the 1980s it opened a luxury shopping center. Statues of merchants meeting buyers at the entrance remind of their past destinations.
By the way, on our sites you can look at the most beautiful parks in London.
3
Imperial Orphanage
A.Savin (Wikimedia CommonsWikiPhotoSpace)
The Moscow fire of 1812 destroyed two-thirds of city buildings. The knowledge of the university, the Buturlin library and many other masterpieces of architecture were affected.
The building of the Imperial educational house burned down in a fire. It was founded in 1764 by the great Russian enlightener Ivan Betsky on the embankment of the Moscow River. Before the revolution of 1917, it was the longest building in the city. Along the embankment, its facade stretches for 379 meters.
After the fire, the building was restored, and various reconstruction and reconstruction works continued until the 1960s.
4
Ostankino Tower
Photo by: Elke Wetzig (elya).
In 1967, a monumental TV tower rushed into the sky of Moscow, erected according to the original project of Soviet architects and engineers.
Its height with a spire is 540.1 meters. She became one of the main attractions of Moscow New time. But this beauty did not escape the fire. Due to overvoltage, high-frequency cables flashed on August 27, 2000.
At a height of 400 m there was a large fire, which was difficult to extinguish due to the high altitude. The fire caused the collapse of the elevator, in which 3 people died.
5
Manege
Photo: Wikipedia / Shakko
The Moscow Manege in the heart of the Russian capital caught fire on the day of the presidential election on March 14, 2004. The fire, as the investigation later established, was on the roof.
The historical building was erected in 1817 in order to restore the architectural appearance of Moscow after the fire of 1812. Emperor Alexander I personally observed the progress of the construction. Here, reviews were held, as well as various exhibitions.
The roof has always been a weak point of the building, so in 2004 it completely burned down. Two firefighters died in the fire, and the restoration took 2 years. The building was restored according to old drawings and photographs. TheBiggest hopes that despite such a quick recovery, the work was done efficiently.
6
Porvoo Cathedral
Top photo: © Manu Kerola / wikimedia.org
Bottom photo: © Olli-Jukka Paloneva, PM 30th May, 2006, [email protected]
In the Finnish city of Porvoo in XIII a beautiful cathedral was erected, and in 1723 it became the center of the Lutheran diocese. The walls are painted with majestic frescoes, and the cathedral itself is considered an architectural monument.
On May 29, 2006, the cathedral began on the roof of the cathedral. The dedication of the firefighters prevented the spread of fire, preserving the unique architectural designs. Ceiling ceilings and decoration of the temple was not affected.
The investigation established that it was arson. For the crime, the local 18-year-old was sentenced to 6.5 years. Two years were spent on restoration, and in July 2008 the temple was opened for visits and worship.
7
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
Photo by Ferox Seneca.
The oldest Catholic temple in China is located in Ningbo. It was founded in 1696, and the new building was erected in 1713.
On the night of July 29-29, 2014, a fire broke out in the temple building, covering a huge area. 50 firefighters took part in the extinguishing, but it was very difficult to deal with the elements. The spread of fire was facilitated by wind and intense heat.
The cathedral was almost destroyed. Only the bell tower remained, and several buildings adjacent to the religious construction. Note that the burnt building acquired its appearance in 1872. The authorities allocated funds for the restoration, and in 2018, the renewed and restored Cathedral of the Virgin Mary opened its doors to believers.
8
The bell tower of the Novodevichy Convent
Photo by: Ivtorov.
Part of the magnificent architectural ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent, the bell tower was erected in 1690. At the top of the five-tier bell tower is an octagonal drum crowned with a bulbous dome traditional for Russian architecture.
In 2014, the restoration of the entire monastery complex, including the bell tower, began. There were bell towers and natural disasters in history. So, in 1998, during a hurricane, the cross was demolished, and on March 16, 2015 the scaffolds set up for restoration work caught fire.
The fire spread over an area of 300 m², and reached a mark of 70 m. The coordinated actions of firefighters did not allow the complete destruction of the architectural monument.
9
Puttingal Temple in India
Photo above: the temple before the fire. Photo by Sudheeshthulaseedharan.
Photo below: after the fire. Photo by Arunvrparavur.
One of the greatest tragedies of our time associated with the fire. Traditionally, in April, a festival is held in India in honor of the goddess Bhadrakali.
During the festival, thousands of pilgrims visit the temple of this revered goddess. Another tradition is the launch of fireworks. They became the reason for the large-scale fire of the temple on April 10, 2016. At first there was an explosion, and then a strong fire began.
111 people died in the fire, and 350 people received burns and injuries of varying severity. All of them were citizens of India, and the whole world expressed condolences to the Indian people.
10
Horse Guards Arena in St. Petersburg
The author of the project of a monumental building in the Russian capital of that time was the Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi. The building was built in 1804-1807 in the elaborate classicism style.
Here was the training of cavalrymen of the Life Guards Horse Regiment. The exercises were held both in winter and in summer. They also taught a ceremonial ceremonial departure. The walls of the building remember the visits of Alexander Pushkin, as well as the great Russian commanders.
Since 2013, restoration work has been carried out in the building. Everything was ready for the opening of the updated arena, when on May 6, 2016 the wooden floors of the attic lit up. The fire covered 400 m², but was quickly eliminated by the forces of the Ministry of Emergencies.
11
Glasgow School of Art
Posted by John a s / wikimedia.org.
The Glasgow School of Art was founded in 1845, and a new building for it began to be built in 1887. Construction was completed in 1909 and a beautiful Art Nouveau architectural structure grew in the city center.
In 2010, a special commission recognized it as the best in 175 years of English history. But she did not escape the tragedy. Around 12:30 on May 23, 2014, a fire broke out within the walls of the school. The cause of the fire was the explosion of the projection apparatus, which was in the basement.
The fight against fire lasted about 7 hours, and firefighters managed to preserve the structure of the building, wall paintings and the interior. Fortunately, no one was hurt during the fire.
12
National Museum of Brazil
Photo by: Lu Brito.
In the heart of the Brazilian capital, among the picturesque landscapes of the Quinta da Boa Vista park, stands the magnificent building of the National Museum of Brazil. It is also a scientific research center.
The three-story building, in which unique artifacts and works of art are stored and exhibited, caught fire on September 2, 2018. Fire covered all three floors of the museum. Instantly on fire, the entire collection perished, and this is more than 20 million exhibits.
Specialists took up the painstaking work to restore those exhibits that could be restored. The authorities of the Latin American country called this event a nationwide tragedy.
13
Assumption Church in Kondopoga
Top photo: Author: Sergey Sverdlov.
Bottom photo: Posted by Timin Ilya.
A monument of Russian wooden architecture burned down in August 2018. The investigation established that the cause was a deliberate arson.
For the first time the church, consecrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Karelia, is mentioned in 1563. The burnt church was built in 1774 and was one of the oldest in Russia, completely built of wood.
In the Soviet period, it was inscribed on the List of Cultural Heritage. Survived many restorations, political upheavals, but the “new Herostratus” deprived the Russians of a unique architectural masterpiece. Recovery projects are being developed, but antiquity is lost, and this will already be a remake.
14
Notre Dame de Paris
The oldest cathedral in Europe was and remains a symbol of the French capital, and the most visited tourist attraction. It was founded in 1163, and construction was finally completed in 1345.
The fire of April 15, 2019 stirred up the whole world, and all the news agencies of the world broadcast the struggle of Paris firefighters with the fire element live. It is worth noting that firefighters were in no hurry so as not to harm the architectural monument even more.
The spire collapsed as a result of the fire, the roof was destroyed. The interior of the cathedral was also damaged. Investigators proved this to be an unintentional arson. Projects are under development to restore what was lost as a result of the fire, but it will already be a different Notre Dame.
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Finally
In conclusion, we note that most of the listed monuments were restored, and some were permanently wiped off the face of the earth. Our article is another reminder to humanity that we need to take care of our cultural heritage and handle fire carefully. TheBiggest editors are waiting for any comments on this subject from you. Perhaps you recommend us to add a few more architectural monuments to the list, which we have not undeservedly included in this list.
Article author: Valery Skiba