A wooden church of the nineteenth century dedicated to the Kazan Icon of the Holy Theotokos in the Holy Kazan Monastery in the village of Chimeevo in the Kurgan region almost completely burned down during a fire on Wednesday, July 3.
“(Information – Ed.) has been confirmed in my conversation with the Ministry of Emergency Situations. According to their data, the church is almost entirely burned down,” said Dmitry Brovko to the Interfax-Religion agency, who is the head of the Department of Accounting and Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects, the Service for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects of the Regional Governments.
According to him, before that there were only three wooden churches.
“Now two. This is a big loss,” said Dmitry Brovko.
According to the website of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) of Russia, the message about the fire came on July 3 at 14:15.
“Forces and means of higher level were sent to the site of the fire ‘CALL #2‘. At 14 hours 49 minutes on the area of 165 sq.m. the fire was successfully localized, and at 16:04 – eliminated. Currently, the structures are being watered and analyzed. No, evacuation with the use of special equipment (rescue masks, stairs, etc.) was not required,” the statement reads.
Preliminary the cause of the fire is the emergency operation of the electrical equipment that was provoked by the air conditioner in the church.
It is noted that now the MES officials are looking for the venerable Chimeevo Kazan Icon of the Mother of God at the place of the fire.
The consecration of the church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God took place in May 1890. The monastery was founded on this place in July 2002. In addition to the burnt church, the monastery includes two more churches: one dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice” and the other is dedicated to the Venerable St. Seraphim of Sarov.
