Moscow will on Saturday pay a last tribute to rescuers who died when extinguishing a major fire in an art center in the Russian capital two days ago, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.
The fire engulfed the Grabar All-Russian Art, Scientific and Restoration Center on Thursday. It covered around 2,000 square meters. The Emergencies Ministry sent 20 fire teams and three firefighting helicopters to put out the blaze. Two rescuers - medic Alexander Dymchikov and firefighter Vyacheslav Shashin - died.
The fire was extinguished two hours after it broke out.
Russian art experts fear dozens of works of art including religious icons may have been damaged or destroyed in the fire. Russian Culture Ministry spokeswoman Natalya Uvarova said more than 400 art treasures from various Russian museums were in the building when the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed, but media reports said welding works that had been underway in the building could have started the blaze.
The art center was established in 1918 by Igor Grabar, a scientist and fine-art expert, who headed it until 1930. The center has mainly focused on ancient Russian art, 18th century Russian art and scientific examinations of paintings and graphic works.
Grabar center specialists have been involved in the restoration of many art treasures, including Andrei Rublyov's The Old Testament Trinity icon and frescoes in the Moscow Kremlin and several ancient Russian churches.
MOSCOW, July 17 (RIA Novosti)
