MANEZHNAYA WHERE?

I hope I didn't confuse anyone with my last post. The fire at the Manezh made it onto international news, though only briefly I hear.

The Manezh is (or was) quite a famous early-19th century building just off the Kremlin, which rather symbolically and spectacularly burnt to the ground on election night. Perhaps it was an accident (it's not the only important building in central Moscow to catch fire in recent months), or a protest, but most likely in my opinion it was a deliberate tactic by the government to divert media attention from the elections.

Incidentally square next to Red Square is called Manezhnaya square, after the building. The Manezh was architectually special because it used a cunning system of beams to remove the need for internal supports. This made it ideal either for its initial use, as a riding school and parade ground, or for its final use, as an exhibition centre and gallery.

I happened to be in the city centre on the evening of the fire and saw the whole thing almost from the start. The roof of the Manezh was made of wood so the fire spread incredibly quickly. Groups of Russians stood around, agog, until the police moved them (and us) on. More enterprising locals turned up with crates of beer to sell, and the public toilets made a killing. The emergency services seemed to do little to tackle the blaze, although later reports said that several firemen had died tragically and heroically. I don't want to be cynical.

Incidentally, I walked past the burnt-out remains of the Manezh several days after the fire. The roof is completely gone but the outside walls are still standing. With its large arches it looks more like a Roman ruin than anything. I hope that the authorities leave it standing. I doubt they will.