1811 Great fire of Podil
Encyclopedia
The 1811 Great fire of Podil occurred on the morning of June 9, 1811 in the historical and commercial neighborhood
of Podil
in Kiev
(Kyiv), the capital of Ukraine
. The fire lasted for three days and almost destroyed the whole neighborhood. Before the fire, the Podil was the city's most densely populated neighborhood; out of 3,672 households in the city, 2,068 were located in the Podil.
The fire's power was strengthened with high winds and the season's severe droughts, where even the nearby Dnieper River
was reported to have been dried out. The city's official version of the cause of the fire, however, was said to be children playing with fire.
More than 2,000 homes, magistrate
buildings, 12 churches, and 3 monasteries were destroyed in the fire. However, some buildings were spared destruction, including the House of Peter I
. Smoke from the fire was reported to have been seen more than 130 km (80.8 mi) away. In response to the fire, the Director of the Kiev Myshkovsky Gymnasium
No. 3 stated:
In 1812, a new plan for the reconstruction of the Podil was drawn up by architects Geste and Melensky. The plan had redrawn the neighborhood's streets into straightaways, thus creating the square city blocks that exist to this day. The fire showed the vulnerability of the city's wooden buildings, some of which would later be reconstructed in stone. Reconstruction after the fire brought about the construction of many architectural landmarks currently standing, including the Contracts House
and Gostnyi Dvir, among many others.
Subdivisions of Kiev
Subdivisions of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, include the formal administrative subdivision into raions and the more detailed informal subdivision into historical neighborhoods.-History of subdivision:...
of Podil
Podil
The Podil or Podilskyi Raion is a historic neighbourhood and an administrative raion in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kiev, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry...
in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
(Kyiv), the capital of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. The fire lasted for three days and almost destroyed the whole neighborhood. Before the fire, the Podil was the city's most densely populated neighborhood; out of 3,672 households in the city, 2,068 were located in the Podil.
The fire's power was strengthened with high winds and the season's severe droughts, where even the nearby Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
was reported to have been dried out. The city's official version of the cause of the fire, however, was said to be children playing with fire.
More than 2,000 homes, magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
buildings, 12 churches, and 3 monasteries were destroyed in the fire. However, some buildings were spared destruction, including the House of Peter I
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
. Smoke from the fire was reported to have been seen more than 130 km (80.8 mi) away. In response to the fire, the Director of the Kiev Myshkovsky Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
No. 3 stated:
In 1812, a new plan for the reconstruction of the Podil was drawn up by architects Geste and Melensky. The plan had redrawn the neighborhood's streets into straightaways, thus creating the square city blocks that exist to this day. The fire showed the vulnerability of the city's wooden buildings, some of which would later be reconstructed in stone. Reconstruction after the fire brought about the construction of many architectural landmarks currently standing, including the Contracts House
Contracts House
The Contracts House is a trade building in the Podil neighborhood of Kiev , the capital of Ukraine. The Contracts House received its name because the city's contracts were signed there. It is located on the Kontraktova Square, once one of the Podil's main trading centers...
and Gostnyi Dvir, among many others.