these dramatic photographs show a huge fire breaking out last night in the bell tower of a russian monastery dating from the 16th century the blaze at the novodevichy convent in moscow broke out late yesterday in wooden scaffolding surrounding the tower as it undergoes restoration the emergencies ministry for moscow said the tower itself did not suffer significant damage and the fire's spread had been halted around midnight scroll down for video  fire: the blaze at the novodevichy convent in moscow broke out in wooden scaffolding surrounding the tower as it undergoes restoration  blaze: the emergencies ministry for moscow said the tower itself did not suffer significant damage and the fire's spread had been halted  stunned: dramatic photographs showed shocked orthodox nuns watching firefighters extinguishing the blaze last night  emergency: the octagonal tower, which is more than 200ft tall, is on the site of one of the russian capital's top visitor attractions  noted for its buildings and cemetery: the convent   which was founded in the 1520s   sits above an oxbow turn in the moscow river  one vivid image showed shocked orthodox nuns watching firefighters extinguishing the blaze last night the octagonal tower, which is more than 200ft tall and dates from the late 1600s, is on the site of one of the russian capital's top visitor attractions the convent   which was founded in the 1520s   sits above an oxbow turn in the moscow river, and is noted both for its buildings and its cemetery many of russia's most celebrated figures are buried there, including soviet leader nikita khrushchev and russia's first president, boris yeltsin also among those buried there is playwright anton chekhov, and composers dmitri shostakovich and sergei prokofiev cemetery of celebrities: many of russia's most celebrated figures are buried there, including soviet leader nikita khrushchev and  boris yeltsin  tower: built in the so called moscow baroque style, the convent was part of a series of monasteries integrated into the city’s defence system  top attraction: the convent was closed in 1922 and became the museum of women’s emancipation before reopening as another museum  how it normally looks: a nunnery was reintroduced there two decades ago in 1994, and it was given unesco world heritage status in 2004  buried in cemetery: soviet leader nikita khrushchev (left), russia's first president, boris yeltsin (centre), and playwright anton chekhov (right) the convent, built in the so called moscow baroque style, was part of a series of monasteries that were integrated into the city’s defence system it contains what unesco states is an ‘important collection of paintings and artefacts’, and was used by women of the tsar’s family and the aristocracy the convent was closed in 1922 and became the museum of women’s emancipation, before later being reopened as an historical and art museum a nunnery was reintroduced there two decades ago in 1994, and it was given unesco world heritage status ten years later in 2004
blaze at novodevichy convent moscow 200ft octagonal tower moscow river soviet nikita khrushchev dmitri shostakovich
blaze at novodevichy convent broke out  in wooden scaffolding surrounding tower as it undergoes restoration  emergencies ministry for moscow said tower did not suffer significant damage and fire's spread was halted  200ft octagonal tower, which dates from the late 1600s, is on site of one of moscow's top visitor attractions  convent founded in 1520s, sits above oxbow turn in moscow river, and is noted for buildings and cemetery  among those buried in cemetery are soviet leader nikita khrushchev and composer dmitri shostakovich 