CLEVELAND (WJW) — Cleveland firefighters battled a fire at a 128-year-old historic and famous church in the Tremont neighborhood Tuesday afternoon near Professor and Starkweather Avenues.
Flames could be seen shooting from the top of the church.
The fire was at St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral.
St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio was the site for scenes in the 1978 blockbuster movie The Deer Hunter, including a 51-minute wedding scene.
The Academy Award winning movie starred Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep.
“It’s devastating. I was baptized here, married here and this church means a lot to our community,” said church member and neighbor George Kusber.
There were no injuries.
Fox 8’s Brad Hamilton reports that firefighters believe the fire started while workers were making repairs near the second level of the church and that a portion of the church collapsed.
The structure itself was saved but there is significant water damage, firefighters told Hamilton.
Crews were able to help save crucial artifacts that could have been lost if not for their effort.
The church was founded in 1896 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
According its website, “Welcome to the website of the oldest Orthodox Christian Parish in the State of Ohio! We are a parish of the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the Midwest. We are delighted that you came for a visit! Take a look around at who we are and what we do.”
Paul Kiska
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