Fire breaks out at iconic Moscow convent near Kremlin (VIDEOS)

A blaze broke out at Moscow's Rozhdestvensky Convent, one of the oldest buildings in the capital.

Footage by RT’s video agency Ruptly shows the fire engulfing the roof of a building behind the historic nunnery’s wall, with thick smoke billowing. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.

Also known as the Convent of Nativity of Theotokos, the nunnery is located about two kilometers outside the Kremlin’s walls and is one of the oldest buildings in downtown Moscow.

Ruptly’s live feed showed the ancient building’s roof still burning on the inside, after firefighters said they'd contained the spread of the blaze in about half-an-hour.

The fire was fully put out by 9:30pm Moscow time. Authorities said the building at the epicenter of the blaze was not a cultural heritage site. They are now assessing the possible damage to other buildings of the convent, which was originally founded in 1386 and moved to its current location in 1484.

In 2015, a blaze raged for hours at Moscow's iconic Novodevichy (New Maiden) Convent — one of the city’s top tourist attractions — while the building was undergoing refurbishment efforts.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!