Notre Dame opened its doors for the first time after a devastating fire — it has been under renovation since 2019

In Paris, the Cathedral of Notre Dame opened for the first time since the devastating fire of 2019.

Le Figaro and The Guardian write about it.

More than 1 300 builders and craftsmen from all over the world took part in the restoration of the cathedral, and they became its first honored guests. €700 million was spent on restoring the cathedral.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke at the opening of the cathedral. He addressed a speech to all who participated in the restoration of Notre Dame:

"The fire of 2019 was our national trauma. Your work and care became medicine for her. You have recreated art from the ashes," Macron said.

The cathedral will be officially opened on December 7. The leaders of many states, specialists from which participated in the restoration, were invited to the ceremony. After that, Notre Dame will start receiving tourists and parishioners as usual.

During the restoration, the builders replaced the ceilings, repaired the roof and rebuilt the nave — the fourth time since 1182.

More than 1 600 tons of scaffolding were needed for the overall restoration of the cathedral. More than 1 000 cubic meters of stone were used to restore the walls, and 1 200 oak trees were used to repair the framework of the nave and roof.

Carpenters used 13th century techniques to ensure the structural integrity of the beams. In addition, the wood was processed in the same way as in the Middle Ages — while it was still green, it was cut with a hand ax and then dried.

• The Notre Dame fire broke out on April 15, 2019. Then the fire destroyed the roof and spire of the building, and the walls, stained-glass windows and the organ were covered with soot. Miraculously, the section with the 13-ton bells was saved: if they had fallen, the walls of the cathedral might not have been able to withstand it.
• Donations were made for the restoration of Notre Dame from all over the world, it was possible to collect almost a billion dollars — and now, after five years of reconstruction, it will soon be opened. More than 250 companies and hundreds of experts restored the monument.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.