The reconstructed Notre Dame Cathedral was solemnly opened in Paris: about 50 world leaders and high-ranking officials arrived at the ceremony
On December 7, a solemn opening ceremony of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral took place in Paris. This is a significant development, as Notre Dame, which was damaged in a devastating fire on April 15, 2019, was rebuilt in five years, as promised.
About 50 world leaders and high-ranking officials attended the opening ceremony. Among them are the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the newly elected President of the USA Donald Trump, for whom this visit was the first abroad after winning the elections, as well as the President of Poland Andrzej Duda, the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili and many other famous people.
As reported, representatives of the world elite were also present at the event. In particular, British Prince William, US First Lady Jill Biden with daughter Ashley Biden, and entrepreneur Elon Musk were spotted in the hall. The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska did not accompany Volodymyr Zelensky at this event.
The ceremony was opened by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who made a speech about the importance of this event for French culture and history. He was supported by the first lady of France, Brigitte Macron.
A fire in 2019 caused significant damage to the Gothic building of Notre Dame. The fire destroyed the spire, the wooden roof and part of the vault of the cathedral. Thanks to the efforts of more than 600 firefighters, they managed to save the main structure, the unique stained glass windows, most of the statues and one of the main shrines, the Crown of Thorns.
846 million euros were collected for the restoration of the cathedral. Funding was provided by major patrons and hundreds of thousands of private donors from around the world. More than 2,000 craftsmen took part in the restoration: masons, engineers, restorers, sculptors and other specialists. Their work not only returned the cathedral to its original appearance, but also equipped it with modern technologies. For example, the new roof became fire-resistant and received an integrated fire extinguishing system.
Speaking at the ceremony, Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the reconstruction of Notre Dame has become a symbol of unity, revival and international solidarity. Volodymyr Zelenskyi also noted the importance of this event, stressing that such moments unite peoples.
The broadcast of the solemn event could be watched live, in particular with simultaneous translation into Ukrainian, which allowed millions of viewers to join in the celebration of the restoration of one of the greatest monuments of world culture.
