Courtyard of a Rus Prince
Rus and, until modern times, most Russian cities were extensively built from wood, a plentiful local resource. Houses, churches, barns, city fortifications, and other structures were all wood. Fire of course was always a danger. Moskva, for example, had at least six major natural fires (in 1365, 1547 twice, 1626, 1648, 1752). Wars also burnt Russian cities. Moskva, for example, was burnt by the Golden Horde (1238 and 1382), by the Crimean Tatars (1571), and by the French or Russians themselves (1812). Civil wars also resulted in city fires, and, for example, Kiev during the decline of Kievan Rus was burnt by rival Rus princes more than once.