Russian Demolition Worker Dies After Stadium Roof Collapses

The demolition of the St. Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex led to the death of a worker on January 31. (Wikimedia Commons)

Matvey Kucherov, a 29-year-old Russian demolition worker, died on January 31 after the roof of the St. Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex (SKK) collapsed underneath him. 

Drone footage shows Kucherov, apparently without a harness, using a blowtorch to dismantle a girder of the stadium’s roof before clambering for safety as the roof and most of the walls began to rapidly cave in. First responders found his body buried in the rubble that evening.

The 40-year-old arena in St. Petersburg has hosted both concerts and sporting events. When Kucherov was working on the building’s demolition, which was happening in order to make room for a 23,000-seat venue for the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship. 

Even though the SKK’s demolition was underway, the roof’s collapse occurred prematurely. An analysis of the footage by Luna maintains that the destruction was caused by a loss of balance in the system of cables. However, people still debate whether the incident occurred due to an error or if a decision was made to “promptly drop” the roof.

Kucherov was one of four employees working at the stadium at the time of the collapse. Investigators are now questioning the three survivors, one of whom was seen safely standing in a cage as the building broke down.

Although the death of Kucherov appears to be an accident, some key investigations could still happen. One probe may look into SK Pride, the contracting company hired to dismantle the SKK. CEO Anton Shevchenko claimed that his company had nothing to do with the roof’s collapse.

Another company involved in the demolition process, AN-Dorstroystrans, could also be at fault. The owner of the three-month-old subcontracting company, Anzor Aliyev, denied involvement in the premature collapse of the stadium as well.