Reaching for the sky

It’s the world’s only wooden skyscraper, and it’s causing a stir in the northern city of Arkhangelsk. One man's dream home could become a threat to the city’s local population.

Despite having been in prison, Nikolay Sutyagin was able to claim the title of the city's richest man, and the house was a way of showing off his wealth

It was only meant to be 2 storeys high but then it grew to 13 storeys high. It’s now a contender for the title of the world's tallest wooden building. 

It has no mod cons, not even a floor in most places. Nikolay ran out of money before he ran out of ideas for his wooden palace, which he hoped would become a hang-out for his business clients, a place where they could relax.

While the authorities may not like it and want to tear it down, they are apparently powerless to do anything about it.  Local residents, meanwhile, worry that it could burn down taking with it many of the neighbouring wooden houses for which this city is famous.

Nikolay who's spent years reaching for the sky in his timber temple has now been brought back to earth, realising that he's unlikely to complete his masterpiece and that what has been built could tumble down at any moment.