Winter Cherry complex
A former shopping and entertainment complex in Kemerovo, Russia, remembered primarily for the fatal 2018 fire that destroyed the site.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Winter Cherry complex was a shopping and entertainment center in Kemerovo, Russia. Known in Russian as торгово-развлекательный комплекс «Зимняя вишня» and transliterated as Zimnyaya vishnya, it operated from a building converted from a former Soviet-era confectionery factory. The complex opened in 2013 and contained approximately 23,000 square meters of commercial and leisure space. Its facilities included retail areas, a children's entertainment center, a petting zoo, a bowling alley, and cinemas. The combination of shopping, family recreation, and children's attractions made it a prominent local destination, particularly during school holidays. The building's internal design was later widely criticized as difficult to evacuate. Reports described a four-story structure with relatively few windows, limited routes to upper floors, and a layout that included a main staircase, a lift shaft, and an escalator. On 25 March 2018, a fire began on the fourth floor in or near a children's play area. The flames spread rapidly through combustible materials, including foam associated with trampoline or play equipment. Dense smoke filled parts of the complex, while several people were trapped in cinema auditoriums. Survivors reported that alarm and evacuation procedures failed, that some exits were blocked, and that doors to cinema areas were locked or difficult to open. A security guard was reported to have disabled or failed to activate the fire-alarm and voice-alert systems, although investigative accounts differed on the precise sequence of failures. The disaster killed at least 64 people, including 41 children, according to official figures. Around 200 animals from the petting zoo also died. Many victims were children attending the complex during the first day of a school holiday; some were watching a film in the cinemas when the fire and smoke spread. Some people escaped by breaking through doors or jumping from windows, while Tajik shopkeepers were credited with helping approximately 50 people through an alternative exit. More than 600 first responders worked for over 17 hours, and severe heat and smoke prevented firefighters from entering parts of the building for many hours. The tragedy prompted a criminal investigation into fire-safety failures, the conduct of complex personnel, and the response of officials. Several people connected with the complex were detained, and investigators examined allegations that the alarm system had not functioned properly in the preceding period. In 2021, eight people associated with the mall received prison sentences for fire-safety violations or failures to assist victims. Separate proceedings in 2023 resulted in prison sentences for two regional officials in a case involving embezzlement, fraud, and negligence connected with the disaster's broader official aftermath. The fire generated public demonstrations in Kemerovo, criticism of regional and municipal leadership, and a national day of mourning in Russia on 28 March 2018. Kemerovo Oblast governor Aman Tuleyev resigned on 1 April 2018, citing the burden of the tragedy. The complex was demolished during 2018. A memorial park, later named Park of Angels, was built on the site and opened in September 2019. As a result, Winter Cherry no longer exists as an operating commercial brand or venue; its continuing public significance is tied to the victims, the fire-safety failures, the legal proceedings, and the memorial landscape that replaced it.
History
Winter Cherry was a shopping and entertainment complex in Kemerovo, a major city in southwestern Siberia. The venue occupied a converted former confectionery factory, reflecting a common post-Soviet pattern in which industrial buildings were adapted for retail and leisure use. It opened in 2013 with about 23,000 square meters of space and was organized as a family-oriented destination rather than solely as a conventional shopping center. Its attractions included shops, cinemas, a bowling alley, a children's center, and a petting zoo. These facilities brought together commercial activity and high-volume recreational uses, particularly for families with children. The building's physical configuration became central to later assessments of the disaster. Descriptions of the complex emphasized its maze-like interior, limited windows, and relatively small number of routes to upper floors. The premises reportedly relied on a main staircase, an elevator shaft, and an escalator for vertical circulation. The fourth floor contained entertainment facilities, including a children's play area and cinemas. Such a layout created serious evacuation challenges once smoke and heat spread through the upper levels. On the afternoon of 25 March 2018, at approximately 16:00 local time, a fire began on the fourth floor. Accounts cited a children's trampoline or play area and combustible foam materials as the location of the initial spread. The exact ignition mechanism was disputed in early reporting: investigators and officials considered possibilities involving a lighter, an electrical lamp, loose wiring, or melted plastic coming into contact with foam. Regardless of the precise ignition source, the fire developed rapidly and generated extreme heat. Survivors described flames and thick black smoke moving through the children's area and cinema spaces. Some people in the cinemas reportedly received no audible warning and had to force open doors or escape through windows. Several cinema roofs collapsed as upper-floor sections fell into the level below. The evacuation was further impaired by alleged failures in the alarm and safety systems. Investigators reported that the fire alarm had not operated correctly in the period before the fire, while other accounts said a security guard had switched it off. Staff were criticized for not activating the voice announcement system promptly, and investigators reported that some fire exits were blocked. The head of Russia's Investigative Committee publicly condemned the conduct of personnel who allegedly left the building rather than helping parents and children. At the same time, individual workers and bystanders were credited with assisting people, including Tajik shopkeepers who helped approximately 50 people leave through an alternative route. More than 600 firefighters and other first responders worked for over 17 hours. Heat and smoke prevented responders from entering portions of the structure for roughly 12 hours. The disaster killed at least 64 people, including 41 children, according to official figures. Thirteen people were hospitalized in the immediate aftermath, and many bodies required DNA identification. The petting zoo's animals also died, with reports estimating the loss at approximately 200 animals. The fire triggered criminal and administrative scrutiny at multiple levels. Four people were detained during the initial investigation, including the head of the company managing the complex. Charges were brought against a firefighting-unit leader under the provision concerning negligent dereliction of duty resulting in multiple deaths; investigators said he failed to respond appropriately to reports that people were trapped on the fourth floor. In 2021, eight people connected with the complex received prison sentences for fire-safety offenses or failing to aid those in danger. In 2023, two Kemerovo-region officials were imprisoned in a separate case involving embezzlement, fraud, and negligence. The disaster also had major political consequences. Public rallies in Kemerovo called for the resignation of Mayor Ilya Seredyuk and regional governor Aman Tuleyev. Tuleyev resigned on 1 April 2018, stating that the fire had become an unbearable burden, and President Vladimir Putin accepted the resignation. Russia held a national day of mourning on 28 March, while memorials of candles and flowers appeared throughout the country and in other cities internationally. The building was demolished in 2018. A memorial park designed for the site was begun in 2019 and opened as Park of Angels on 15 September of that year. Winter Cherry therefore ceased to exist as an operating venue, while its name remained closely associated with the 2018 Kemerovo fire and the continuing public debate over fire safety, accountability, and official response.
- 2023
Related officials convicted
[1]Two regional officials receive prison sentences in a case involving embezzlement, fraud, and negligence.
- 2021
Eight defendants sentenced
[1]Eight people associated with the mall are sentenced to prison for fire-safety violations or failure to assist victims.
- 2019
Park of Angels opens
[1]A memorial park is opened on the former complex site on 15 September.
- 2018
Fatal fire destroys the complex
[1]A fire on 25 March kills at least 64 people, including 41 children, and causes extensive damage to the building.
- 2018
National mourning and political fallout
[1]Russia holds a national day of mourning, while protests and political pressure follow in Kemerovo. Governor Aman Tuleyev resigns on 1 April.
- 2018
Site is demolished
[1]The damaged Winter Cherry building is demolished during the year.
- 2013
Complex opens in a converted factory
[1]Winter Cherry opens in Kemerovo after a former confectionery factory is converted into an approximately 23,000-square-meter shopping and entertainment complex.
Products and positioning
A family-oriented local shopping and entertainment complex combining retail, cinemas, children's attractions, and leisure activities.
Shopping center services · 2013
Retail shopping
The complex provided conventional retail space within a larger mixed-use leisure destination. Specific tenant brands and store categories are not identified in the supplied reference material.
Family entertainment · 2013
Children's entertainment center
A children's recreation area formed one of the complex's principal attractions. The fourth-floor play area reportedly included trampoline or bouncy-castle equipment and became the reported origin area of the 2018 fire.
Cinema · 2013
Cinema complex
Winter Cherry included three cinema auditoriums. During the 2018 fire, people were trapped in cinema spaces, and two cinema roofs reportedly collapsed as upper-floor structures fell downward.
Leisure entertainment · 2013
Bowling alley
A bowling facility was part of the complex's leisure offering, complementing its cinemas, children's attractions, and retail areas.
Animal attraction · 2013
Petting zoo
The complex operated a petting zoo as a family attraction. Reports following the fire stated that approximately 200 animals died in the disaster.
Controversies
2018
Winter Cherry fire and fire-safety failures
The 25 March 2018 fire killed at least 64 people, including 41 children. Subsequent investigations and public criticism focused on the reported failure of alarms, blocked exits, inadequate evacuation, the conduct of security and management personnel, and shortcomings in the emergency response.
Brand decisions
2019
Conversion of the former mall site into a memorial parkStrategyBackground
The former complex site became a place of mourning after the 2018 fire and demolition.
Action taken
A memorial park designed by architect John Calvin Weidman was developed and opened as Park of Angels on 15 September 2019.
Aftermath
The commercial use of the site ended, and the location became a permanent memorial to those who died.
2018
Demolition of the damaged complexOtherBackground
The building was severely damaged by the fire and became the subject of extensive criminal, safety, and public scrutiny.
Action taken
The Winter Cherry building was demolished during 2018.
Aftermath
The site was later redeveloped as a memorial location, culminating in the opening of Park of Angels in 2019.
Recent events
- 2019
Park of Angels opens on the former mall site[1]
Other
A memorial park known as Park of Angels opened on 15 September 2019 at the site where the demolished complex had stood.
- 2018
Russia observes a national day of mourning[1]
Other
28 March 2018 was designated a national day of mourning following the Kemerovo disaster. Vigils and informal memorials appeared across Russia and abroad.
- 2018
Winter Cherry building is demolished[1]
Other
The damaged complex was demolished during 2018, ending the site's use as a shopping and entertainment venue.
Sources1 sources
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