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Russians Become World Champions of Fire Sculpture

Two fire sculptures burn on Saturday night. Kaspars Garda

A pair of Russian sculptors has won the second world championships of fire sculpture, beating teams from 11 other countries.

Rashid and Tatyana Sagadeyev won the competition in Riga, held as part of the celebrations beginning the Latvian city's year as the European capital of culture this weekend, the Riga2014 organization website said.

The Russian pair beat 11 teams from Europe, the U.S. and Australia with their sculpture "The Abduction of Europa," named after the Greek myth. The competitors were given straw and wood and charged with building structures no more than six meters wide, which were then all burnt on Saturday night.

A Lithuanian team won the first fire sculpture world championship, which took place in 2011.

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