CCT Cosmos

CCT Cosmos (Киноконцертный театр «Космос») is a three-hall cinema and the principal concert hall of Yekaterinburg, Russia. The building, designed by architects G. I. Belyankin and N. N. Nadyozhin with engineers V. V. Burdakin and N. V. Maksimov, opened on 5 November 1967 with a then-huge capacity of 2,386 spectators. It is owned by the municipality, and the building also houses the Kosmos restaurant complex, which belongs to the Globus business club. The venue has been a fixture of Yekaterinburg's cultural life for more than half a century. Its in-house restaurant, opened in March 1976 with 1,000 seats, offered Ural and European cuisine, two banquet halls, a bar and what was described as the first variety theatre (varieté) in Sverdlovsk. In the 1980s the restaurant became a notorious gathering place for Sverdlovsk's criminal underworld and later served as a headquarters for the "centrovye" organized crime group. The cinema was closed in October 1999 on fire-safety orders and underwent a large-scale reconstruction completed by 2003, which changed its exterior and interior and re-equipped the main hall; seating was reduced to 1,939 but made more comfortable. Galina Mikhaylovna Pisulina directed the venue from 1987 to 2011. In 2012 a monument to the Lumière brothers was installed in front of the building for its 45th anniversary, and in 2014 a monument to musician Vladimir Mulyavin was placed nearby. In September 2017 a car rammed the entrance and a fire broke out, seriously damaging the entrance; the cinema was closed for repairs and a film festival was moved elsewhere. The venue continues to operate as a cinema and concert hall.

CCT Cosmos was built in 1967 with a capacity of 2,386 spectators, enormous for its time, and officially opened on 5 November 1967. Its architects were G. I. Belyankin and N. N. Nadyozhin, with engineers V. V. Burdakin and N. V. Maksimov. The cinema and the building itself are municipally owned. In March 1976 a signature Kosmos restaurant opened as part of the cinema-concert complex, seating 1,000 and featuring Ural and European cuisine halls, two banquet halls, a bar in the upper hall, and what was described as the first varieté in Sverdlovsk. During the 1980s the restaurant became a magnet for Sverdlovsk's criminal element, including card sharps, and later served as the headquarters of the "centrovye," one of the most powerful criminal groups in Sverdlovsk-Yekaterinburg in the late 1980s and 1990s. In October 1999 the venue was closed at the demand of the fire service. By 2003 a large-scale reconstruction had completely changed the exterior and interior, equipped the main hall with state-of-the-art technology, and reduced seating to 1,939 while widening aisles and improving comfort. From 1987 to 2011 Galina Mikhaylovna Pisulina headed the cinema-concert theatre. In 2012, for the venue's 45th anniversary, a monument to the Lumière brothers was installed in front of it. In 2014 a monument to Vladimir Mulyavin, a Yekaterinburg native who often performed there with the Pesnyary ensemble, was placed next to the building. On the morning of 4 September 2017 a UAZ vehicle rammed the cinema and a fire of 30 m² broke out. A criminal case was opened for deliberate destruction of property by arson, and a 38-year-old suspect was detained and hospitalized with burns. Some media reported the man set the fire in protest against the film "Matilda," though RIA Novosti noted investigators had not yet established the cause; the BBC, citing Russia's Investigative Committee, reported the suspect was a resident of Irbit with a psychiatric history. The entrance was seriously damaged, the cinema closed for repairs, and a film festival held there was moved to another venue. Only the attacker was injured.

• CCT Cosmos officially opened with a capacity of 2,386 spectators.

• The signature Kosmos restaurant opened as part of the cinema-concert complex.

• Galina Mikhaylovna Pisulina became director, serving until 2011.

• The venue was closed on fire-safety orders.

• A large-scale reconstruction was completed, changing the building and reducing seating to 1,939.

• A monument to the Lumière brothers was installed in front of the venue for its 45th anniversary.

• A monument to musician Vladimir Mulyavin was installed next to the venue.

• A car rammed the cinema and a fire broke out, seriously damaging the entrance.

Yekaterinburg's principal concert hall and a municipally owned cultural venue.

• Cinema screenings

• Concert performances

• Kosmos restaurant complex

1. 1CCT Cosmos - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Космос (киноконцертный театр) - Wikipedia (Russian)ru.wikipedia.org