Kinoteatr Ukraina

Kinoteatr Ukraina (Ukrainian: Кінотеатр «Україна»; Russian: Кинотеатр «Украина») was a cinema complex located at 5 Horodetskoho Street in Kyiv, Ukraine. It was one of the city's most prominent cinemas, known for its two auditoriums and its location in a building with a rich cultural history. The cinema operated from its opening on 26 May 1964 until it ceased operations on 1 October 2018, following the sale of the building to new owners. The cinema had two halls: the "Red" hall with 456 seats and a screen measuring 14.5 m by 6.2 m, and the "Blue" hall with 148 seats and a screen measuring 7.75 m by 3.3 m. Both halls were equipped with seven-channel Dolby Digital Surround Ex sound systems and sound-absorbing panels. The building itself was originally constructed in 1903 as the "Hippo-Palace" circus, designed by architect E. P. Bradtman. It was the only two-story circus in Europe at the time, accommodating 2,000 spectators, and was renowned for its unique acoustics. Its stage hosted famous opera singers such as Feodor Chaliapin, Leonid Sobinov, and Titta Ruffo, as well as writers Vladimir Mayakovsky and Alexander Kuprin. On 20 April 1918, the building was the site of the election of Pavlo Skoropadsky as Hetman of Ukraine. The circus building was blown up by retreating Soviet troops in late September 1941 and dismantled to its foundation in 1945. The current cinema building was constructed on the same site and opened on 26 May 1964 as Kyiv's first widescreen cinema. It was designed by architects L. V. Dobrovolsky and A. Ya. Kosenko, with engineers M. B. Grinvald and F. M. Beilin. The original cinema had two halls: a large one with 700 seats and a small one with 220 seats, stacked one above the other. The large hall was intended for widescreen, wide-format, and standard films, while the small hall was for wide-screen and standard films. In September 1965, the cinema hosted the premiere of the film "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors," during which Vasyl Stus, Viacheslav Chornovil, and Ivan Dziuba publicly protested against Soviet policies, exposing secret arrests of Ukrainian intelligentsia. The cinema was reconstructed and reopened on 6 February 2001. It finally closed on 1 October 2018 after the building was purchased by new owners.

The building at 5 Horodetskoho Street in Kyiv, which later housed the Kinoteatr Ukraina, was originally constructed in 1903 as the "Hippo-Palace" circus. Designed by architect E. P. Bradtman, it was the only two-story circus in Europe at the time, capable of seating 2,000 spectators. The circus was owned by the renowned horse trainer Krutikov. The building was noted for its unique acoustics and was frequently used for creative evenings and concerts. Its stage hosted great opera singers such as Feodor Chaliapin, Leonid Sobinov, and Titta Ruffo, as well as Vladimir Mayakovsky and Alexander Kuprin. On 20 April 1918, the building was the site of the election of Pavlo Skoropadsky as Hetman of Ukraine. In late September 1941, the circus building was blown up by retreating Soviet troops, and in 1945 it was dismantled to its foundation because the ruins were beyond restoration. On 26 May 1964, the Kinoteatr Ukraina opened as Kyiv's first widescreen cinema. The project was designed by architects L. V. Dobrovolsky and A. Ya. Kosenko, with engineers M. B. Grinvald and F. M. Beilin. The cinema originally had two halls: a large one with 700 seats and a small one with 220 seats, located one above the other. The large hall was intended for widescreen, wide-format, and standard films, while the small hall was for wide-screen and standard films. From the second-floor foyer, visitors could enter the auditorium in two streams within 3-4 minutes. The ticket lobby was isolated from the main entrance to avoid crossing flows of spectators. In September 1965, the cinema hosted the premiere of the film "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors," during which Vasyl Stus, Viacheslav Chornovil, and Ivan Dziuba took to the stage in a public protest against Soviet policies, publicizing information about secret arrests of Ukrainian intelligentsia. The modern cinema reopened after reconstruction on 6 February 2001. Due to the purchase of the building by new owners, the cinema ceased operations on 1 October 2018.

• 2018

  Closure on 1 October after building sold to new owners.

• 2001

  Reopening after reconstruction on 6 February.

• 1965

  Premiere of 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors' with public protest by Vasyl Stus, Viacheslav Chornovil, and Ivan Dziuba.

• 1964

  Opening of Kinoteatr Ukraina as Kyiv's first widescreen cinema on 26 May.

• 1945

  Ruins of the circus dismantled to the foundation.

• 1941

  Circus building blown up by retreating Soviet troops.

• 1918

  Election of Pavlo Skoropadsky as Hetman of Ukraine held in the building.

• 1903

  Construction of the Hippo-Palace circus building on the site.

Historic premier cinema in central Kyiv, known for its architectural heritage and as a venue for cultural and political events.

• Red Hall

  456 seats, screen 14.5 m by 6.2 m, Dolby Digital Surround Ex.

• Blue Hall

  148 seats, screen 7.75 m by 3.3 m, Dolby Digital Surround Ex.

1. 1Wikidata: Kinoteatr Ukrainawikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia (Russian): Украина (кинотеатр, Киев)ru.wikipedia.org