Film palace: the last movie screenings were held in the House of Cinema
On January 31, the Central Cinema House held its last two movie sessions. On February 1, the building will be closed for a four-year reconstruction. To say goodbye to one of the landmark points on the cultural map of Moscow came not only regulars - viewers of the older generation, but also young people. "Izvestia" visited the House of Cinema on the eve of its closure and tried to understand why the need for radical measures.
House with history
On January 31, the Cinema House on Vasilyevskaya Street received the audience for the last time. Since Monday there will be no events here. The staff will stay to prepare for the move. Union of Cinematographers four years - until the completion of reconstruction - will work in the building on 9 Usievicha Street.
In the evening of January 29, director Alla Surikova organized in the legendary House of her creative evening and farewell to the walls native to her and the audience. The queue for this event was a long snake. In the Great Hall was a full house. Students of the State Institute of Film and Television before the last premiere show in the foyer staged a performance - a mournful farewell to the Central House of Cinematographers and a wake. At the last film sessions on January 31 at the House of Cinema also crowded people. Hugged old acquaintances, someone carried flowers. Sadness and anxiety literally hung in the air.
The House of Cinematographers was opened in 1934 in the building of Alexeyevsky People's House built in 1909, named in honor of the son of Nicholas II. Then it caused a great resonance. In "Kinogazeta" wrote:
"I think the first thing that flashes in the mind of every movie worker who came to the opening is "It can not be!". Moscow filmmakers walked on soft carpets, sat on the most comfortable chairs, watched beautiful paintings by the best Soviet artists, viewed the latest foreign newsreels, tried the new cues in the billiard room, surprised by the comfort and coziness and looked at each other disbelieving eyes, as if asking: "Is all this really ours? Is there really a House of Cinema?" And everyone was really happy that the House of Cinema really exists, that the alienation of film workers from each other, the internal isolation of the film environment, its isolation from creative workers of related arts, from the general Soviet, scientific and working public has finally been destroyed.
All these functions the legendary House performed for 90 years - this anniversary it celebrated last year.
In 1967, a new building in the style of Soviet modernism with the famous emblem on the facade - a sculpture of a bird with a laurel branch flying over a roll of film - was erected next to the Alekseev House.
In 2012, Nikita Mikhalkov, chairman of the Russian Union of Cinematographers, said that the building of the Cinema House was in a catastrophic condition and needed a serious overhaul. According to the deputy chairman of the Union Valery Tonkikh, Mikhalkov wanted to carry out the reconstruction back in 2006 and the relevant documents were drawn up with the Moscow government.
- But then this decision was not supported by filmmakers and everything was postponed - told "Izvestia" Valery Tonkikh.
According to him, today the situation with the building is even worse.
- We, of course, periodically made cosmetic repairs, but the deterioration of load-bearing surfaces, communications, water, sewage - all this is in a terrible state, - he says. - We are ashamed just for the toilets, for the heat in the hall. The premises of the Big Cinema were designed by Kurortproekt. The project was designed for southern cities, so it is very cold here in winter. The Ministry of Emergency Situations has shut us down every year since 2016. All regulations are violated, we only promise that we will have a reconstruction.
Apartments for prime ministers
The decision to reconstruct, as the deputy chairman of the Union of Cinematographers said, was made four years ago at the congress. Tonkikh noted that during the reconstruction, the 1909 building, a cultural heritage monument, will be preserved and restored. The White Hall will be located there, as it is today, on the second floor. On the first floor there will be a union room and a restaurant.
- The whole space will be subordinated to the quality of the premieres, which should bring, among other things, a serious income for the House of Cinema. The new building, where the Great Hall is now, will be, as now, will have a cubic shape, but all floors with glazing, so that from the street could be seen and our panel Léger (during the design of the new building the Union was presented with a stained-glass window by Fernand Léger, created by him in 1951. - Ed.) and what activities are going on.
Valery Tonkikh said that the new House of Cinema provides a large hall for 800-850 seats, exhibition space, Small Hall for 70-80 seats - on the minus first floor. There will also be toilets, checkrooms, buffet. And on the courtyard side there will be an office building with workshops and offices. There will also be a conference room where we can show movies.
- Please find a place for trial screenings - a small hall for 10-12 people, but it is in demand when you need to invite someone, including foreign guests, - he said.
Many people are outraged by the fact that a multi-storey apartment building will adjoin the new building of the Cinema House. Muscovites ask if this is the reason for the grand reconstruction.
- There will be a high-rise apartment building. But none of us, cinematographers, to buy an apartment in it will not be able to, because in the center of the capital are very high prices. We need the apartment building to get money for reconstruction. This is a multi-billion dollar project - in general, it is estimated to cost 10 billion. Our part is 3-4 billion. We don't have it. And we did not ask the state when it is possible to combine an innovative project with reconstruction," Tonkikh explains. - If it was possible to limit ourselves to overhaul. And that - it is unclear where to get the money for it, because it is the property of the Union of Cinematographers, and we are a public organization, and what we sometimes earn on rental events, barely enough to pay salaries. Utility costs alone are half a million a month.
According to him, the old equipment before the reconstruction will be distributed to regional branches, it will not be idle. And in the new House of Cinema will be all new. In addition, the building will be equipped with everything necessary for immobile viewers, and escalators and a freight elevator are provided.
- We are now compiling a serious specification, specialists and "Mosfilm" involved, and other companies, forming a request for the most modern equipment. Although in the Small Hall will retain the ability to show movies on film- said the deputy chairman of the Union of Cinematographers.
The whole world is grieving
But no matter how they explain the necessity of reconstruction, many people cry for the old, worn-out walls, which will be demolished.
- There was a creative evening of Alla Surikova. She frankly grieves, cries, writes poems, because in this House all her premieres were held. And Valentina Telichkina, a member of the Union of Cinematographers, People's Artist of Russia, who lives nearby, of course, is also worried. Like all the people who have worked here," says Valery Tonkikh. - Young people, of course, also come here, but mostly older viewers. First of all, they are attracted by the fact that it is free of charge. The new Cinema House will try to work more effectively in terms of self-sufficiency. There will be paid events, but the free club events will remain.
Valery Ahadov's credentials.
Reductions in the staff of the House of Cinema, according to him, will indeed take place.
-24 people will be reduced. These are controllers, administrators, editors, sound operators, video technicians. Mostly pensioners. We have employed five people," Tonkikh noted.
Valery Akhadov, Artistic Director of the Cinema House, shows his certificate from the USSR Union of Cinematographers, where he has been since 1972.
- I am, apparently, now, one of the oldest members of the Union. I had premieres here, and my master, and other outstanding directors. This House gave us a way into life - if you have a premiere in the House of Cinema, it means you are noticed, - he told "Izvestia". - But when I came here as a director, I had one task - to return to this House of the young generation of filmmakers. And for them this building turned out to be very shabby and old, they simply don't perceive it. There is not the smell of antiquity here, but of ruin. Everyone who has been here and shown their pictures will remember this House. But it is inconvenient for premieres. It's cold, the elevator doesn't work.
In his opinion, it's time for a remodel.
- I have known the history of this building for a long time. And about 18 years ago, there was already talk that we should do something about it. Especially since this is the Central Cinema House, people come here from all over with premieres, foreign masters come here, and embassies visit. It's not very presentable. Moreover, there is no place to sit and talk, there is no small hall where you could show your picture to your colleagues, - said Valery Akhadov.
Artistic Director of the Cinema House Valery Akhadov
Be that as it may, the regulars of the Cinema House now have only to wait and hope that the new space for cinephiles will be really comfortable, cozy and technically equipped. But the old walls will remain in the memory of cinematographers forever.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
