What the "Kyiv" Cinema looked like over 70 years ago: an archive photo

The first cinemas began to appear in Kyiv in the early 1900s. One of the first was the "Express" Cinema, located at 38 Khreshchatyk Street. It was the largest cinema in the capital.

Founded by Austrian entrepreneur Anton Schanzer, it was a real luxury for its time: a spacious foyer, columns, a large chandelier, comfortable red armchairs, and sculptures of nymphs that adorned the screen.

History of the Kyiv Cinema

Over time, other cinemas began to appear, including the "Kyiv" Cinema (located at 19 Velyka Vasylkivska Street). It was founded in 1952. "Kyiv" became one of the most famous cultural institutions in the capital. Its modern architecture and exemplary technical solutions made it one of the main cinematic landmarks of Ukraine.

Social media showed what the cinema hall looked like when it opened:

In the early 2000s, the "Kyiv" Cinema underwent a large-scale reconstruction, the first in half a century. The renovation started in 2000 and covered all the halls and premises of the institution. In March 2002, the 290-seat "Red Hall" reopened to the public, and in January 2003, the renovated "Blue Hall," with a capacity of 328 seats, was opened to the public. Since then, the cinema has been offering its visitors the best films of world cinema.

During the reconstruction, special attention was paid to the technical equipment of the halls. Thanks to the Dolby Digital EX sound system, the audience could enjoy realistic sound effects, creating an "immersive experience" in each movie. A rear channel was added to the "Blue Hall," and a new English-made screen allows for high image contrast.

The seats in the halls have also been updated, with comfortable Italian seats with armrests and popcorn and drink holders, and the distance between the rows has been increased to 110 cm. In addition, the cinema premises and halls were equipped with a modern air conditioning system, which ensures comfortable conditions for the audience.

Closing of the facility

In 2019, the lease of "Kyiv" Cinema with "Cultural Center Cinema Kyiv" LLC expired, and several companies expressed interest in leasing it. On April 15, 2019, Cinema City won the auction, offering a monthly rent of UAH 2,169,253. The term of the new lease is 10 years, and since then the cinema has been operated by the new tenants.

On June 7, 2019, "Kyiv" Cinema ceased operations after the building of the "Kyiv" Cinema was transferred to a new tenant. In 2021, the Kyiv Commercial Court returned the cinema premises to the previous tenant, which was "Kyiv Cinema Cultural Center" LLC.

In June 2022, the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office announced that officials of the Kyiv Department of Communal Property and the director of "Kyiv Cinema Film" would be tried for losses of more than UAH 22 million.

The prosecutor's office said that in 2019, an official of the Kyiv Department of Communal Property and the director of Kyivkinofilm agreed with a private company to lease the premises of the Kyiv Cinema, which provided that the rent would be UAH 2.1 million (excluding VAT) per month. However, the tenant requested an inspection of the cinema building and subsequently, the commission drew up an illegal act "on suspension of the parties' obligations under the lease agreement in terms of accrual and payment of rent due to the tenant's inability to use the cinema premises."

Since 2019 and until now, the building of the Kyiv cinema has been empty, the cinema is an architectural monument of local importance, so its purpose cannot be changed – in accordance with the current legislation.

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