The Red Church in Olomouc will open in mid-May

Olomouc - The Red Church in the center of Olomouc, which has undergone extensive reconstruction to become a new cultural center, is set to open on May 17. The festive event will be accompanied by a minifestival featuring theatrical performances, a photography exhibition, a concert, and a reading by Alena Mornštajnová, said Iveta Ťulpíková, the director of the Scientific Library in Olomouc (VKOL) to ČTK. The library had used the church as a book depository for several decades. Its spaces are now intended to be utilized for chamber activities by both the Moravian Theatre and the Moravian Philharmonic. The repair costs amounted to 170 million crowns.

"The work is progressing, and the building should be handed over by March 30. If the occupancy permit goes well, we should have a festive opening on May 17. We want to organize a minifestival for this occasion," stated the VKOL director. The opening of the church will be accompanied by an exhibition by Jindřich Štreit, a chamber concert by Monika Štreitová, a composed program by the Moravian Theatre, a reading by Alena Mornštajnová, a fashion show by Šárka Ordošová, and a performance of the play Impressions by the Theatre na cucky.

VKOL will gain suitable representative spaces in the reconstructed areas of the Red Church, as well as a new foyer with a reception and café, which will be in the annex connecting the church with the library's management office. The foyer will feature an approximately eight-meter-high wall covered with nearly 10,000 books, which will conceal the air conditioning. The library has announced a public collection for gathering publications. "The entire wall will be covered with books, into which people could write various messages. We also received help with the collection from libraries across the Olomouc region; we obtained books from inheritances," said Ťulpíková. According to her, among the titles are original works by Russian poets such as Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin.

A hall with a capacity of 200 seats has been created in the church after reconstruction. The spaces will be utilized not only by VKOL but also by the Moravian Philharmonic and the Moravian Theatre. "We have been discussing with the Scientific Library since the beginning of the reconstruction about holding all concerts from our chamber series in the Red Church during the 2023/2024 season. Currently, this collaboration is nearly agreed upon," Klára Mars, spokesperson for the Moravian Philharmonic, told ČTK. "From the start, we have been in contact with the director and are considering several options," said Pavlína Dočkalová, spokesperson for the theatre, to ČTK.

Since 1959, the VKOL had used the Red Church as a book storage facility, but in 2019, all library volumes were moved to a newly constructed depository in Olomouc-Hejčín. A study for the reconstruction of the church was prepared in 2017 by the Atelier-r of architect Miroslav Pospíšil. The reconstruction began in 2020, and the costs were covered by the region. "The total costs for the repair amounted to 170 million crowns," Alena Minxová, spokesperson for the region, told ČTK. She added that the region expects information from the Ministry of Culture today regarding the provision of a subsidy.