The Ministry of Culture will publish the procedure regarding the fate of the Krumlov turntable this year

Vimperk - The Ministry of Culture will announce later this year what the new revolving auditorium in Český Krumlov will look like and where it will be located. The issue of the Krumlov revolving stage and its location will likely be discussed in autumn at the UNESCO meeting in Saudi Arabia. Culture Minister Martin Baxa (ODS) shared this information with reporters today before a government meeting in South Bohemia's Vimperk.

The new revolving auditorium could be situated in the former greenhouse behind the castle garden. This is the most realistic option. A new rotating stage and its facilities would be created, as stated in February by the director of the South Bohemian Theatre, Lukáš Průdek, and the Krumlov deputy mayor, Zbyněk Toman (ODS), to ČTK. Until the new auditorium is completed, performances will continue in the current one located in the castle garden. Heritage protectors have long criticized that the rotating stage is in the garden. According to the National Investment Plan for the years 2020 to 2050 of the former government, the estimated costs for building a new rotating stage were about 1.5 billion CZK.

"We are negotiating with the South Bohemian Region for a long-term sustainable solution. After all these decades, we have some path drawn out, and this year we should announce which path we will take. The stance of UNESCO is essential because there has been a long-term discussion about whether the revolving auditorium belongs to the gardens of the Český Krumlov Castle. We are in negotiations with UNESCO; earlier this year, I sent an explanatory letter to UNESCO, and this topic will likely be discussed in the autumn at the UNESCO meeting in Saudi Arabia," said Baxa.

As earlier stated this year by members of the working group discussing the revolving auditorium, it is most likely that the new rotating stage will be in the former greenhouse behind the castle garden. It would involve an expansion of the castle garden, mentioned Krumlov deputy mayor Zbyněk Toman (ODS).

"We are talking about a strategic solution to end the dispute between the revolving auditorium and the (summer palace) Bellaria. It is based on what I consider to be the optimal solution for several years, which is an expansion of the garden with a theater wing featuring a revolving auditorium and facilities for both the audience and the theater," Průdek told ČTK in winter. The Bellaria summer palace is currently being renovated by heritage protectors. The theater, which performs before the rotating stage, had been using it as a facility.

České Budějovice, which owns the rotating stage, has a contract with heritage protectors for renting the castle garden until the end of this year. The working group under the Ministry of Culture is discussing a contract for 2024 and how the current rotating stage will operate at the renovated Bellaria.

Last year, the South Bohemian Theater attracted 52,469 spectators to the Krumlov rotating stage, generating revenues of 43.9 million CZK. This year, from June 2 to September 10, it will present six titles there. The revolving stage in Český Krumlov accounts for four-fifths of all revenue for the theater. The South Bohemian Theater includes drama, opera, ballet, and the Small Theater group. This year, it has an operational contribution from the city of České Budějovice of nearly 154 million CZK.

The theater has been performing in the Krumlov castle garden since 1958. The original auditorium was designed by theater architect and scenographer Joan Brehms (1907 to 1995). The current rotating stage has been in operation since 1994 and was produced by Škoda Plzeň. It accommodates 644 spectators, weighs 650 tons, and is powered by four electric motors. Since 1958, approximately 2.5 million spectators have visited the rotating stage.