From the former Russian barracks, there are places of ruins, but also a school and a museum

Prague - The former presence of the Soviet army in the Czech Republic is still remembered 30 years later by a number of abandoned buildings. Some of the buildings have found new uses as apartments, warehouses, or social institutions after renovations. The former secret storage facility for Soviet nuclear ammunition in Brdy has been an attractive Atom museum for seven years. However, elsewhere the usage of often dilapidated military complexes is still being sought.

Among the locations most affected by the presence of Soviet troops is Ralsko in the Českolipsko region. Some buildings still stand, others are in a state of disrepair, and some have already collapsed. The Liberec region, which took over part of the former military area from the state in 2007, is preparing to demolish 17 buildings. They want to obtain a grant for the project costing 42 million crowns.

The city of Ralsko itself is also striving for a solution to the situation. "We are trying to invest in revitalization, the situation is improving, but it is slow for my taste," said Mayor Miloslav Tůma (ANO) to ČTK. According to him, the biggest obstacle to further development is the transport infrastructure. "When we try to bring an investor here, the first thing they are interested in is transportation connections," Tůma lamented.

A large base of Russian troops was also located in Milovice in the Nymburk region. In part of the former military area, there is now a reservation for large hoofed animals. It is inhabited by two herds of wild horses, as well as European bison and aurochs.

The use of other lands around Milovice is the subject of an urban and architectural study, which the Central Bohemian Region will present at the investment opportunities fair in Cannes, France, in early March. Governor Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová (ANO) stated at the end of last year that among five options, building a city and amusement park near Milovice appears to be the best.

A problem in the revitalization of former military facilities is often the lack of funds. An example is the dilapidated building of the former military hospital in Jaroměř-Josefov in the Náchod region. The city would like to turn the area into a social and health facility where people with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases could find help. "But this is completely beyond our financial capabilities. We estimate the costs at one billion to 1.5 billion crowns," said the mayor of the thirteen-thousand-strong town of Jaroměř to ČTK.

In Vysoké Mýto in the Ústeckoorlicko region, barracks dating back to the Austro-Hungarian era, as well as newer buildings, have been successfully sold off. The city kept part of them. Thus, apartments, private company facilities, a fitness center, offices, and a community building have sprung up from the barracks. One of the buildings houses a primary school.

The barracks in Milíře in the Tachov region have also found new use. In the first half of the 1990s, the district office converted them into a social care institution for youth with a capacity of 65 children and adults up to 40 years old. The region manages it and it is mostly occupied.

A specific use is the former storage facility for Soviet nuclear ammunition near Míšov in the Plzeň region. For seven years, the Iron Curtain Foundation has operated an Atom museum there, presenting the history of nuclear armament to visitors. The community welcomes the activity because the exhibition attracts tourists to the area.