Scheme how Kyiv has lost another cultural center – “European cultural center «Krakiv»

The renovation of the building of the “Krakiv” cinema in Kyiv at Rusanivska Naberezhna, 12, which was followed by a number of scandals between the local community and the balance-keeper of Municipal Enterprise (ME)  “Kyivkinofilm” together with contractors, ended with the preparation for the closure of another cultural centre of the capital. Currently, a corresponding decision has been prepared for the closure of the Municipal Enterprise  “European Cultural Center “Krakiv”, to which, according to the charter, the Kyiv authorities had to transfer the building of the eponymous cinema to the balance for the effective conduct of its statutory activities. This cultural centre was established in 2016 by the corresponding order of the Kyiv City State Administration to support and develop versatile creative groups in the Dnipro district of Kyiv.

Again, the Kyiv community, due to the corresponding decisions of the Kyiv City Council and Mayor Vitalii Klychko, lost the Cultural Center “Kyiv” Cinema”, where famous film festivals used to be held and where world cinematography stars used to come. Since 2019, the building has not been used for cultural events, its condition is unknown. Read about this in our article “The director of the Cultural Center “Kinoteatr “Kyiv“ first told how the raider occupation of the premises happened” and continued in “Bondarenko: “The City Hall did not offer anything to the Cultural Center. Our spectators turned out to be real fighters for “Kyiv“.

At the disposal of “Aktyvni hromadiany” (“Active Citizens”) was a draft resolution on the liquidation of the “European Cultural Center “Krakiv” ( “Krakiv” ECC) by the Kyiv Council. It was drafted by the Members of Parliament of the Kyiv City Council Viktoriya Mukha (“UDAR”, political party), Hanna Starostenko (currently is the Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration, until 2012 was heading the charity organisation “Klytschko Brothers” Foundation) and Volodymyr Andrusyshyn (“Yevropeiska Solidarnist” (“European Sokidarity”)) according to the mandate of the Deputy Mayor – Secretary of the Kyiv City Council Volodymyr Bondarenko dated May 30, 2023 №. 08/231‑618/PR.

Since 2019, repair work has been carried out in the cinema building, which was supervised by the Public Council under the Dnipro District State Administration. Oksana Abrashekova, “European Cultural Center “Krakiv”’s director, who won the corresponding competition for this position, gave recommendations on how to improve the functional capabilities of the future cultural centre. She and like-minded people developed the concept of filling the premises of the “Krakiv” ECC, so that the creative groups of the Dnipro region could develop there, taking into account the financial capabilities of these groups.

In a comment to “Active Citizens”, Oksana Abrashekova provided a preliminary list of groups that were waiting for the completion of the renovation in order to start developing their creativity in modern conditions. These are the following groups:

• Sports Ballroom Dance Ensemble “Matador”;
• “Amazonka” theater;
• Bard Club of Kyiv “Gitara po kolu”;
• Club of Illusionists of Ukraine;
• “Vichno zeleni” vocal studio;
• “Zhart” theater of eccentrics;
• Ukrainian Children’s School of Cinematography;
• “Krakiv” String Quartet;
• The theater studio of the “Vilnyi” theater;
• Studio of pantomime;
• “Rusanivskyi Jazz Club” project.

The concept of the functioning of the “Krakiv” ECC looked like this:

According to the available information, only one of these groups – the “Rusanivskyi Jazz Club” – has been to hold its events in the building of the “Krakiv” cinema. A contract has been signed with one of the group’s representatives… the new asset holder of the building is the newly formed enterprise “Kyiv Cultural Cluster” (“Kyiv Cultural Cluster”). Interestingly, Denis Khomych, the director of “Kyivkinofilm” ME became its director out of competition.

“Active Citizens” received a copy of this contract upon relevant request.

Scheme

The situation was as follows. In 2016, at the request of various creative groups, as well as residents of the Dnipro district of Kyiv, the Municipal Enterprise European Cultural Center “Krakiv” was established by a corresponding vote in the Kyiv City Council to support and develop versatile creative groups in the Dnipro district of Kyiv. According to the Statute of this Municipal Enterprise approved by the Kyiv Council, the building at Rusanivska Naberezhna, 12 was to be transferred to it on the balance sheet.

However, according to local residents, the local Member of the Parliament of the Kyiv City Council also had his own plans for this building. That is why, according to the residents, the building was not transferred to the balance sheet of the “Krakiv” ECC before the repair works in 2019.

На паспорті об’єкта дата закінчення робіт вказана “31.12.2020р”

“All these years, the “Krakiv” ECC was engaged in repair work in the cinema building. The Municipal Enterprise of the “Krakiv” ECC is the legal successor of all rights and obligations of the former “Krakiv” cinema. Today I became aware that they intend to liquidate our company. A draft decision was submitted on the liquidation of the enterprise “Krakiv” ECC with the wording that it does not  operate, there is no building on its balance sheet, and all functions to satisfy the cultural needs of the community, which should be performed by the “Krakiv” ECC, will be performed by the Municipal Enterprise “Kyiv Cultural Cluster”, on the balance of which is the building of the “Krakiv” cinema. In other words, all these years we have been vainly expecting that there would be an enterprise, which was registered in 2016 by the Kyiv City Council’s decision to reorganise,” – Oksana Abrashekova, director of the the  “Krakiv” ECC, mentioned in her address to the Kyiv community.

As for the lack of work of the the “Krakiv” ECC, for example, at the end of May, this utility company organised an almost 6-hour family holiday festival “Rusanivka Fest“. Since the “Krakiv” ECC was not permitted to the stage of the long-renovated building of the “Krakiv” cinema, the festival took place on the street.

Another interesting thing is the legal basis on which the building of the “Krakiv” cinema was conveyed to the balance sheet of the newly formed “Kyiv Cultural Cluster”. According to the decision of the Kyiv City Council dated December 12, 2016 № 587/1591 “On the reorganisation of the state Municipal Enterprise of the cinema “Krakiv”, the specified enterprise was reorganised by transforming into a Municipal Enterprise of the executive body of the Kyiv City Council (Kyiv City State Administration) “European Cultural Center “Krakiv” (“Krakiv” ECC). Municipal Enterprise “Krakiv” ECC  became the legal successor of the property, all rights and obligations of State Municipal Enterprise “Krakiv” cinema (the the details are available in the conclusions of Body of self-organisation of the population “The district committee “Rusanivka”).

Therefore, there are questions on what legal grounds the building is now managed by the “Kyiv Cultural Cluster”.

“All this is done in an illegally and these actions fall within the provisions of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which for some reason the city officials from the “Kyiv Cultural Center” ME and the Department of Culture of the Kyiv City State Administration, now the Kyiv City Military Administration,” – Oleksandr Chunaev,  the secretary of the local Body of self-organisation of the population “The district committee “Rusanivka”,  mentioned in his Facebook comment.

Read also:

Klitschko and Co.’s dealings with the repair of the capital’s Krakow Cinema

Three projects, which legalize the theft of land plots in the center, came to the “land commission” of the Kyiv City Council