The second life of “Udarnik” will cost no less than 9 billion rubles

Restoration work has begun at the cinema

In fact, the restoration of the Udarnika cinema, which was bought by Leonid Mikhelson, was going to begin last year. However, work began only recently – in February. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, they began by dismantling the roof with a special sliding mechanism. It will be restored, equipped with new mechanics, and the facades will also be cleaned, the foundation will be strengthened, and doors and windows will be replaced. Inside, Udarnik will be equipped with modern equipment. According to the mayor, there will be a large cinema hall with a transformable stage and several small ones, a cafe and a bookstore.

“Udarnik”, built in the constructivist style in 1928-31 according to the design of Boris Iofan, was already once tried to be given a second life. 12 years ago, Shalva Breus decided to turn it into a museum of modern art, rented the building, and organized a closed competition, which was won by the Dutch architect Eric van Egeraat. His reconstruction project was published, but not implemented. Now the work on restoring the “Udarnik” is called restoration, every now and then, confused with reconstruction.

It is difficult to say for sure what is happening with the monument, since the project has not been published. It would be more accurate to talk about reconstruction, because we are talking not only about strengthening the foundation, but also about re-equipping and replacing a number of elements. “Udarnik” has gone through different times: in the 1930s it was the largest cinema in Moscow and a place of power for the film industry, and in the 1990s a casino and betting center were set up there. Many interior elements are irretrievably lost. It is unlikely that after the update, Udarnik will be the same as in the 1930s.

However, the city authorities are determined to give the monument a second life without delaying it. Sergei Sobyanin said that they decided to exempt Leonid Mikhelson from property tax so that he could accelerate with Udarnik. The fact is that the billionaire has lost $710 million due to sanctions in the last two months alone, and several billion more over the past few years. And yet, the reconstruction of GES-2 was completed and launched. “Udarnik” should become part of this cultural complex, which is managed by the daughter of a businessman, Victoria. However, it seems that reconstruction is getting off to a rocky start. However, they promise to return “Udarnik” to the cultural map of the city by 2027. As the mayor of Moscow stated, the work will cost no less than 9 billion rubles.