В Праге запретили работу культурного центра «Сталин» из-за продажи алкоголя

The death of Stalin The area has a storied past. It was once dominated by the ominous Stalin Monument, a gigantic group sculpture – the largest in Europe at the time – erected in 1955 to the glory of the Soviet leader. The monument was blown up in 1962 during Khrushchev’s de-Stalinisation push. In 1991, a huge pendulum-shaped metronome was built where the Soviet dictator’s monument once stood. The Stalin Cultural Centre set up shop in the shadow of the metronome in 2015. “When we talked about it, it was always the place where we gathered, but there was nothing to keep us there,” said Jan Faltys in an interview with Czech Radio. Faltys was one of the original founders of the centre who, along with a few friends, saw the opportunity of the unused plaza, which was long famed as a gathering spot for young skaters and also offered one of the best panoramic views of the city. Over the years, Stalin grew to become one of the city’s most popular outdoor meeting spots to gather, drink and dance with friends, attracting locals, expats and tourists from all generations. It hosted regular concerts and DJ sets, community events, debates, open-air cinema screenings and much more – largely for free. Speaking to Czech Radio, bartender Rozalie Pecakova expressed pride about the centre’s inclusiveness: “The people that come here are from all ages. We are usually open from 11 am and grandmas come here for a beer when they are walking their dog. When there is a party, there are people from 15 to 40 years old.” Then last year, municipal authorities refused to extend the lease for the cultural centre, with the explanation that operators had been using the inside space under the former Stalin monument as a warehouse in violation of their permit. Uncertain about the centre’s future, organisers at the time said they would be holding their last event in mid-July 2025. However, they managed to save part of the summer season programme and held outdoor events until mid-September before shutting down for the autumn and winter months. So when the Stalin Centre announced its return this spring – saying it had just secured a new lease with the city – only to be shut down again a few days ago, there was widespread confusion. “We were not aware at all. We found out from social media,” Jan Faltys told BIRN when asked if Stalin’s organisers knew the Prague City Council was about to take such a vote. Fight for independent culture As of the end of May, the space is closed outside of cultural events, though it continues to host outdoor DJ sets on Fridays and Saturdays. As Faltys argued, the new requirement that the centre can only operate when it is hosting events isn’t sustainable or feasible, and the loss of foot traffic and income due to being closed the rest of the time threatens the entire project. “The process of re-establishing Stalin […] has started but is going to take some time, which might coincide with the season ending,” Faltys told BIRN. The main argument for the space’s closure put forward by Prague city councilors is the deteriorating state of the monument, which is not being “regularly and transparently communicated to the public”, according to Alexandra Udzenija from the right-wing ODS party. “It is this lack of information that creates space for the spread of inaccuracies and falsehoods” regarding the fate of Stalin, she has argued. Others claim it’s more generally about the protection of Letna Park, which is one of the largest green spaces in Prague and which overlooks the Vltava River. “The sale of alcohol in the form of a stand does not belong in such an environment and has been repeatedly criticised by the city’s expert departments,” argued councillor for culture Tomas Slabihoudek from the right-wing TOP 09 party. Critics of these arguments point out that while it’s a well known fact that the interior of the monument is in poor condition, all the events are held outside. Across social media, support for the venue quickly came pouring in. “The closure of independent cultural venues in Prague goes against the interests of the city’s residents and deprives the public space of unique spots that cannot be easily replaced,” a petition in favour of its preservation reads. Ironically, one of the venue’s last events on May 27 was an open debate on culture in the public space, attended by representatives of other such popular Prague venues or festivals as Kasarna Karlin, Vystaviste Praha and United Islands of Prague. After the event, “there was consensus that culture and venues created from the bottom up – like Stalin – are an essential part of the ecosystem of healthy cities,” the organisers wrote on Facebook. Local politics get involved While the recent measure came from the top of the Prague City Council, pushback is expected from local politicians of the Prague 7 district, where the venue is located. Hana Trestikova, who is deputy mayor of Prague 7 and who represents the Praha Sobe (Prague Together) movement, has called the attempt to shut down Stalin “a very bad decision, because this is a popular place that significantly contributes to the revitalisation of the entire locality”. “Thanks to the cultural programming, the area around the former Stalin monument was alive with a rich community life, which also helped to increase safety in this part of Letna Park,” she continued. Others fear petty political rivalries connected to upcoming municipal and mayoral elections may be behind the move against the cultural centre. “I have not heard any relevant reason whatsoever that should lead to this,” Prague 7 Mayor Jan Cizinsky said, in reference to attempts to close Stalin “It seems to me that the councilors from ODS, TOP 09 and STAN were inspired by Minister Oto Klempir on how to damage culture in Prague as much as possible,” Cizinsky said, in reference to the budget cuts introduced by the current culture minister and to fears about the government’s attacks on the independent cultural sector. “I see it more as an attack against Prague 7,” theorised Adam Zabransky, a Prague city councillor for the Pirate Party who voted against the new ordinance. “It seems to me that colleagues, especially from the ODS, repeatedly act quite hostile towards Prague 7. That’s what I’m reading between the lines,” Zabransky said, highlighting the reluctance of the municipality to invest in the revitalisation of other popular venues in the district, like the Vystaviste exhibition grounds or the Holesovice market. Prague 7 Mayor Jan Cizinsky has echoed this assessment, while Stalin co-founder Jan Faltys remained more cautious. “I don’t want to speculate”, Faltys said to BIRN. Controversial as it may be for some, using the name “Stalin” for an open, free-spirited and inclusive cultural hub was a conscious choice by its founders to reclaim the space once dominated by a 15-metre-high, granite statue of the Soviet dictator, who evoked political repression and cultural censorship. “Stalin probably wouldn’t be very happy that people, especially young people, are enjoying themselves in their free time under the sky, listening to music or just, you know, chatting, meeting, having a good time,” Faltys has quipped. How much longer Prague residents will be able to do just that is now up in the air. All eyes are on the bright-red pendulum, and where it will swing next.