Vanishing Reels: Czech Project Revives Memories of Thousands of Lost Cinemas
Prague, Czech Republic – A nationwide initiative is underway to digitally resurrect the legacy of the Czech Republic’s thousands of defunct cinemas, preserving not just architectural history but also the communal memories tied to these once-vibrant cultural hubs.The Rekino association, founded in 2025, is building a thorough online archive documenting the stories and significance of these lost spaces, aiming to reignite public engagement with the country’s cinematic past.
For decades,Czech towns and villages boasted a rich network of cinemas,but economic shifts following 1989 and the rise of home entertainment led to widespread closures. Estimates suggest that thousands of these cinemas have fallen into disuse or been repurposed, leaving a void in local communities and a fading cultural heritage. Rekino’s project addresses this loss by collecting oral histories, photographs, and archival materials, creating a digital repository accessible to all. The effort is notably crucial as living memories of these cinemas begin to disappear with each passing generation.
Marie Barešová,a film historian and oral history curator at the national Film Archive,initiated the founding of rekino.She explains the project’s core mission: to capture the personal experiences associated with these cinemas before they are lost forever. “These weren’t just places to watch films,” Barešová states. “They where social centers, places where people met, dated, and shared experiences.”
Rekino’s work extends beyond simple documentation. The association actively seeks contributions from the public, encouraging individuals to share their recollections and materials related to their local cinemas. this crowdsourced approach ensures a diverse and comprehensive record of these spaces, reflecting the unique character of each community they served. The project’s long-term goal is to create an interactive map and database, allowing users to explore the history of cinemas across the Czech Republic and contribute to the ongoing preservation effort.
