Babiš promised billions for the renovations of the Invalidovna, the National Theatre, and the National Gallery

Prague - The Invalidovna in Karlín will be transferred to the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) in the coming days. According to the demissioned Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), the state will find approximately one billion crowns needed for the renovation of the monument. He said this to reporters today after visiting the site. Together with the demissioned Minister of Culture Ilja Šmíd (for ANO), he also visited the National Museum, the State Opera, where renovations are already underway, and the National Theatre and the National Gallery. Investments totaling 4.7 billion crowns are still in preparation there. Babiš noted that the necessary amounts are not so staggering that they cannot be found, but it is necessary to plan the projects. He was not more specific about where he would get the money.

Representatives of heritage specialists, the property office currently managing the Invalidovna, and the Ministry of Culture announced today that nothing stands in the way of transferring the baroque building to the NPÚ. Šmíd said that he might send a letter requesting the transfer of the monument to the Office for the Representation of the State in Property Affairs (ÚZSVM) on Tuesday. The director of the ÚZSVM, Kateřina Arajmu, stated that from the moment this letter is received, the transfer is a matter of weeks. The director of the NPÚ, Naděžda Goryczková, anticipates that if they get the building under management within a month, they will open part of the Invalidovna to the public in the summer.

According to Babiš, the state, which tried to sell the Invalidovna in 2016, is ready to "massively invest," which does not only pertain to cultural monuments. "It is also the effect of a minority government that departmentalism is ending and we are able to agree in some way," Babiš said. He believes that the state will "find" the money for repairs. "I am convinced that in five or six years, the Invalidovna will be a great monument, it will attract tourists and our people, there will be life here, and that is, I think, what we need," he stated.

The demissioned Prime Minister also praised the management of the National Museum today for reducing the price of its renovation from the original amount of 2.4 billion excluding tax to approximately 1.6 billion crowns. According to the director of the National Museum Michal Lukeš, the amount from the tender for the renovation of the building, 1.6 billion, essentially stands. "The balance between additional and fewer works is now 3.67 percent, which means that we are still building under 1.7 billion with tax. There will definitely be some changes, but I think we will stay within 1.8 billion crowns," Lukeš said.

The opening dates for the renovated National Museum will definitely be met. The historic building will partially open on October 28, and all spaces should be opened to the public by February or March next year, Šmíd said to reporters today. The general renovation of the National Museum began in 2015.

After touring the National Museum, Babiš and Šmíd moved to the State Opera, which is also undergoing renovation. After its completion, there will be new rehearsal rooms in the building, and the spaces for the audience and the stage are also being repaired. Work began on March 13 last year, and its completion is planned for 2019. The budget for the comprehensive renovation is approximately 858 million crowns.

Renovations of the New Stage of the National Theatre are also being planned, expected to cost about 700 million crowns. Today, the theater representatives presented government officials with a plan to build a central warehouse and workshops in Prague's Karlín for one billion crowns. According to Babiš, Prague needs a new theater stage, and the project aligns with his vision for investment actions.

The Prime Minister and the Minister also supported the plan of the director of the National Gallery (NG) Jiří Fajt, who wants to announce an international architectural competition for the renovation of the Veletržní Palace as soon as possible. It should become a center among six NG sites. Construction activities could begin around 2021. The renovation is estimated at three billion crowns.

"We want to discuss this just like the renovation of the Invalidovna, the New Stage of the National Theatre, and the facilities of the National Theatre within the Chamber. These are investments that need to be launched immediately," Babiš stated.