Ministry of Culture will allocate 250 million CZK for the repair of the Imperial Baths

Karlovy Vary - The Ministry of Culture is set to allocate 250 million crowns for the reconstruction of the Imperial Baths in Karlovy Vary. The Karlovy Vary Region has been striving for more funds over the past year, mainly because this will allow for the repair of the national monument without the need to involve European funds, which would limit the use of the facility. This was stated today by the Governor of the Karlovy Vary Region, Jana Vildumetzová (ANO).

"We managed to reach an agreement that the Ministry of Finance will indeed transfer 250 million to the Ministry of Culture, which will be earmarked for the reconstruction of the Imperial Baths. The repair of this exceptional national cultural monument has been promised for more than ten years, and we would like to finally move from words to actions," Vildumetzová said.

The reconstruction is expected to cost approximately 600 million crowns. According to an agreement from several years ago, it will be financed by the Karlovy Vary Region, which will contribute 200 million crowns, the city of Karlovy Vary, which will contribute 100 million, and the rest will be covered by the grant from the ministry.

"We still need to verify that the state grant does not conflict with the rules of public support. Part of the facility should be commercially utilized," Vildumetzová added.

According to the governor, this is the last important step that has thus far prevented the start of repairs. "What is important is that we have secured financing. We could thus begin repairs after the film festival," she told ČTK.

The first round of the supplier selection process for the repair of the monumental monument has already taken place. All seven registered applicants have passed. The former leadership of the region, specifically the interest association, in which the city and the region were involved, announced the competition even though financing was not yet secured at that time, Vildumetzová added.

In recent years, the involvement of various European grants in the financing was considered, originally based on the Regional Operational Program Northwest, and later the possibility of using grants from the Integrated Development Plan of the Karlovy Vary area was considered. However, European grants are conditioned upon non-commercial use for at least five years after the completion of the building. This would significantly limit the possibilities for utilizing the building, as operational costs are likely to be high.