<p>Heritage protectors will begin negotiations about Invalidovna at the Ministry of Culture next week</p>

Prague - Next week, representatives of the National Heritage Institute will negotiate at the Ministry of Culture about the possible use of the Prague Invalidovna, for which no private investor showed interest in the tender. The amount to be spent from the state budget on the reconstruction of the extensive baroque complex will be decided by the Ministry of Finance. It is currently waiting to see what solution the Ministry of Culture and, above all, the National Heritage Institute, which has shown interest in the building, will propose, said Filip Běhal from the press department of the Ministry of Finance to ČTK.

Minister of Culture Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL) will meet with the head of the state treasury Andrej Babiš (ANO) likely in September. "Due to the fact that there are government and parliamentary holidays, Minister Herman is on vacation, and thus a special date for him to discuss the topic of the Invalidovna with the Minister of Finance could not be determined," said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture, Simona Cigánková. The ministers also need to resolve some cultural budget requirements for next year.

The cost of reconstructing the extensive baroque building of the Prague Invalidovna, for which no private investor applied in the tender, could, according to some experts interviewed, reach up to 2.5 billion crowns in the case of a complete renovation. A much lower amount is estimated by the Initiative for the Invalidovna, which brings together experts on architecture and civic activists.

Urban development expert Nisan Jazairi told ČTK that it could amount to around 170 million crowns. The intention to declare the Invalidovna a national cultural monument is supported, for example, by the Prague Greens. Ideas for its use have included establishing a museum of Austro-Hungarian history, a museum dedicated to photographer Josef Sudek, and public space.

No one applied for the Invalidovna in the public tender on Monday, but the National Heritage Institute expressed interest last week. The tender was announced by the Office for Government Representation in Property Affairs. The building was sold for at least 637.7 million crowns. The office is waiting for the heritage authorities to officially apply for the building.

The director of the NPÚ, Naděžda Goryczková, told ČTK that she would like to partially make the Invalidovna accessible to the public and establish one of the workplaces there. According to her, negotiations at the ministry will begin next week. If the NPÚ ultimately does not take over the Invalidovna, a second round of the tender may be announced by the property office.