The reconstructed Olomouc Red Church will open to the public, a festival is being prepared

Olomouc - After nearly two and a half years of reconstruction, the Red Church on Svobody Street in Olomouc will open to the public next Wednesday. The former depository of the Olomouc Scientific Library has transformed into a cultural center during the renovation, which will host not only exhibitions and lectures but also chamber projects of the Moravian Philharmonic. The Olomouc region paid nearly 170 million crowns for the renovation of the desacralized church, with a large part covered by subsidies amounting to 133 million. The opening of the Red Church will be accompanied by a five-day festival, the regional representatives told CTK today.

"The church will offer a comfortable space for author readings, conferences, seminars, discussions, lectures, educational events, exhibitions, and other cultural and social events. The library will also open up new opportunities for connection and cooperation with various cultural institutions and creatives active in the region," said the director of the Scientific Library of Olomouc (VKOL), Iveta Ťulpíková.

The Red Church will open its doors to the public on Wednesday at 10:00 AM, and VKOL has prepared a five-day festival with an aptly named title "We Are Starting...." The first event, where the public can glimpse the new lecture hall, will be a meeting with writer Alena Mornštajnová. Visitors can also look forward to concerts, theatrical performances, church tours, workshops, discussions, and lectures. The festival will conclude with a Neighborhood Festival on Sunday, organized in cooperation with the municipal commission of Olomouc-Center.

According to the region's spokesperson Alena Minxová, the Red Church will also feature three author exhibitions. Two of them, located in the galleries, will highlight the history of the church and the projects of architect Miroslav Pospíšil, who is credited as the architect behind the church's new appearance. The main exhibition spaces will offer an overview of the work of photographer Jindřich Štreit. The Moravian Theatre and the Moravian Philharmonic of Olomouc are also collaborating with VKOL on the program. On Friday, May 19, the church will be the venue for the national opening of Museum Night.

Since 1959, VKOL had used the Red Church as a book storage facility, but in 2019, all its volumes were transferred to a new depository in Olomouc-Hejčín. In 2017, a study for the church's reconstruction was prepared by Atelier-r, led by architect Miroslav Pospíšil. The reconstruction began in 2020. More information about the upcoming festival program can be found on the library's website.