Oktyabr in Taganrog/Russia

 

On skif_tags journal I found a wonderful article with great photos about cinema Oktyabr / October in Taganrog. Here is a part translated into English: 

"The cinema Oktyabr appeared in our city in 1937, to the 20th anniversary of the Great October Revolution, the main holiday of the country of the Soviets.

This was a typical project of the work of the talented architect Viktor Petrovich Kalmykov (1908-1981), who in the early 30s became famous for his futuristic project Saturniy (an international space city built on artificial rings encircling the earth)

But, the architect's real success can be considered his projects of typical cinemas, made in the style of constructivism. Suffice it to say that out of 60 cinemas built from 1935 to 1940 in various cities of the RSFSR, 50 were realized according to the projects of V.P. Kalmykov. For the anniversary of the revolution, cinemas similar to our Oktyabr appeared in many cities of the Soviet Union (Kirov, Frunse, Omsk).

Under German occupation in World War II between 1941 and 1943, the cinema continued to work and considered to soldiers. A musical group under the direction of Makarov performed in front of the audience in the foyer, and on weekends, local residents, everyone who wished, were allowed to see the sessions.

The cinema had two halls, a large one and a small one. A newsreel was shown in the small hall, and when the large hall was vacated, people from the small hall passed into the large one, which was through the wall. And the entire wall was pasted over with movie posters of past years from floor to ceiling. And it was the foremost entertainment to play the game find such and such a movie.

The main feature of the large hall was the gradually fading light. This was not the case in any other cinema in the city."

In 2007 the cinema was closed and the building is used for an alcohol market now ...

Here I found more pictures and information about cinemas in Taganrog. I am really surprised to found in this city of 258 000 inhabitants not only one big enthusiast of history and cinemas.

The postcard was published in 1969. Unfortunately, it isn't possible to read the films advertised.