Kijów Cinema
Kraków Artists: Theatre, Cabaret and Film
A historic cinema at Zygmunta Krasińskiego Avenue 34, on Półwsie Zwierzynieckie; construction began in 1962, and the building was designed by Witold Cęckiewicz. The cinema began operating on 6 November 1967 with the premiere of Sergei Bondarchuk's "War and Peace". With an auditorium for 960 viewers it was then the largest in Kraków and the most modern in Poland: the first wide-format cinema, with a concave screen of 18.7 x 8.6 m. Polish and world premieres have been held here, among them "Schindler's List" (1994) and "Pan Tadeusz" (1999), and today the Kraków Film Festival is held here.
History
Kijów Cinema stands at Zygmunta Krasińskiego Avenue 34, in Półwsie Zwierzynieckie. Construction began in 1962. The building was designed by Witold Cęckiewicz, and the interiors were the work of Krystyna Zgud-Strachocka, Jerzy Chronowski and J. Kosiniak. The cinema opened on 6 November 1967 with a screening of "War and Peace", directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, the film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel.
When it opened, Kijów had the largest auditorium in the city, seating 960, and was regarded as the most modern cinema in Poland. As the first wide-format cinema, it could show films on 16, 35 and 70 mm film with stereo sound. Polish and world premieres were held here, for example of "Schindler's List" (1994) and "Pan Tadeusz" (1999). From 1968 to 1990 it hosted the Kraków Documentary and Short Film Festival, and today it is a venue of the Krakow Film Festival.
When multiplexes drew audiences away, the cinema was regenerated in 2005-2008. Alongside the large 828-seat auditorium, studio screens, a film café and a music club were created, and the main auditorium was fitted with the city's first digital projector. From 2008 to 2019 the cinema operated under the name "Kijów.Centrum". The building is a highly regarded example of modernism; a colourful op-art ceramic mosaic has survived on its rear façade.
Did you know?
The cinema's concave screen, measuring 18.7 x 8.6 m, was bought in Denmark.