Kulturní dům Domovina Cultural centre

Welcome to Holešovice, Prague. You're standing in front of one of the most important construction sites in this part of town, carrying the incredible power of the past decade. The Kulturní dům Domovina stands before your eyes. Feel the atmosphere of a place that is not just an ordinary building, but a living witness to the history that shaped our countries. Look at his range, his face, and how this object floats over the sidewalk, as if he wanted to tell the stories of all the people who walked through him for generations.

To understand why this house is standing right here and why it has such a look, we must return to the time when our country was born and looking for its new form. The construction of this work began in the year one thousand nine hundred nineteen, at a time of great change and hope. This house was not built for rich nobles or industrial magnates, but for the people who formed the backbone of the then state. It was a building designed for a housing cooperative composed of railway orderlies and workers. Imagine the people who were looking for certainty and stability at the time. For them, this house was not only a set of flats, but a symbol of a joint effort to improve life and create a community that shared not only living spaces, but culture and the joy of life. The whole construction process lasted several years and only in the year one thousand nine hundred twenty-two was the whole ambitious project completed.

Now pay attention to the very form of the building that now surrounds you. Notice the clean lines and the overall austerity that is so typical of a style called modernism. This style was not only about beauty, but especially about functionality and how space serves man. Two important creators, architects Otto V. Máca and Karel Roštík were behind this excellent work. If you look at the front of the building now, you can perceive its structure and rhythm. You may notice that her appearance is very fresh and clear, and that's because in the year two thousand and twenty-two, the facade went through an important renewal which gave her her original, pure character back. Feel the harmony between the living area and the cultural space. This building was designed as a complex whole, where private housing was linked to public life.

Let us now move on to the most important and serious moments that have taken place in these walls. The home was not just a home for railway workers, it became one of the most important political points of our state. In a thousand and nine hundred and twenty-two years, cultural life began to develop here, but the real tension and historical break came later. In February in the year one thousand nine hundred twenty-nine there was the fifth Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Imagine the atmosphere, the constant debates, the voices of people who believed that this is where the future of the nation is decided. It was during this convention that Clement Gottwald was chosen. This character and these events left an indelible mark in the building. The home witnessed political decisions that changed the course of our history and that affected every citizen. It is because of this profound significance that the building was declared a cultural monument in the year one thousand nine hundred seventy-five, which reminds us that the walls can bear the weight of events that go beyond everyday life.

But did you know that this building was the heart of entertainment for thousands of people? If you were to go inside now, you might encounter traces of culture that lasted almost a century. There was a Domina theater in one of the halls. It was open to the general public in the years one thousand nine hundred twenty-two until one thousand nine hundred ninety-five. Imagine the series of people in the silence of the halls watching the latest films coming from work to forget about the effort for a while and experience stories on the big screen. It was a meeting place where people laughed and cried together. And perhaps most interesting is how this space transformed. Even though the cinema no longer exists, the building still lives and serves people. Today it is part of a recording studio where new sounds and new stories are created. It is a fascinating combination of old and new - from big political slopes and mass cinema to fine work with voice and music in a small studio.

Now I won't keep you in this space any longer. However, home is a place that deserves to be seen further as you continue your journey. I suggest you stop and watch for a while as this modernist object intertwines with the modern life of the Holešovice district. Every detail, every line on the facade and every shadow on the wall can remind you that history is not just something in the textbooks, but something that surrounds us right now. Thank you for spending this moment with us and for being interested in this important house. I wish you a nice walk through Prague streets and many other interesting discoveries.