Construction work on a new cultural center has begun on the site of the former 'Chatyr-Kul' cinema in Bishkek, according to a statement from the capital's city hall press service.
The demolition of the old building is being carried out by the city's Capital Construction Department.
The 'Frunze City Encyclopedia' mentions that the 'Chatyr-Kul' cinema was opened in 1967 in the Botanical residential area, on Dushanbinskaya Street (now Toktonalieva Street).
This cultural structure had a hall for 600 seats and was intended to serve the new residential neighborhoods of the city.
However, the cinema eventually ceased operations. In 2010, its building was nationalized and transferred to the state youth theater 'Uchur', but major repairs were never carried out.
At the time of the fire, the cinema was in disrepair: the building was half-destroyed, with broken windows and doors, and the territory was not maintained.
In early November 2025, a fire occurred that severely damaged the building. After that, the mayor of Bishkek instructed to expedite the implementation of the project to create a new cultural center on the site of the old cinema.
