In Ralsko, the demolition of the ruins of the Soviet Army cultural center will begin

Ralsko (Českolipsko) - In Ralsko in the Českolipsko region, demolition of the ruins of the former cultural house of the Soviet army in the former military area will begin in the coming days. It will be funded by the Liberec Region. The cultural house is the largest building in the housing estate in the Ploužnice area. The costs of demolition were initially estimated at five to ten million crowns, but ultimately amount to only 2.385 million including VAT. Jan Růžička, the director of the Regional Road Administration of the Liberec Region, which manages the area, said this today.

The former military area of Ralsko, covering 250 square kilometers, was used by the Soviet army until the early 90s. However, it served military purposes since approximately the mid-20th century. Ralsko is one of the sites most heavily burdened by the presence of Soviet troops. The biggest problem is the Hradčany airport, where underground water and soil have been contaminated - mainly by aviation fuels.

Hundreds of buildings remain in the area, which are dangerous and need to be demolished. One of the worst buildings is the former cultural house in Ploužnice. Originally a two-story building with a cinema hall, it is now in a state of disrepair. Some areas are filled with rubble as the building has gradually been looted and dismantled by thieves in recent years. Parts of the walls have disappeared, metal collectors have torn out engineering networks, and furnishings have been removed; some reinforced concrete beams have also been partially demolished.

“Since the handover from the Soviet army to state ownership, the property has been unsecured and unprotected; it is in a state of emergency, and movement within it threatens health and safety, today it is overgrown with invasive vegetation,” Růžička described the condition of the building.

The Liberec Region took over part of the former military area with approximately 200 buildings, or rather ruins, from the state in 2007. The demolition costs for these objects are estimated to be in the tens of millions of crowns. Such money is not available for the road administration or the region. “However, we would like to continue with the demolitions; some objects are really dangerous,” Růžička said. According to him, the regional administration also has a project prepared for the demolition of the former general staff buildings. If funding is allocated, they could be demolished next year.