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Nation's cultural losses mount in flood's wake
Museum, theater directors, librarians evaluate damage, try to reschedule shows; Philharmonic concerts in doubt
By
Frank Kuznik
STAFF WRITER
As floodwaters receded, the toll for the nation's arts institutions quickly mounted. Numerous theaters and concert halls were inundated, causing heavy losses in infrastructure and equipment.
"The great damage is to buildings and architecture, not to paintings or works of art," said Culture Ministry spokeswoman Dita Fuchsova. "And we will only be able to see this kind of damage after it dries out."
In Prague, the riverside Rudolfinum concert hall was flooded, destroying the Czech Philharmonic's technical equipment. Philharmonic director Vaclav Riedlbauch estimated the damage at tens of millions of crowns. He said he was unsure when the orchestra would be able to resume a concert schedule.
Nationally, the flood swept away parts of the country's cultural heritage. In Pisek, south Bohemia, the railing, cobbles and a statue from the Czech Republic's oldest surviving stone bridge -- constructed in the 13th century -- were swept away by floodwaters. An estimated half a million books in the nation's libraries were damaged, along with irreplaceable archival documents and prints.
The National Library in Prague's Klementinum sustained damage to its electrical and heating systems. Books stored on the upper floors, however, were untouched.
CULTURAL TOLL
Rudolfinum: Basement and dressing rooms flooded; damage to Czech Philharmonic technical equipment estimated in tens of millions of crowns
Klementinum: Electrical and heating systems damaged; National Library books, kept on upper floors, unharmed
National Theater: Basement flooded, some technical equipment damaged
National Gallery: No damage to collections; flooding in the basement depository in Prague 5-Zbraslav and the Valdstejnska jizdarna (Wallenstein Riding School)
Divadlo Archa: Main auditorium and small hall flooded; movable floor and hydraulic system ruined
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In the Sarka valley, thieves took advantage of the chaos created by the flooding and stole six paintings from a private villa, including four by Alfons Mucha, police said. The value of the paintings was estimated at 5 million Kc ($156,000).
Only two National Gallery buildings in Prague were directly affected by the flooding -- Anezsky klaster in Old Town, where the collection was moved out of the first floor, and the basement depository in Prague 5-Zbraslav, which will need to be cleaned. The Valdstejnska jizdarna, which the National Gallery also uses, had about 20 centimeters (8 inches) of water in its basement.
"The collections are completely safe," said National Gallery director Milan Knizak. Facilities like Veletrzni palac and Sternbersky palac were closed, he said, but only as a precaution.
At the National Theater (Narodni divadlo), water seeped into the basement and had to be pumped out. Though it did not rise to the auditorium or stage levels, some technical equipment was lost.
Smaller theaters took some of the most severe hits. Divadlo Archa was particularly hard hit. Water filled the main auditorium and small hall, reaching nearly to the balcony in the main performing space. The staff managed to save all the portable equipment -- computer, sound and lighting systems. But Archa's treasured movable floor and hydraulic system were damaged beyond repair.
In the face of a major rebuilding job, public relations officer Jiri Sedlak remained philosophical. "We are not so badly hurt when you think about it," he said. "People who lost homes or personal belongings are really suffering much worse."
Archa is trying to salvage its fall programming by rescheduling or relocating performances. Its biggest coup of the coming season, the European premiere of a new work from the world-renowned La La La Human Steps dance company, will be performed on the State Opera stage.
Divadlo Ta Fantastika, which stages multimedia and black-light shows in an Old Town basement not far from Charles Bridge, filled with about 3 meters of water. The staff was carrying out equipment and furnishings right up to the minute it was ordered to evacuate, but the theater's workshop, costume department and technical systems were inundated.
"What can I say? It's a terrible tragedy," said director Pavel Marek. "Now we have to collect ourselves, not think of the past and get things working again as fast as possible."
Karlin Music Theater, in one of the hardest-hit areas of the city, was filled calf-deep with mud and water. Staff managed to save a new computerized ticket reservation system and a 10 million Kc soundboard, but the seats and floor of the historic building are probably destroyed. The sludge also invaded basement workshops, the rehearsal room, a new boiler room and a costume-rental shop across the street.
The new season at Karlin was slated to being Oct. 1. "If God grants us a miracle, we will be able to start then," said director Ladislav Zupanic.
The ripple effect on theaters was felt as high up as namesti Miru, where the management of Divadlo Na Vinohradech postponed the opening of Svet plny andelu (A World Full of Angels). "It would be unethical to perform right now," said theater director Jindrich Gregorini.
He had been on the phone to his counterparts around the city and ticked off the growing list of victims: Divadlo Pod Palmovkou, expected to be out of commission for at least six months; Divadlo v Dlouhe ("It's a swimming pool") and Divadlo Na zabradli, which lost some of its technical apparatus.
"It's very depressing, a great shock," Gregorini said. "A week ago no one thought this was possible."
Two sets for the film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, currently shooting in Prague, were reported damaged by floodwaters. League star Sean Connery was forced to abandon his riverside Four Seasons hotel suite, and taped a television public service spot asking for aid. Filming at Barrandov Studios was also disrupted by the flooding.
A number of cinemas closed temporarily. The Biograf in Modrany was flooded and is closed now, its fate uncertain. The staff of the outdoor cinema on Strelecky ostrov managed to remove equipment before the island was swallowed.
"We saved our projecting caravan," said Nikola Baranova. "We plan on projecting again, either on Strelecky or some other place."
One of the biggest cleanup jobs will be at one of Prague's newest venues -- Museum Kampa. The newly refurbished riverside museum was badly flooded, but only one piece was lost -- Zidle, a sculpture mounted on the embankment outside the museum.
"The collection is OK," said Kampa spokeswoman Kacha Kastner, "but the museum is full of fish."
-- Raymond Johnston, Lizzy LeQuesne, Matej Novak and Evan Rail contributed
to this report.
Frank Kuznik's e-mail address is
fkuznik@praguepost.com
(August 21, 2002)
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