Moscow Tears Down Historic Soviet Cinema

Moscow's historic Solovey movie theater, first opened in 1959, is being demolished to make way for a 20-story apartment complex.

As rising real estate prices in Moscow reshape the landscape of the city, many cultural establishments have been torn down and replaced with flashy new buildings. In a letter to the editor-in-chief of the Ekho Moskvy radio station, the building's owner said the theater could not be saved due to fire safety concerns.

And despite outrage and protests from the public, the cinema screened its final film on Dec. 1 and demolition started Wednesday.