The Valmiera Theater has been put into operation, Elena Gavrilova, member of the board of the company Valsts nekustamie īpašumi (VNĪ), told LETA. The inspection of the facility carried out by the State Bureau of Construction Control on July 12 was successful, and on July 15 a certificate of acceptance of the building into operation was received. The official opening ceremony is planned for this fall. The theater has technically improved premises that meet energy efficiency requirements and provide comfortable conditions for theater workers and visitors, Gavrilova said. This reconstruction was technically complex, but was successfully implemented taking into account the cultural and historical significance of the theater and the architectural features of the city, she emphasized. The construction process was complicated by several factors, including the operation of the theater during construction work. Despite large-scale reconstruction work, the theater continued to show performances and receive spectators in part of the building. These dynamics required careful coordination to ensure continuity of theater operations and compliance with quality standards. This was a complex task, requiring precise planning and flexibility from all parties involved to successfully integrate the construction and theater processes, Gavrilova noted. The project included a simplified renovation of the Great Auditorium, including the installation of acoustic walls, new electrical wiring, removal of boxes to create additional rows of seats, replacement of flooring and installation of an acoustic loop, as well as the installation of new spectator seating and the creation of a new Black Box. . Once the building is in use, work will continue to make arrangements so that staff and spectators can return to the building. The theater will gather employees and open its season on July 30, when a general meeting will take place and the repertoire of the new season will be announced, representatives of VNĪ said. Viewers will see the new premises from August 23, when the first performance of this season, “The Lost Son,” takes place in the Round Hall. The first performance in the Great Hall will take place on September 26, when the play “The Valmiera Boys” will be shown there, transferred from the Small Stage to the Big Stage. The first new production in the Great Hall will take place on October 4th, it will be the play Cosmopoliten, created in collaboration with the Viljandi Theater and the Valmiera Theater – actors from both theaters will perform on stage. With this performance the theater will fully celebrate its return to its new home. The total cost of the project was 16,310,262 euros, of which 9,547,275 euros were provided by the European Regional Development Fund, 6,755,039 euros by the state budget, and the Valmiera Theater covered 7,948 euros of the total cost of the project. The project was implemented within the framework of the European Union program.
