In Tallinn, a decision was made to liquidate the Russian Cultural Centre and the Salme Cultural Centre in their current form and merge them with other city institutions, as reported by ERR.
The corresponding draft resolution was approved at a meeting of the Tallinn City Council on Monday. Forty councilors voted for the bill, while 33 deputies — mostly from the Centre Party and EKRE — voted against it. One representative of the Reform Party abstained, and a deputy from the Social Democratic Party did not participate in the vote.
As part of the reorganization, the services for renting premises and equipment of the Russian Cultural Centre and the Salme Centre will be transferred to the targeted institution “Tallinn Cultural Centre.” Leisure activities in the former building of the Russian Cultural Centre at 5 Mere Boulevard will continue under the supervision of the Tallinn Department of Culture and Sports. The premises on 93 Kopli Street, along with the workplace, will be transferred to the Põhja-Tallinn District Government.
The goal of the reform is to modernize the structure and services of the cultural centers, establish unified management, and develop a diverse cultural program. This is expected to increase the efficiency of space use and improve cooperation with communities, minorities, and cultural event organizers.
A representative of the City Council noted that the changes will allow the city to more effectively allocate resources to develop key services and improve the organizational potential of cultural events.
The decision to merge the centers was made in early June, although the Reform Party was initially skeptical. However, on Monday their representatives supported the project. In the future, the Russian Cultural Centre is expected to receive a new name — the "Mere Cultural Centre."
