Zdobnices cinema closes after 40 years; Budapest district awards 9bn-forint contract amid corruption probe

The last film screening in Zdobnice’s mountain cinema ended 40 years ago today, on 22 June 1986, and the village in the Orlické Mountains still has no replacement. Local resident Pavel Dařílek, who operated the projector for the final showing, recalled that audiences then traded popcorn for Tatranky chocolate bars and tea, yet the small hall still drew about 2,000 visitors each year. “We had families, summer tourists, even skiers who came straight from the slopes,” Dařílek told Czech Radio . The closure left the municipality without a cultural venue, and no investor has stepped forward to reopen the 60-seat auditorium.

Across the border, Budapest’s 13th district has also entered a new phase after signing a 9-billion-forint contract with a company at the centre of a sweeping park-maintenance scandal. Minutes from a closed-door meeting on 1 June 2026 show councillors approved the deal just days before a wave of arrests on corruption charges. The contract is the district’s largest yet with the firm, but it is not the first: earlier agreements were also awarded without competitive bids. This time, however, a rival bidder did appear—only to be disqualified, according to the investigative website 444.hu .

Meanwhile, in the Krkonoše National Park, the arrival of a new director has stoked fresh controversy. Tomáš Brolík, appointed in May 2026, is pushing a plan to rezone parts of the park for apartment development, alarming mayors in towns like Špindlerův Mlýn and Harrachov. “We fear the director’s proposals will turn protected landscapes into construction sites,” said Jan Novák, mayor of Špindlerův Mlýn . Environmental groups have vowed to challenge any zoning changes in court.

From the Orlické foothills to the Carpathian foothills, small communities are grappling with the loss of once-vibrant public spaces and the ethical questions raised by opaque public contracts. In Zdobnice, the empty cinema stands as a monument to vanished communal rituals; in Budapest’s 13th district, the 9-billion-forint contract is now under police scrutiny; and in the Krkonoše, the debate over development versus preservation has only just begun.