April 25 House of Culture

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April 25 House of Culture
April 25 House of Culture is located in Pyongyang
April 25 House of Culture
April 25 House of Culture
Former names February 8 House of Culture
Congress Hall
Location Pipha Street, Moranbong District, Pyongyang, North Korea[1][2]
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Type Culture venue
Construction
Broke ground April 1974
Opened 7 October 1975 (1975-10-07)
April 25 House of Culture
Chosŏn'gŭl 4.25 문화회관[3]
Revised Romanization 4.25 munhwahoegwan

The April 25 House of Culture is a theatre located in Pyongyang, North Korea.[1] It was built in 1974-1975 to provide a venue for military education, and was originally called the February 8 House of Culture. It is located on Pipha Street in the Moranbong District of Pyongyang.[1] The classically colonnaded building[4] is considered one of the best examples of 1970s socialist monumentality in Pyongyang,[5] and hence in Korea, the other being the visually similar Mansudae Art Theatre.[6]

It has been the location of many historic events, from both the 6th and 7th congresses of the Korean Workers' Party, to the historic meeting of Kim Jong-il with the president of South Korea, Roh Moo-hyun, in 2007.[7]

Construction

A 12.4 hectares (31 acres) site was cleared and actual construction on the theatre building was begun in April 1974.[2] The building is 105 metres (344 ft) wide across the front, 176 metres (577 ft) deep, and rises to a height of almost 50 metres (164 ft).[2] It contains two large theatres with 6,000 seats and 1,100 seats respectively with a cinema theatre of 600 seats.[1] Its over 80,000 square metres (861,113 sq ft) of floor space provide for some 600 other rooms in support of the theatres.[2] The building opened on 7 October 1975.[1][2]

Name

The building as proposed was originally named the February 8 House of Culture after the date of the founding of the Korean People's Army (KPA). It was opened under this name and the 6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea was held there on 10 to 14 October 1980, under this name.[8] After the congress the building was sometimes referred to as Congress Hall;[9] however, subsequently the name was changed to the April 25 House of Culture, the founding date of the resistance army against the Japanese,[10] in order to reflect the historical connection, and the continuity, with the KPA.[11] North Korea's Military Foundation Day had been changed earlier, in 1978, from 9 February to 25 April.[11]

Usage

The April 25 House of Culture is home to the April 25th Culture and Art Composition Office,[12] which is in charge of organizing major KPA cultural events, including international conferences and state funerals. In addition to meetings for military education, awards and solidarity,[4][13] and offcial state ceremonies and party meetings such as the 6th and 7th Congresses of the Workers' Party of Korea,[14][15] the theatres in the 25 April House of Culture are used for cultural events such as performances by the Korean People's Army Ensemble,[2] or the band Moranbong.[16]

The building rarely sees visits by tourists.[4]

In North Korean culture

The North Korean postal service issued a stamp on 7 October 1976, primarily for domestic use, depicting the then new building.[2][17]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Official North Korean sources, such as Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., state that the Anti-Japanese People's Guerrilla Army was founded on 25 April 1932 by Kim Il Sung. Kim was at that time commanding a small unit in the Chinese Communist Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army under General Yang Jingyu. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.; Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. which cites: "Puk chuyo’gi’nyŏm’il 5-10 nyŏnmada taegyumo yŏlpyŏngsik" (North Korea Holds Large Military Parades for Anniversaries Every 5–10 years), Chosŏn Ilbo, 25 April 2007; Chang Jun-ik, "Pukhan Inmingundaesa" (History of the North Korean Military), Seoul, Sŏmundang, 1991, pp. 19–88; Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ The April 25th Culture and Art Composition Office has also been known variously as the April 25th Cultural Centre, April 25th Hall, April 25th House of Culture, 8 February Hall, 8 February House of Culture, and 8 February Group. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Scott #1532 - Scott (2008) "Korea, Democratic People’s Republic" Scott 2009 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Volume 4 (165th edition) Scott Publishing Co., Sidney, Ohio, page 276. ISBN 978-0-89487-420-8

Further reading

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External links

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