Contents

The First Russian Cinema in Anatolia: Karakurt Cinema Building

Author(s): Rabia Kaçdi1, Fatma Zehra Çakıcı2
1Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Atatürk University, Türkiye
2Department of Architecture, Atatürk University, Türkiye
Rabia Kaçdi
Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Atatürk University, Türkiye
Fatma Zehra Çakıcı
Department of Architecture, Atatürk University, Türkiye

Abstract

Cinema has become a tool that emerged and developed at the end of the 19th century and informs about the cultures, values and lifestyles of societies. In 1895, the first screening was held in Paris, and over time, cinema activities became widespread. Anatolian geography has also become one of the settlements affected by cinema culture. Cinema buildings, of which there are examples in the provinces, especially in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir became important social and cultural venues of the period. Cinema activities in the province of Kars and its immediate surroundings, which hosted different societies, were carried out during the Russian period and after the Republic of Türkiye. Within the scope of this study, after discussing the development of cinema in Anatolia, a cinema building built during the Russian domination period between 1878-1918 in Kars Karakurt village was examined. In this context, the architectural features of the period when the building was built, its cultural importance, its role in the history of cinema and its contributions to the development of cinema culture in Anatolia were evaluated while contributing to the literature on the first Russian cinema building in Anatolia. As a result, it was concluded that the Karakurt Cinema Building is the first and unique example of an open-air cinema building with Baltic-inspired architecture built in Anatolia, which documents Russian cinema in rural areas.

Copyright © 2026 Rabia Kaçdi, Fatma Zehra Çakıcı. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cite this Article

APA
Kaçdi, R., Çakıcı, F. (2026). The First Russian Cinema in Anatolia: Karakurt Cinema Building. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 39(4), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.66033/japr2025-403
MLA
Kaçdi, Rabia, and Fatma Zehra Çakıcı. "The First Russian Cinema in Anatolia: Karakurt Cinema Building." Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, vol. 39, no. 4, 2026, pp. 39-51.
Chicago
Kaçdi, Rabia. "The First Russian Cinema in Anatolia: Karakurt Cinema Building." Journal of Architectural and Planning Research 39, no. 4 (2026): 39-51. https://doi.org/10.66033/japr2025-403
Harvard
Kaçdi, R., Çakıcı, F., 2026. The First Russian Cinema in Anatolia: Karakurt Cinema Building. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 39(4), pp.39-51.
Vancouver
Kaçdi R, Çakıcı F. The First Russian Cinema in Anatolia: Karakurt Cinema Building. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. 2026;39(4):39-51.