Splendid Palace is a historic cinema on Elizabetes iela, opened in 1923. Its ornate halls were designed for film exhibition and continue to host screenings, connecting Riga’s silent-film era with contemporary cinema.
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At Splendid Palace, the screen shares attention with the room around it. Sculptural decoration and ceiling paintings give the Great Hall the character of a theatre, but this building on Elizabetes iela was designed for cinema. It opened on 30 December 1923 with Tod Browning’s film Under Two Flags.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- Splendid Palace opened on 30 December 1923.
- Frīdrihs Kārlis Skujiņš designed the cinema building.
- Its original name returned in 2011 after a period as cinema Rīga.
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