On April 15, residents of Teremky will visit the cinema for the last time — a theater that survived the pandemic, a full-scale invasion, and an entire generation shift in viewers. "Liniya Kino" in the Magellan shopping center is closing after more than 20 years of operation.

"Together with you, we lived through hundreds of stories on the big screen — from the legendary 'Avatar' to blockbuster premieres like 'Avengers,' 'Iron Man,' 'Joker,' 'Barbie,' 'Ice Age,' 'Dune'... But this is not the end."

— "Liniya Kino," Facebook post

"This is not the end" — this wording is deliberate. The chain did not explain the reasons for closing the Magellan location, but in parallel has already launched a six-screen cinema in Cherry Mall shopping center in Vyshneve — with a laser projector, a VIP lounge with reclining seats, and its own restaurant. In fact, this is not a shutdown but rather a relocation of audiences from one residential district to another.

What's happening in the market

The closure of individual locations is a characteristic feature of Ukrainian cinema distribution in recent years. After February 2022, major chains, including Multiplex and "Planeta Kino," recorded a 50-70% drop in revenue compared to pre-war levels. Air raids, power outages, cancellation of evening screenings — all this changed the very logic of how cinemas operate in shopping centers.

In response to this pressure, chains began renegotiating rental terms, shifting to revenue-sharing models instead of fixed rates. Locations where they failed to reach an agreement with landlords or where foot traffic hasn't recovered are closing.

• "Magellan" on Teremky — one of the oldest venues in the chain, opened over 20 years ago
• Cherry Mall in Vyshneve — a new location with six screens, laser projection, and a VIP lounge
• The "Cosmos" cinema remains the chain's main venue in Kyiv itself

Twenty years is more than just a number

For Teremky, "Liniya Kino" in "Magellan" was essentially the first and only modern-format district cinema. Residents who are now 30-40 watched the first "Avengers" and "Avatar" here as teenagers. The closure of such venues is not merely a business decision: it's the disappearance of infrastructure that shaped the cultural habits of an entire neighborhood.

At the same time, Cherry Mall is designed for a different audience — rapidly developing suburbs and new residential complexes around Vyshneve and Boyarka. The chain appears to be moving to where there is a new solvent audience rather than maintaining locations where audiences already exist but are less active.

If "Liniya Kino" is truly betting on suburban areas rather than dense urban development, the question is whether Cherry Mall will withstand competition from home streaming services better than Magellan did: modern equipment is attractive, but only as long as there are no air raids.