Ramova Theater

This is a 2009 photo.

The Ramova still stand—I took pictures of it yesterday.

Is the Ramova still standing?
Last I drove by it had a “Property of City Of Chicago” metal sign attached to the front. I think the buildings on either side may have also been gone.

Tilt your head to the left to view this photo.

Here is an undated photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yoders

From today’s Chicago Tribune magazine, recounting a 1942 occurrence at the Ramova Theatre:

IN THE OLD DAYS, kids could just run around unattended all summer and parents didn’t have to worry, right? Well, here’s how these BRIDGEPORT lads staved off boredom one afternoon: Lacking the 15 cents or so for a matinee, they crept up the RAMOVA THEATER fire escape to the roof. They pried open a skylight and dropped into a ventilation duct. “Destination uncertain, they trudged on,” the Tribune reported, until they reached a massive fan. The boys settled in to the knee-high dust and watched the show between the blades of the fan, which only had to be switched on by an unknowing employee to chop them into sushi. Eventually rescued by ushers, the boys were sent to the local police station for a lecture, glorification by the local media and, later, God knows what from their parents.

What the boys risked life and limb to watch that day: “JOAN OF PARIS” with Paul Henreid and “SHE’S IN THE ARMY” with Lucille Gleason.

http://www.nearwestgazette.com/update0407.htm

I just hope that the Ramova can be saved and turned it to somethng that shows off the glory that is the Ramova after all it IS the sister to the music box. I guss what i am getting at is i hope that it does not fall the way of the Colonly whare it just siting their all borded up wating or the way of the Brightion Park demolished and all that is on this spot is an empty lot,or if you prefer the Uptown, Granda or a whole lot of wonderful theatres that just becuse it is not in the “Theatre Dist.” it must not be worth looking at.
The Romova as well as a lot of “Local” theatres can and should be saved and used in an artistic mannor. Thank You for your time :)

Here is a new article on the Ramova, with pictures.

Thank, you Brian, for the explanation of how the Ramova got its name. Ramuva is the name of an ancient Prussian pagan temple. In the 1920’s, Romuva (or Ramuva) was formally recognized as the ancient Lithuanian Baltic faith by the Lithuanian government.

Unfortunately, the current Lithuanian government does not recognize Romuva as a “traditional” religion and as such is not afforded the benefits that Catholicism, Judaism, and even Karaites enjoy. The Ramova “movement” was re-energized in the 1960’s by Jonas Trinkunas (now Krivis or high priest), but was disbanded by the Soviets, and Trinkunas sent into professional exile. Romuva was re-started about 1988. It is now an active, thriving community in Lithuania, and has “chapters” here in North America as well.

You can find out more by visiting:
The WCER website
Romuva USA website (under construction as of this date)
Romuva Lithuania website (more comprehensive)

Thank you to all of the wonderful people who are striving to preserve this and all historic landmarks. I lost a battle of my own recently in my mother’s Lithuanian hometown in PA.

Sincerely,
Jurate

A word on how the ramova got its name: During the building’s construction, a contest was held through a local Lithuanian newspaper to name it. The Reverend Anicetus M. Linkus named it, explaining it was a Lithuanian word that meant peaceful place. More accurately, it described a sanctuary for religious rites where the eternal flame was kept in the days of flame-worship. It was a common lihuanian name for social centers.

Hi Everyone:

There is an open forum of the Save The Ramova group being held this Tuesday, 11/15/05, at 2PM at the Healthy Foods Restaurant on S. Halsted St. between 32nd and 33rd Streets (appx. 3 blocks north of the Ramova theater).
We will be discussing our current plans and your/our ideas regarding saving our old girl.
Please join us!
See you there,

“Secret development plans” are very common. Most politicians cannot pay for their own election campaigns, and why should they when they can get some idiots to pay for it? To get this money, the pols promise jobs or contracts or land to contributors (its called the “Spoils System” with the ‘spoils’ being the property given to the contributor), whether legal or otherwise. Very likely at some point, the local politicians promised someone the land under the theatre, or a juicy demolition contract. So went many theatres small or large, such as the famous San Francisco FOX. All theatres (and other structures) are in jeopardy with the ever-corrupt politicians around. Clutch onto your local theatre while you can, for sooner or later some campaign contributor will sidle up to a politico and ask for the ‘favor’ of a particular theatre property to be given to them, without them having to pay for it. They ‘buy’ the property for simple patronage, and so go our theatres. Even the former Loew’s RICHMOND, in Richmond Virginia, (now the Virginia Center for the Performing Arts), an example of a declared landmark that was fully restored in the early ‘80s, is now about to be demolished to satisfy some 'Money-bags’ who wants the land. With the recent Supreme Court decision saying the any government can misuse the Emminent Domain law to take private property for any use, public and/or PRIVATE, the remaing theatres had best quake in fear, for there is the Yaup and Howl of money to be made and all the public-trough feeders are creating a stampede for those properties without strong political backing to protect them. So goes democracy and the ‘rights’ it protects, and the theatres it does not.