Narva's Ro-Ro music club faces closure over unpaid rent
The Estonian city of Narva has begun terminating the lease of the independent music club Ro-Ro, whose debt exceeds 7,000 euros. The city is demanding the arrears be settled by the end of the month.
One of the oldest independent music clubs in Narva, a city in Estonia on the Russian border, is under threat of closure. Ro-Ro's premises are leased from the city, and the municipality has started procedures to terminate the lease because the company running the club has not paid rent for years.
As of 16 October, the company's debt, including current charges, had reached slightly more than 7,000 euros. The city wants it cleared by the end of October. The club first had rent problems in 2017, and since 2022 the city has repeatedly granted instalment plans for the debt. The report comes from Aktuaalne Kaamera, an Estonian Russian-language news programme.
The city's position
Narva Deputy Mayor Oleg Karpikov said the process has dragged on for two or three years, and each time the city has met the cultural venue halfway with schedules and instalments. After receiving notice of the termination, the club's management contacted the city for the first time in several months. According to Karpikov, half of the sum was paid the day before, and the club wants a commission to consider a new payment schedule. The city, however, had already stated that any talks must be based on full repayment. Whether the lease will be kept remains undecided.
The club's role
Ro-Ro has existed for more than 20 years. Both well-known musicians and bands that draw only a handful of listeners perform there. In winter the club barely operates, and the concert venue depends on income from the commercial establishment. Journalist Roman Vikulov argues the problem goes beyond one business: in his view the entrepreneur did fail to cope, but what has been built over 20 years matters to a great many people.
The city has also prepared lease termination notices for Lounge Cafe and the association Young & Active. A contract with another organisation, MTÜ Tribune, has already been terminated.
