A Visit to Victoria Film Studios

Up for a social distancing adventure? Starting from Kyiv, drive West on E40 until you arrive near the village of Hurivshchyna. 

Now begins your adventure back in time. This historical village dates back to the 19th century, and the official buildings and churches are preserved from the romantic period. 

Now, drive about 20 kilometres south, and from a distance you will see a feudal Germanic castle, something from the legendary age of chivalry. This can’t be real — it is almost like something out of a movie…

Welcome to Victoria film studios, a Ukrainian film set which operates like old Hollywood. Named the Ukrainian Disneyland because of the prominent castle, the lot also includes a prison, lake, village, old town, and a gigantic soundstage. Ironically, despite the apparent fairytale setting, Victoria Film Studios turns out action thrillers like Convoy set in the Second World War or dramas like Midfielder about a modern lawyer anti-hero.

The set is always closed to the public, whether in production or during quarantine, but curiosity seekers can view the castle from a distant field. This makes for a perfect COVID-19 excursion — it is socially distant by nature and the much-needed whimsy can spark our imaginations.