Dovzhenko Film Studios
Dovzhenko Film Studios is a Ukrainian state-owned feature-film production complex and one of the country’s oldest and largest film studios.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Dovzhenko Film Studios is a Ukrainian film-production institution based in Kyiv. Established during the development of the Soviet Ukrainian cinema industry in the late 1920s, it became one of the largest production facilities in the Ukrainian SSR and later one of the principal institutions of independent Ukrainian cinema. The studio is named after Oleksandr Dovzhenko, the Ukrainian and Soviet filmmaker whose work became central to the development of Ukrainian cinematic culture. The studio’s origins are associated with a 1925 initiative by the All-Ukrainian Photo-Cinema Directorate to establish a major cinema factory in Kyiv. An architectural proposal led by Valerian Rykov was selected, and construction of the complex began in 1927. Although the pavilions were not yet complete, production had already started. The first film made at the developing facility was "Ivanko and the Butcher," directed by Aksel Lundin, with filming beginning on 12 October 1927. By 1929, the studio was producing multiple films and had become a significant center for directors, cinematographers, writers, and technical workers. During the 1930s, the studio operated within the increasingly centralized Soviet film system. Its output included historical dramas, literary adaptations, comedies, war films, documentaries, and science-fiction works, while the state also used cinema as an instrument of official ideology. Nevertheless, the Kyiv facility supported the work of many important Ukrainian and Soviet filmmakers, including Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Leonid Lukov, Ivan Kavaleridze, Ihor Savchenko, Viktor Ivanov, Sergei Parajanov, Yuriy Illienko, Leonid Bykov, and others. Films associated with the studio include "Earth," "Shchors," "Chasing Two Hares," "Queen of the Gas Station," "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors," and "Only Old Men Are Going to Battle." In October 1941, during the Second World War, the studio was evacuated to Tashkent and continued its activities there until Kyiv was liberated. During the German occupation, the Kyiv premises were used by the Ukraine Film Society as a base for producing propaganda films. After the war, the studio resumed its role in Kyiv and expanded its production capacity. In 1957, it was formally named after Oleksandr Dovzhenko. A pavilion associated with the filming of Dovzhenko’s "Shchors" is preserved as a museum-related space, and memorial plaques across the site commemorate filmmakers who worked there. The studio’s work later broadened beyond conventional production. Since 1987, its Debut unit has specialized in first films by emerging directors. In December 2009, a digital-restoration studio was opened on the complex, reflecting the institution’s role in preserving Ukrainian film heritage as well as producing new work. The studio operates as a full-cycle production enterprise, combining its own film projects with technical and production services for outside film and television companies. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the studio became state property of Ukraine. In 2000, it received national status. It has also been included among the producers of national films recognized by the Ukrainian government. Its contemporary identity therefore combines three roles: a production facility, a state cultural institution, and an archive-linked center for Ukrainian cinematic heritage. Its long catalogue spans Soviet Ukrainian cinema and post-independence Ukrainian filmmaking, while its facilities remain available to domestic audiovisual producers.
History
The history of Dovzhenko Film Studios began with the institutional expansion of Ukrainian cinema in the 1920s. In 1925, the All-Ukrainian Photo-Cinema Directorate proposed the creation of a major cinema factory. The selected design was prepared by architect Valerian Rykov and his group of students from the Architectural Department of the Kyiv Art Institute. Construction of the Kyiv complex began in 1927, when it was among the largest film facilities in the Ukrainian SSR. Production started before construction was finished. Filming of "Ivanko and the Butcher," directed by Aksel Lundin, began on 12 October 1927, with work conducted at night while the pavilions were built during the day. The young studio quickly developed into a production center with a broad professional base. Directors, cinematographers, screenwriters, actors, and technical specialists contributed to films in multiple genres. By 1929, ten films had reportedly been produced. From 1930 onward, filmmaking was increasingly controlled by the Soviet state. The studio’s output consequently operated within the political and ideological framework of Soviet cinema. At the same time, the Kyiv facility became an important home for Ukrainian-language and Ukrainian-themed filmmaking, as well as for major Soviet productions. Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Arnold Kordium, Pavlo Dolyna, Leonid Lukov, Ivan Kavaleridze, Ihor Savchenko, and Favst Lopatynskyi were among the directors associated with the studio, while cinematographers such as Danylo Demutskyi and Yuriy Yekelchyk contributed to its visual tradition. The Second World War disrupted the studio’s operations. In October 1941, it was evacuated to Tashkent, where its personnel continued working until the liberation of Kyiv. During the German occupation of Kyiv, the studio premises were used as a production base by the Ukraine Film Society for propaganda filmmaking. After the war, the institution returned to Kyiv and resumed its central place in Ukrainian film production. The site became particularly associated with the work of Oleksandr Dovzhenko. One pavilion was later known as Shchorsivskyi because Dovzhenko filmed his historical work "Shchors" there; the area is used in connection with the studio museum. In 1957, the studio was renamed in Dovzhenko’s honor. The grounds also contain memorial plaques commemorating filmmakers who worked at the facility, and an apple orchard near the avenue is traditionally associated with Dovzhenko’s instructions. The studio’s catalogue developed across a wide range of genres. Soviet-period productions included Dovzhenko’s "Earth," "Ivan," "Aerograd," and "Shchors"; Ihor Savchenko’s "Bohdan Khmelnytsky" and "Taras Shevchenko"; Viktor Ivanov’s comedy "Chasing Two Hares"; "Queen of the Gas Station"; Sergei Parajanov’s "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors"; and Leonid Bykov’s war films "Only Old Men Are Going to Battle" and "Aty-baty, Soldiers Were Going." The studio also supported experimental, surrealist, science-fiction, historical, and literary projects. Since 1987, the Debut unit has focused on first films by emerging directors. Alexander Adolov managed the unit until 1990, followed by Arthur Voattsky. This initiative extended the studio’s educational and talent-development function beyond established production teams. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the studio became the property of the Ukrainian government. In 2000, it received national status. Its role subsequently expanded to include participation in the production of nationally recognized Ukrainian films and the provision of facilities and technical services to other film and television companies. In December 2009, a digital-restoration studio opened at the complex, giving the institution an explicit preservation mission alongside its production activities. The modern Dovzhenko Film Studios is therefore both an operating production enterprise and a heritage institution. It maintains a full technological cycle for filmmaking, supports independent and state-linked Ukrainian productions, provides services to outside audiovisual companies, and preserves material connected with the history of Ukrainian cinema.
- 2009
Digital restoration studio opened
[1]A dedicated digital-restoration facility opened on the studio complex to support preservation of Ukrainian films.
- 2000
National status granted
[1]The Ukrainian film studio received national status.
- 1987
Debut unit established
[1]The Debut unit began specializing in first films by emerging directors.
- 1957
Renamed after Oleksandr Dovzhenko
[1]The studio formally adopted the name of filmmaker Oleksandr Dovzhenko.
- 1941
Evacuation to Tashkent
[1]The studio was evacuated during the Second World War and continued operating in Tashkent until Kyiv’s liberation.
- 1927
Construction of the Kyiv studio begins
[1]Construction began under an architectural project led by Valerian Rykov and his group from the Kyiv Art Institute.
- 1927
First production starts
[1]Filming of Aksel Lundin’s "Ivanko and the Butcher" began on 12 October while the studio pavilions were still being completed.
- 1925
Cinema-factory project proposed
[1]The All-Ukrainian Photo-Cinema Directorate proposed building a major cinema production complex in Kyiv.
Products and positioning
A national Ukrainian film institution combining large-scale studio infrastructure, feature-film production, production services, and preservation of the country’s cinematic heritage.
Film production · 1927
Feature-film production
The studio’s principal activity is the production of Ukrainian feature films. Its historical output covers literary adaptations, historical dramas, war films, comedies, science fiction, experimental cinema, and films addressing Ukrainian national history and culture. The complex has supported both studio-originated projects and productions involving external creative and production partners.
Production services
Film and television production services
Dovzhenko Film Studios operates as a full-cycle audiovisual production enterprise. In addition to making its own films, it provides facilities and related services to other film and television companies, including access to pavilions, production infrastructure, technical resources, and other studio capabilities.
Film preservation · 2009
Digital film restoration
The digital-restoration studio opened in 2009 supports the preservation and renewed circulation of Ukrainian film heritage. This activity complements the institution’s production work by applying contemporary digital processes to historically significant films.
Talent development · 1987
Debut
Debut is a studio unit dedicated to first films by directors. Established in 1987, it gives emerging filmmakers a pathway into professional production and forms part of the studio’s long-standing contribution to the development of Ukrainian cinematic talent.
Sources1 sources
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