Ukraine's legendary Odesa film studio suffers major losses after Russian strike
Odesa Film Studio after the Russian attack on June 10 (photo: Facebook/Odesa Film Studio)
A Russian missile that struck the Odesa Film Studio on June 10 damaged production facilities, the costume and set design workshops, and the film processing center. As a result of the attack, the sets for the film "Dovzhenko," which had just finished filming the day before, were destroyed. The scale of the destruction is still being assessed, said Andrii Osipov, head of the Ukrainian State Film Agency and former director of the Odesa Film Studio.
Consequences of attack on Odesa Film Studio
On June 10, around 1 AM Kyiv time, the enemy struck the Odesa Film Studio, one of the oldest in the world. Production facilities, costumes, and prop storage were damaged, and part of the historical sets were destroyed. None of the employees were injured.
The fire was extinguished in time, the destructive consequences were localized, and unique costumes, props, and artifacts related to the studio's 100-year history were saved.
"The costume and set design workshops were hit the hardest. They contain over 60,000 stored items, many of which are of particular value. The film processing center was left completely without windows. Historical cars were also damaged. The extent of the destruction is still being assessed. In addition to external damage, we also need to assess the structural condition of the buildings," Osipov said.
Consequences of the attack on Odesa Film Studio (photo: Facebook/Odesa Film Studio)
Film set for “Dovzhenko” destroyed
The Russian attack completely destroyed the sets for the film "Dovzhenko"—a national project about Ukraine’s most famous film director. Special vehicles used during the filming were also lost.
"We recently completed the filming of "Dovzhenko." It is now in the editing stage. The set of a dacha (summer house) was located on the studio grounds, and we had planned to preserve it as a museum exhibit. That's exactly the part that was hit. For us, the most important thing is that there were no casualties. Everything else we will rebuild," Osipov added.
He also noted that restoring the studio will require substantial financial and human resources. International partners have already expressed their condolences and support.
The film studio continues to operate despite the Russian attack: the museums remain open, and the scheduled film screenings will take place.
Sets for the film "Dovzhenko" destroyed (photo: Facebook/Odesa Film Studio)
On the night of June 10, Russians launched a massive attack on Ukraine, using 322 aerial drones. These included 315 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones, as well as 2 KN-23 ballistic missiles and 5 Iskander-K cruise missiles. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this strike was one of the largest attacks on the capital throughout the war.
Also, the officials at Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv assessed the damage to the monument due to the shelling of the capital on June 10.
