Private company

Odesa Film Studio

Logo: odesafilmstudio.com.ua3

Ukrainian film production company

The Odesa Film Studio (Ukrainian: Одеська кіностудія художніх фільмів, Russian: Одесская киностудия художественных фильмов) is a Ukrainian, formerly Soviet, film studio in Odesa, Odesa Oblast. Founded in 1919, it was one of the first and oldest studios in the Russian Empire and later Soviet Union. It is partially owned by the government and supervised by the State Property Fund of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture.2 It employed 100 people.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1919Founded1
Odessa Film Studio2 (cropped)
Photo: Сіліч Марія, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

The Odesa Film Studio (Ukrainian: Одеська кіностудія художніх фільмів, Russian: Одесская киностудия художественных фильмов) is a Ukrainian, formerly Soviet, film studio in Odesa, Odesa Oblast. Founded in 1919, it was one of the first and oldest studios in the Russian Empire and later Soviet Union.2

The story

It was founded on 23 May 1919 by the decision of the Odesa Governorate's Executive Committee, from the remnants of cinema studios of Myron Grossman, Dmitriy Kharitonov, and Borisov. It was one of the first domestic film producers in the Soviet Union. At first, it was listed as "Political film section of political department and of 41st Division of the Red Army", and the first feature film filmed under this name was the "Spiders and flies." The original studios went into decline after the Russian Civil War and the Ukrainian War of Independence, as their owners emigrated, running from political prosecution. Grossman's film studio "Myrograph" existed in Odesa since 1907 and was the oldest one recorded in Ukraine.

In 1922, it was reorganized into the "Odesa Film Factory of the All-Ukrainian Photo Cinema Administration (VUFKU)". The Odesa film studio was the VUFKU’s main production facility. In 1926, Vyacheslav Levandovskyi and Deviatkin created an animation studio of VUFKU.

In 1930, VUFKU was reorganized into "Ukrainafilm" of "Soyuzkino" (Union-cinema).

During the years of the Second World War (Eastern Front 1941-1945) it was part of the Tashkent Film Studio. By 1954 they returned to Odesa.

In 1955, the Odesa Film Studio resumed its own film production. Director Alexander Gorky not only obtained permission to revive the studio, but also solved the personnel problem by inviting VGIK graduates — directors, cameramen, artists, and economists. Then the former students, who usually went for years as assistants, quickly got independent work. On November 26, 1956, the film by Felix Mironer and Marlen Khutsiev "Spring on Zarechnaya Street" was released, which became a significant event not only for the studio, but for the entire Soviet cinema.

In 1979, the Odesa Film Studio released The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed. It is the highest grossing film of the studio, and was popular throughout the Soviet Union.

In 2005, Odesa film studio was reorganized as a Closed Joint Stock Company, with the government owning the majority of shares.

In 2019, the National Bank of Ukraine issued a commemorative coin titled "100 years Odesa Film Studio"

Read the full text

In addition, the main Ukraine post service issued a special anniversary stamp dedicated to the Odesa film studio.

From Wikipedia’s article on Odesa Film Studio, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

  • advertising
  • film
  • television series
  • video clip

Listed on Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1919Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
    Company websiteOdesa Film Studio logo
  4. 4
  5. 5