General information about filming in Vladivostok

The capital of Russian Far East, Vladivostok is a major cargo, trade and passenger seaport. FilmSPbTV can help you in filming this unique multinational city. People from neighboring regions of China, South Korea and Japan come to Vladivostok for work and for vacation creating a very special cultural environment. The city also houses the Russian Pacific Fleet. The historical center of Vladivostok, that is, Svetlanskaya and Aleutskaya streets, was built mainly in the 1880s. Here you can film merchants’ apartment houses, the Governor-General mansion and the Kunst and Albrecht department store. Kunst and Albrecht were two German merchants who came to Vladivostok to trade and then invested in the construction of numerous residential buildings.

Filming possibilities in Vladivostok

FilmSPbTV can provide you permits for filming in one of the four Russia’s official casinos, the famous ‘Tigre de Cristal’. The casino belongs to the Primorye gambling zone. The place is very popular among visitors of the city and locals.Another event worth-filming is the V-ROX international art festival. Artists and musicians from Russia, Australia, Mongolia, Japan and the United States come here to share their works. Importantly — the festival is curated by Ilya Lagutenko, the leader of a famous Vladivostok rock band. The Golden Bridge along with the Russky Island Bridge are two cable-stayed bridges built on preparation for the 2012 APEC summit. The Golden Bridge crosses the Golden Horn Bay. The Russky Island Bridge is the world-biggest cable-stayed bridge and the main attraction of the region. Its image is on the 2000 ruble bill.

Check out our project in Vladivostok

Photo shoot for Facebook in Vladivostok organized by FilmspbTV

Key landscapes in Vladivostok

Another key location of the region is the Vladivostok fortress. It is a system of fortifications from the XIX century. Remodeled several times after the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. It has never participated in actual battles but still looks intimidating. Nowadays, the fortress houses a museum dedicated to its history. Our Vladivostok fixers can help you in filming the annual historical reenactment festival that take place in the museum.

Vladivostok’s architectural ensemble unites the Neo-Gothic Lutheran Church with the late XIX c. Railway Station built in the Russian Style of the epoch. Add up the former Chinatown, the so-called Millionka, with its dark brick buildings and its courtyard where one can easily get lost. The ornamented Arc de Triomphe to celebrate the Transsiberian Railroad is also an important part the city’s historical landscape.

The Tokarevsky lighthouse. Situated on the southern tip of the Shkot island, It offers a panoramic view on the city. The cape, the cliffs, the Golden Bridge and the Russky Island are also visible from here.

The Pokrovsky Cathedral: a majestic five-domed cathedral. In 1935 Bolsheviks blew up the building. Nowadays, you can film the exact copy of the original temple.

The Vladivostok Botanic Garden, the biggest botanic garden in the Far East. The nature of the Primorsky region is incredibly rich: there are tigers, roe deers, white-chested bears, dholes in the taiga.

Filming wildlife at the Russian far-east and around Vladivostok

Our Vladivostok fixers will help you in filming all these animals in their natural habitat. There are two national reserves that are filming-friendly: the national reserve «Land of Leopard» and the «Zov Tigra» national reserve.

Equipment and local crew for TV production in Vladivostok

Vladivostok is 10h flight from Moscow and 11h flight from Saint-Petersburg. The local time zone is GMT+10. So the time difference with Moscow is 7 hours.

Almost no professional filming equipment is avalable for rental in Vladivostok. Several DSLR cameras, sandbags and some C-stands with thome photo equipment. Consequently – the equipment for any big filming in Vladivostok has to be brought from Moscow or Saint Petersburg on a plane. Nevertheless it’s possible to find proffesional lights assistants, soundman and a good english-speaking cameraman in the area. Good english-speaking make up artists and stylists are avaialble locally. Local theaters are a source of good props masters, set constructors and stage hands.

You can find the information about visas and customs procedures required for filming in Russia here.