Tax incentive, welcoming approach by the government, and big talent pool made Vilnius an attractive filming destination. The last episode of HBO’s miniseries Chernobyl aired this week, ending the bone-chilling historical drama. As of today, the show stands as the highest-rated TV series on IMDB. Contrary to the public belief, Chernobyl was not filmed only in Ukraine – the bigger part of the show was shot in Lithuania. Extensive parts of the show were shot in Vilnius, and the Lithuanian capital established itself as one of the regional leaders for hosting film production. Diverse historical backgrounds are imprinted in the city’s surroundings, making Vilnius a go-to location for shooting films depicting various periods. Apart from Chernobyl, the city recently hosted film crews working on to-be-released Netflix’s The Last Czars, BBC’s War and Peace and HBO/Sky’s Catherine the Great. Although all four shows were set during different historical periods, Vilnius was able to successfully host all three, among many others.
