{"id":6222,"date":"2019-10-04T01:06:06","date_gmt":"2019-10-04T07:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/?p=6222"},"modified":"2019-10-04T01:06:06","modified_gmt":"2019-10-04T07:06:06","slug":"fallout-filming-chernobyl-in-vilnius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/fallout-filming-chernobyl-in-vilnius\/","title":{"rendered":"Fallout: Filming Chernobyl in Vilnius"},"content":{"rendered":"

Linas Jegelevi\u010dius.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s, a dreary residential district in the northern part of Vilnius, has recently become a major tourist draw. The Soviet-style high-rise apartment complex built in the late 1980s served as the production site for the television event of the year, the HBO miniseries \u201cChernobyl,\u201d that dramatized the 1986 nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s was chosen as the doppelg\u00e4nger of Pripyat, a city established to house the workers of the nearby Chernobyl plant. Pripyat was where most of the human drama took place in the series, and now, of course, it\u2019s an uninhabitable ghost town.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the series hit TV screens around the globe, tourists have descended onto Vilnius, eager to hear stories about Lithuania\u2019s Soviet past and to visit the sites filmed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The chairman of the Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s Community Association Alvaras Bacevi\u010dius.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The chairman of the Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s Community Association Alvaras Bacevi\u010dius was thrilled to see Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s depicted in the series. \u201cWe could not have devised a better PR campaign for our district. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am happy it happened to us,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

He added, that before filming began, the production company spruced up the area and fixed up some buildings, making them look like the edifices of Pripyat. As a result, the full-time residents had to endure some inconveniences, like parking and traffic restrictions, but, according to Bacevi\u010dius, that perturbed only the most cantankerous of inhabitants. <\/span><\/p>\n

He also said that some lamented having their neighborhood compared to a typical Soviet residential district from the\u00a0 <\/span>mid-1980s. According to them, that\u2019s nothing to boast about. But Bacevi\u010dius countered that the newly built power plant towns were showpieces. \u201cPripyat, like our Visaginas, was the best maintained, most orderly and advanced town of the time.\u201d (Visaginas, located in northeast Lithuania, was established in the 1990s as a residential area for workers constructing the Ignalina nuclear power plant.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Bacevi\u010dius continued that the benefits for Vilnius rising from the hoopla produced by the miniseries are tangible.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am not just talking about the buzz created by the international tourist attention to our district. (I heard that there are guide-led tours of Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s, although I have not encountered any of them yet.) I appreciate that our neighborhood has grown closer as a result of the filming. Being perceived as important to the rest of the world has helped develop a strong sense of community. The excitement hasn\u2019t fizzled out yet. Whenever our residents meet, they immediately strike up conversations about the movie,\u201d Bacevi\u010dius observed.<\/span><\/p>\n

He enjoyed seeing on the screen that familiar stray dog roaming Stanevi\u010dius street and the greyish buildings and parking lots he passes by every day. \u201cIt\u2019s was an awesome feeling. I wish I had the chance to see the entire miniseries,\u201d Bacevi\u010dius said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tourist attractions?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

With the word on \u201cChernobyl\u201d hitting the headlines globally, at least four tour operators \u2013 Vilnius with Locals, Travel Addict, Vilnius Urban Adventures and feelZcity \u2013 as well as some independents, are now offering guided excursions to the much-publicized Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s district of Vilnius.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jelena Avinien\u0117, a project manager at feelZcity, said that they conduct tours Wednesday through Sunday, which last about two and a half hours. They cost 39 euros per person. The visitors are mostly Americans, Brits, Scandinavians, and Europeans. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Tourists are eager to learn about the Soviet era \u2013 how people lived back then.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Avinien\u0117, tourists are not only interested in the Chernobyl catastrophe and what is authentic and what is contrived in the film, but they are also eager to learn about the Soviet era \u2013 how people lived back then. \u201cThey want confirmation that the scenes in the miniseries accurately depict Soviet life. Some larger private groups ask to ride in a Soviet bus that was used in the series. Others want to try Soviet food or visit the now-defunct Ignalina power plant.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

FeelZcity also takes tourists to the Lithuanian Interior Ministry Culture Palace, located in\u00a0 <\/span>\u017dirm\u016bnai, where parts of the miniseries were shot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany have questions about the Soviet apartment blocks, specifically if it\u2019s safe to live there. Interestingly, we have quite a few visitors who have not seen the series yet, but are curious about Soviet life in general,\u201d Avinien\u0117 said. Tour participants also ask to visit the KGB museum, where Lithuanians were tortured and jailed during the Stalin years. <\/span><\/p>\n

Joana Mikulska, head of the Vilnius Tourism Information Center, said that following the release of the film, phones at the center were ringing off the hook. \u201cMost of the interested callers are British, inquiring about the movie and where it was shot. In response, we published a booklet about \u2018Chernobyl\u2019 and its filming locations. We also promote the movie to local tourism-based businesses, which, we believe, can benefit from the attention.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
After the the HBO miniseries \u201cChernobyl\u201d hit TV screens around the globe, tourists have descended onto Vilnius, eager to hear stories about Lithuania\u2019s Soviet past and to visit the sites filmed. Photo: www.feelzcity.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mikulska added that \u201cChernobyl\u201d was not the first TV series filmed in Vilnius. Recently, the Lithuanian capital entertained crews filming Netflix\u2019s the \u201cLast Tsars\u201d series, BBC\u2019s \u201cWar and Peace,\u201d and HBO\u2019s and Sky\u2019s \u201cCatherine the Great.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Baltic Film Services founder Lineta Mi\u0161eikyt\u0117 confirmed that many foreign producers hold a positive view of working in Vilnius. \u201cThey appreciate its compactness and accessibility, and they praise our skilled talent pool. When filming \u2018Chernobyl,\u2019 the Vilnius municipality readily accommodated the producers\u2019 requests. For example, it converted certain areas in Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s to look more like authentic Ukrainian Pripyat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, a tax exemption was granted to the \u201cChernobyl\u201d project. Lithuanian legislation now allows local companies to reduce their profit tax provided they allocate funds for film production. In 2014-2018, such a tax privilege was given to some 115 films.\u00a0 <\/span>As a result, upwards to 17 million euros have been invested under this tax program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local talent recognized<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For Povilas Jatkevi\u010dius, an aspiring yet still little known Lithuanian actor, \u201cChernobyl\u201d may provide a springboard to the big screen. I reached him by phone in London, where he was going through multiple casting calls and acquainting himself with the British film industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was not even born when the calamity struck, but I heard quite a bit about it from my parents. I was over the moon when I got a part. Wow!\u201d Jatkevi\u010dius played a firefighter called Kibinok in \u201cChernobyl.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>I asked him why he thought he was cast, and he chuckled, saying, \u201cI reckon I was chosen for my vintage appearance. The casting director told me that under no circumstance was I to cut my long hair,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jatkevi\u010dius said that even if his trip to London does not land him a Hollywood contract, he\u2019ll be okay; he has already secured a role with the National Drama Theater in Kaunas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChernobyl\u201d brings <\/span>back memories<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notwithstanding the positive effects\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cChernobyl,\u201d the miniseries, had on Vilnius, for many older Lithuanians, who lived through the nuclear meltdown scare, the public fascination with the bygone Soviet era is disconcerting. It is especially true for those who served in the Soviet Army at the time of the accident. Some were assigned to clean-up work \u2013 to extinguish the radioactive blaze or help erect the sarcophagus to contain the smoldering plant. For these Chernobyl disaster survivors, the movie opened up old wounds that never had a chance to heal fully.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did not see the film, and I am not sure I want to see it. This fictionalized account of history has revived the past. It is difficult to distance myself from it and remain calm,\u201d Art\u016bras Ma\u017erimas, a resident of Klaip\u0117da, said.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1986, at the age of 20, Ma\u017erimas was serving in the Soviet army. He was stationed at a military base a mere 100 kilometers from the Chernobyl plant when it blew up.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Pripyat, Ukraine \u2014 ground-zero during the Chernobyl disaster.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe arrived at this unbelievable disaster site just three hours after the explosion.\u00a0 <\/span>No one told us what happened. Three days later and only after the foreign radio stations broke the story did the authorities confirm that a\u00a0 <\/span>nuclear accident took place. They assured us that it did not pose much of a health risk,\u201d Ma\u017erimas recounted. The young soldiers, who were serving from all parts of the Soviet Union, were offered no iodine or protective clothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike the other soldiers, I was advised to drink milk, which was available in abundance in the canteen at the plant. Only later, my concerned parents began sending me vitamins. One month after our deployment to the plant, many of my army buddies began to complain that they would never \u201cneed women in their lives\u201d \u2013 they had become impotent. It is only by the grace of God that I fathered three children, retained my sanity, and am still in pretty good health at 52 years of age. I have heard that only about a dozen of the 110 men from my company are still alive today,\u201d Ma\u017erimas said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pranas Pa\u0161kevi\u010dius, head of the Lithuanian Chernobyl Movement, refrained from discussing the film.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI refused to speak to Reuters and the Associated Press. How can I comment on it, when it\u2019s all fabricated, fanciful? The Chernobyl clean-up workers, the local people, the liquidators, scientists, and functionaries are all imagined,\u201d he said. \u201cI also feel disheartened that Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s is shown as a Soviet residential district from the past,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Chernobyl Movement has 17 chapters throughout Lithuania, but Pa\u0161kevi\u010dius could not say how many survivors presently belong to the organization. \u201cAs time goes on, fewer of us remain alive. Besides, we do not have the financial resources to organize conferences for members to meet and recall what happened to us in 1986,\u201d Pa\u0161kevi\u010dius said.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to him, Lithuania lags behind Latvia in awarding compensations to Chernobyl survivors. \u201cThey have separate regulations regarding Chernobyl clean-up participants. Latvia is praised internationally for taking care of them,\u201d he said. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is believed that about 10,000 Lithuanians participated in the Chernobyl clean-up operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

More information on the Chernobyl tours in Vilnius can be found on http:\/\/www.vilnius-events.lt\/en\/<\/a> and www.feelzcity.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Some tourist groups ask to ride in a Soviet bus that was used in the series. Photos courtesy of Vilnius Tourism Information Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Linas Jegelevi\u010dius. Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s, a dreary residential district in the northern part of Vilnius, has recently become a major tourist draw. The Soviet-style high-rise apartment complex built in the late 1980s served as the production site for the television event of the year, the HBO miniseries \u201cChernobyl,\u201d that dramatized the 1986 nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Fabijoni\u0161k\u0117s …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[204,214,70],"tags":[99],"class_list":["post-6222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-culture","category-film","category-history-1900","tag-jegelevicius-l"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6222"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6236,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6222\/revisions\/6236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}