Celebrities & Ukrainian roots Fun Facts, Stories & Updates

Ukrainian roots

Ukraine has had an influence on the history of the cinema. Prominent Ukrainian directors include Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Dzyha Vertov and Serhiy Paradzhanov. Dovzhenko is often cited as one of the most important early Soviet filmmakers, as well as being a pioneer of Soviet montage theory and founding Dovzhenko Film Studios. In 1927 Dziga Vertov moved from Moscow to Ukraine. At the film studio VUFKU he made several avant-garde documentaries, among them «The Eleventh Year», «Man with a Movie Camera» and first Ukrainian documentary sound film «Enthusiasm ». Paradzhanov was an Armenian film director and artist who made significant contributions to Ukrainian, Armenian and Georgian cinema; he invented his own cinematic style, Ukrainian poetic cinema, which was totally out of step with the guiding principles of socialist realism.

French star Serge Gainsbourg's parents fled 🇺🇦 after the October Revolution. 🔥

Dustin Hoffman discovered his grandparents had come from Bila Tserkva. 🕍

David Copperfield has Ukrainian roots. 🎩🐇

Zoë Kravitz's ancestors lived close to the Black Sea. 🌊

The KGB helped Sly Stallone trace his roots to Odessa, Ukraine. 🕵️☭

Lenny Kravitz likes his grandfather's hometown of Kyiv, 🇺🇦.

Winona Ryder tells the secret of her ancestors' name. 🙊

Chernivtsi native Mila Kunis donated $3m to Ukraine. 🇺🇦

"Finally I'm in my native land," said Steven Spielberg on landing in Odessa. 💗

Bob Dylan's grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Odessa in 1907. 🚢