Ukraine a popular location for shooting music videos for world famous bands (VIDEO)

War in the east and economic turmoil notwithstanding, Ukraine seems to be becoming a popular location for the filming of music videos, with directors attracted not only by the country’s spectacular scenery and interesting culture, but flexible labor and cheap prices.

Korupciya.world reports citing  Kyiv Post

For instance, Grammy-winning British band Mumford and Sons recently posted a video for their song “Ditmas” on their Facebook page in which a Ukrainian Cossack in traditional dress and hairstyle is the main character. Footage of the Cossack breaking and riding a horse is interlaced with shots of the band performing their song.

The video, in which the warrior also performs tricks while riding on the black horse, was “shot on location in the beautiful countryside surrounding Kyiv by director Alex Southam,” according to a statement on Mumford and Sons’ official Facebook page.

“Whilst recently filming in Ukraine, I started doing some research and learning about Ukrainian Cossacks – their heritage, history, and associated spiritualism,” Southam said in a press release issued by the band’s music publisher.

“I was surprised to learn that there is a small but ardent population who keep the traditions going,” Southam said.

“The narrative for Ditmas came about whilst discussing another idea for the band, when the suggestion of a Cossack was mooted. Cossacks are synonymous with incredible horsemanship, so it felt like a natural fit.”

Another British indie-rock band, Foals, have also shot a music video in Ukraine. The video for the band’s song “What Went Down” was filmed at two locations – the Kyiv Reservoir and an almost post-apocalyptic-looking site in Kyiv’s Troeschina district. 

Viktor Ruzenko, a director at the Vitj video production studio in Kyiv, says foreigners are picking Ukraine as a location for their video shoots for many reasons.

“Firstly, it’s much cheaper,” Ruzenko told the Kyiv Post. “Something that costs $7,000 in the United States, for example, can be filmed here in Ukraine for $3,000. And the result is in no way inferior.”

The shooting process in Ukraine is also easier than it is in the United States, Ruzenko said.

“Here people will work without any complaints for 16 hours, when the official working shift is 12 hours. People broad appreciate human resources more than we do (in Ukraine).”

Other well-known artists and bands that have shot their music videos in Ukraine include Natalie Imbruglia, Lonely The Brave, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, andRudimental.