Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography

Welcome to Wilhelm Pieck Street, building 3, located just a short distance from the Botanichesky Sad metro station. Before you stands the imposing facade of VGIK, the All-Russian State University of Cinematography, named after…

As we enter the main academic building, consider the profound legacy of one of VGIK's most legendary early instructors, Lev Kuleshov. During the desperately poor years of the nineteen twenties, the school famously suffered from a…

Let us pause near the admissions office. Getting accepted into VGIK, particularly the legendary acting and directing faculties, is an ordeal of legendary proportions. …

Walking toward the documentary department, it is crucial to understand that VGIK treats non-fiction filmmaking with the same, if not greater, reverence as theatrical fiction. Documentary students here are taught a very specific,…

As we traverse the main corridors, you cannot help but feel the overwhelming, sometimes intimidating presence of the alumni who have passed through these exact hallways. The ghosts of cinematic titans linger here. …

Moving into the modern wings of the university, we abruptly leave the romanticized past of celluloid and step into a highly sophisticated technological present. VGIK has continually evolved to maintain its relevance, recently…

To truly understand VGIK, one must look at the exhausted but fiercely dedicated faces of the student body. The student population is intensely international, drawing hopefuls from over thirty different countries. …

As we exit the heavy doors of VGIK and step back onto Wilhelm Pieck Street, the transition from the intensely focused, pressurized environment of the institute back into the ordinary daylight of Moscow is always slightly jarring.…