Did you know that Stranger Things was filmed in Lithuania?

If you are a fan of Stranger Things, you probably already know that part of its fourth season was filmed in Lithuania. This popular Netflix series tells the story of teenagers’ adventures, related to mysterious events and a parallel world, called the Upside Down. In the fourth season, one of the intrigues is that one of the main characters, police officer Jim Hopper (actor David Harbour), is held prisoner in a Soviet camp in Siberia.

But did you know that this camp is actually Lukiškės Prison in Vilnius? This more than a hundred years old prison was closed in 2019 and previously held criminals and political prisoners. The name of the prison comes from the old Lukiškės village, which is now part of the city center. The prison’s architecture and history attracted the creators of Stranger Things, who used it as a filming location.

In addition, other scenes related to Siberian nature and climate were filmed in Lithuania. The series’ production designer Chris Trujillo said that he visited Lithuania several times and looked for suitable places for filming. He chose Lithuanian countryside landscapes and forests, because they matched the Kamchatka region’s image. He also praised Lithuania’s light and winter, which gave the film a special atmosphere.

Stranger Things not only showed Lithuania’s beauty and history to the world, but also gave an opportunity for Lithuanian actors to appear on screen. One of them is Vaidotas Martinaitis, who played the Soviet camp guard Melnikov. He talked about his experience working with the Netflix team and about the strict confidentiality agreements he had to sign. He said that even his family did not know where he was filming and that the series’ working title was Tareco.

If you want to see Stranger Things filming locations in Lithuania with your own eyes, you can visit Lukiškės Prison with a guide or participate in various events and concerts that take place there. You can also go to Lithuanian village or forest and feel the Siberian spirit. And if you have not watched Stranger Things fourth season yet, we definitely recommend it.