The creative team behind “Soviet Jeans,” the award-winning series that captivated audiences at Series Mania in 2024, is returning with a new period drama titled “The Last Divorce of Communism.” The six-part series is set in Latvia in 1988.
A Story of Love and Deception
“The Last Divorce of Communism” centers on a couple who resort to staging a fake divorce to protect their apartment from nationalization under the USSR’s strict real-estate policies. They must navigate a society on the brink of collapse while concealing their enduring love from watchful neighbors and informants.
Production will take place across multiple seasons in Latvia and Lithuania, utilizing both archival footage and newly filmed scenes to recreate late-Soviet Riga. The premiere is currently slated for 2027.
The Creative Team
The series was created by Teodora Markova and Stanisļavs Tokalovs, the duo behind “Soviet Jeans,” which is preparing for a second season. Tokalovs will co-direct alongside Markova and Lithuanian filmmaker Tomas Vengris. The cast includes Ieva Segliņa, Edgars Samītis, Chulpan Khamatova, Ieva Estere Barkāne, Kaspars Znotiņš and Vilis Daudziņš.
Aija Bērziņa of Latvian production company Tasse Film is producing the series. Bērziņa described the series as “our love letter to everyone who’s ever bent the rules for the people they love — a fake divorce, a real love story, and the full weight of the Soviet Union standing in the way.”
The project is backed by Latvian Public Media and co-produced by Lithuania’s Magic Films and Bulgaria’s Agitprop, with Danna Stern of In Transit Productions serving as executive producer. It as well receives support from the Lithuanian Film Centre and the Bulgarian National Film Center.
“The Last Divorce of Communism” has already generated interest, winning awards at several European co-production markets, including TV Days at the Serial Killer festival in Brno, NEM Zagreb, and the Heart of Europe TV Festival in Warsaw. It is scheduled to be showcased at Media Play in Sofia in May.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “The Last Divorce of Communism” about?
The series follows a couple in Latvia in 1988 who stage a fake divorce to prevent the USSR from nationalizing their apartment.
Who created the series?
“The Last Divorce of Communism” was created by Teodora Markova and Stanisļavs Tokalovs, who also created “Soviet Jeans.”
When is the series expected to premiere?
The series is currently slated to premiere in 2027.
As the Soviet Union neared its finish, how might ordinary citizens have navigated the complex political and personal challenges of the time?
