A monument to Zhvanetsky is being unveiled in Rostov-on-Don.

You'll laugh, but in Rostov they decided to erect a monument to the most famous Odessan Mikhail Mikhalych Zhvanetsky.

Once, it was almost ready to be erected, but then the war happened—what was the point of a monument to the People's Artist of Ukraine? It took two years of mustering up the courage, and here it is: the third Mikhail Zhvanetsky in the world, after Moscow and Odessa, awaits its opening on Pushkinskaya Street.

This is what it looks like today. We think Mikhail Mikhailovich would appreciate it.

And on this occasion, we decided to recall some of Zhvanetsky’s quotes.

“I have endless respect for the monstrous choice of my people.
The government promises and promises, promises and promises, but it’s still not enough for us.
No matter how much you steal from the state, you will never get your own back.
Patriotism is a clear, concise, well-reasoned explanation of why we should live worse than others.
"A past life is like an old car—you can admire it, but you can't drive it. It's been driven for a while."

Photo by Gleb Kostev, Molot newspaper