Honoring Andriy Sova: A Street Renamed in Odesa

In Odesa, in the Peresyp district, Turgenev Street has been renamed in honor of Andriy Sova – a distinguished actor and master of theatrical arts. This was announced by the press service of the Odesa City Council.

Andriy Sova was born in 1912 in Odesa, in the Moldavanka area. He graduated from the Odesa Theater College in 1938. His first significant role was that of Kotya Gryhorenko in the film "The Old Fortress" (1937), where he starred alongside Mark Bernes, who encouraged him with the words: "Spread your wings, Sova, to the full width!"

During the filming of the adventure movie “In a Distant Voyage” (1945), Andriy met Ukrainian actor and director Ambrosiy Buchma, who invited him to work at the Kyiv Film Studio. In Kyiv, he also met his destiny – actress Halyna Zhyrova. Together, the young actors created a “cheerful and singing brigade,” traveling through villages and towns in Ukraine and performing in clubs. Their shows included music, songs, romances, and, naturally, humor.

Later, as a philharmonic artist, Andriy Sova intertwined his life with humor. His repertoire expanded continuously. He invented a new variety form in Ukraine that later became his signature – a fast-paced satirical one-act play. In 1962, Ukrainian director Oleksiy Myshuryn shot the brilliant comedy “Queen of the Gas Station” at the O.P. Dovzhenko Kyiv Film Studio. The cheerful script, fantastic performance by the actors, and light-hearted atmosphere turned the film into a masterpiece where the colorful gas station manager Panas Petrovych (Andriy Sova) gave masterclasses both at the gas station and in table football play.

Afterward, he faced 16 years of fighting a severe illness. Yet Sova did not succumb to despair. He wrote memoirs and humorous stories from his life, doing everything with artistry. He passed away on December 11, 1994, in Kyiv at the age of 81.