After Two Rabbits Immortalized in Bronze

It was one of few events having nothing to do with politics and commemorating Independence Day. In a merry and somewhat nostalgic atmosphere a sculptural composition was unveiled on Desiatynna Street, not far from St. Andrew's Church, portraying the principal characters of Mykhailo Starytsky's burlesque play Za Dvoma Zaitsiamy (After Two Rabbits), made extremely popular in the 1960s by a masterful screen version. The memorial was commissioned by the Etalon joint stock bank and created by sculptors Volodymyr Shchur, Vitaly Sivko, and architects Volodymyr Skulsky and Ruslan Kukharenko. In fact, the statues portray the actors who played the parts in Viktor Ivanov's production: the late Oleh Borysov as Holokhvastov and Marharyta Krynytsyna (in the photo) as Pronia Prokopivna. Mrs. Krynytsyna was the celebrity during the ceremony and she deserved it! Remarkably, the President signed an edict recently, awarding the actress and the rest of the film crew a state prize. Well, better late than never, considering that the motion picture appeared on the screen 38 years ago.