The Turgeniev Street in the Peresip district of Odessa has been renamed to honor Andriy Sova – a distinguished Ukrainian actor who made a significant impact in the arts. This was announced by the press service of the Odessa City Council.

Born in 1912 in the Moldavanka area, Andriy Sova graduated from the Odessa Theater School in 1938. His breakthrough role came in the film «Old Fortress» (1937), where he starred alongside the renowned actor Mark Bernes. During the filming of the adventure movie “In Distant Sailing” (1945), he met Ambrosiy Buchma, who invited him to work at the Kyiv Film Studio. In Kyiv, he also met his future wife, actress Halyna Zhyrova. Together they formed a «cheerful brigade» that performed in clubs, providing audiences with music, songs, and humor.

Later, as a Philharmonic artist, Sova dedicated himself to humor. He invented a new performance format that became his trademark. In 1962, director Oleksiy Myshuryn created the brilliant comedy “Queen of the Gas Station”, where Andriy played a charismatic gas station manager, teaching viewers not only how to refuel cars, but also how to play table football.

After 16 years of battling a severe illness, Sova remained optimistic, continuing to write memoirs and humorous stories. He passed away on December 11, 1994, in Kyiv at the age of 81.