in the second episode “Your Face Sounds Familiar” raises controversy, although not because of how he presented himself in the role of Verka Serduchka, but because of his behavior during the scoring. Only a few days ago (March 6) the Ukrainian star performed in Warsaw and her fans could admire the colorful show. And who is Verka Serduchka really?
He was a circus performer, today he is a showman. Verka Serduchka used to be a “traitor”, today she is a Ukrainian party girl
This is a stage character played by Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko. He is a Ukrainian comedy actor, singer, satirist, songwriter, screenwriter, composer, director, producer and TV presenter – in a word: a man-orchestra. After graduating from the circus school, Daniłko worked in the profession, but at some point he decided that he needed to change the industry, because there were fewer and fewer jobs. He has been active as Verka Serduchka since 1989 – at the beginning his character was a saleswoman, later she was presented as a long-distance train conductor. Every drag queen attaches great importance to her stage name – in this case, it’s a combination of a popular name and the surname of an artist’s classmate.
Danylko does not hide the fact that he plays on stereotypes – when he initially performed mainly with sketches, he gained particular popularity in Russia, which looked down on Ukrainians. He even has “Happy Birthday” sung to Putin, although after years Verka turned definitely towards Ukraine. Earlier, however, she had to face accusations of being pro-Russian, some people called Danyłka a “traitor”. In 2007, Marcin Wojciechowski in an article for High Heels mentioned that Ukrainian nationalists demanded that Andriy be deprived of his citizenship. He also quoted Tatiana Artuszewska, who once performed with Danyłka on stage:
In my opinion, this whole nativity scene with Wierka is only an artistic creation and a way to earn money. Andriy plays with the convention he created. He continues to explore what other stupidity the audience can buy.
and Verka herself, who said:
For centuries, Russia has been taking money away from us. Thanks to people like me, they return to Ukraine.
There is no denying that Verka earned a lot of money in Russia. After Russia’s aggression in Ukraine in February last year, she bluntly showed what she thought about Putin’s policy. She posted a photo online showing the Russian president the middle finger and wrote:
Won! Won! Won! Let’s stay strong and don’t lose heart! Our truth will never be defeated by this lying mob. Let’s help the army, defense and each other.
He plays concerts for Ukrainian soldiers, meets with the president of Ukraine and poses dimly with the blue and yellow flag.
“Dancing Lasha Tumbai” is a timeless Eurovision hit. What does Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko look like?
In May 2017, Verka Serduschka made a guest appearance in the final of the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Kiev. Two years later, she sang Netta’s “Toy” at the final concert in Tel Aviv. The song that gave her second place in 2007, entitled “Dancing Lasha Tumbai”, today is considered a cult favorite by fans of the competition. The text is unsophisticated:
Sieben, sieben, ai lyu-lyu, Sieben, sieben, eins, zwei, Sieben, sieben, ai lyu-lyu, Eins, zwei, drei
The music is the Ukrainian version of disco-polo, but in combination with the camp image it worked.
His stage and everyday image are diametrically opposed to each other. Danylko, who comes from Poltava in northeastern Ukraine, wears mostly black – he is standing on the left in this photo:
Today, Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko is a person awarded the honorary title of People’s Artist of Ukraine, awarded to outstanding creators of theatrical (stage), cinema and musical art of Ukraine. He also released a (supposedly pretty good) album in 2005 under his own name.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
