Verka Serduchka is one of the biggest celebrities in Ukraine from the early ’90s. That’s the stage name for Andriy Danylko, a Ukrainian comedian, actor and singer. His drag persona, Verka Serduchka, is a middle-aged woman from a rural family, working as a railroad sleeping car attendant. The World’s Daniel Ofman reports that since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Serduchka has become a symbol of Ukrainian pride.
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World. Can we count on you?