Ukraine's standup comedy scene has been transformed by Russia's invasion, with comedians using dark humour to help audiences cope with the ongoing conflict. Anton Tymoshenko, the country's most famous comedian after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, recently returned from a European tour that raised nearly half a million dollars for Ukraine's armed forces. 'War is very funny for the first couple of years. Then it becomes not so funny,' he said, speaking at Kyiv's Underground Standup club.
Tymoshenko noted that the war has given Ukrainian comedy a cultural boost, with all comedians now performing in Ukrainian rather than Russian. He acknowledged a debt to Zelenskyy, whose comedy studio Kvartal 95 was highly successful before he entered politics. 'Without him we would have had Russian stuff,' Tymoshenko said.
Svyat Zagaikavich, founder of the Underground Standup club, said Ukrainian standup has come of age with very dark humour, including jokes about dead Russians. 'We have a mission. It's to stop people from going crazy,' he said. The club moved to new premises after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and now hosts regular shows.
Tymoshenko, who has performed in English for the first time during a North American tour, joked about bomb shelters and weapons. He described his style as 'pretty dark', adding: 'People are tired of war. You have to find an original way to make them laugh and to not depress them.'
