Main points
- Yuriy Velyky, a famous comedian and participant in “Kvartal 95”, continues his career by creating humorous videos and parodies of famous politicians.
- He got married, and together with his beloved they perform at concerts and pursue Yuri's solo career.
Yuriy Velikiy / Collage of Channel 24
Yuri the Great's humorous videos lifted the spirits of all Ukrainians at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Many people learned about him then, but the comedian's career has been going on for many years.
- 1 How did the career of Yuri the Great begin?
- 2 Scandal and getting into “Myrotvorets”
- 3 Where is Yuri the Great now?
Yuriy Velyky is not only a solo comedian, but also an actor and screenwriter for “Kvartal 95”. In the material of Channel 24, learn more about the comedian's biography, personal life and one of the high-profile scandals.
How did the career of Yuri the Great begin?
Yuriy Velyky was born in the Odessa region in the city of Podilsk. In 2002, he received a higher education – a diploma in maritime law from the Odessa National Maritime University. Then he studied to be a marine transport manager. Despite this specialty, Yuriy realized that he wanted to engage in creativity.
Podolsk is my small homeland. Where I was born, where my parents live. But my formation as a creative person took place in Odessa. I spent all my holidays there from the age of 6 and understood that sooner or later I would go there to study and live. In terms of creativity, I position myself as an Odessan,
– said Yuri the Great.
Yuri the Great in childhood and now / Photo from Instagram of “Kvartal 95”
During his student years, Velyky met Sergey Tsvilovsky, a member of the KVC team “Flibustiery”. That's how they started playing together. In 2005, they created the duo “Brothers Schumachers”, with whom they performed on various shows and Odessa TV channels.
Later, the duo became a member of other humorous projects: “Fight Club”, “Kyiv Vechirniy”, “Vechirniy Kvartal”. The “Schumacher Brothers” performed with “Kvartal” from 2009 to 2016.
We wanted to develop as actors and write more for ourselves. We couldn't write for ourselves and not write for them. It was a conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky. Without scandals,
– this is how Yuriy Velyky described his departure from “Kvartal”.
“The Schumacher Brothers” / Screenshot from the video
In 2019, the Schumacher Brothers team broke up. Yuriy created his own YouTube channel, where he published humorous videos. Now he has over 1.2 million subscribers. At that time, he was again offered a place in “Kvartal 95” – Yuriy agreed and returned to work in the studio.
By the way , Serhiy Tsvilovsky probably moved abroad. As Yuriy Velyky said, his former friend's Ukrainian number is inactive, so there is no communication between them. Although the group broke up without quarrels.
Scandal and getting into “Myrotvorets”
In January 2024, “Quarter 95” was embroiled in a scandal over one of its episodes. It depicted a displaced person from Skadovsk (temporarily occupied) who spoke Ukrainian poorly and twisted words, including the name of the city.
The actors in this scene were Iryna Gatun and Yuriy Velyky, which is why they received the most criticism. The comedian was banned from “Myrotvorets”: the reason was called “public insults against Ukrainian citizens who are in the occupied territories.” Now his profile has been removed from the database.
Yes, it was a bad joke. It shouldn't have been there. But it stood there and didn't raise any questions. I'm not excusing myself, but I'm saying that it really can be overlooked. We didn't mean to offend anyone. I recognized it and drew conclusions,
– this is how Yuri the Great commented on the scandal.
Where is Yuri the Great now?
The comedian continues to do what he does best. He works as an actor in “Quarter 95”, but continues to create his own comedy videos, where he parodies various politicians, public figures, and public figures.
One of the parodies of Yuri the Great: video
Among them are Trump, Zelensky, Putin, Russian Putinists, propagandists, and many others.
The image of the president is one that I have long since gotten used to. It is probably one of the simplest images for me, it comes easily,
– confessed Yuri the Great.
Yuriy the Great and Volodymyr Zelensky / Screenshot from the video
Together with other “Kvartalivtsi”, Yuriy Velyky travels to speak to military personnel, doctors, volunteers, rescuers, and families of defenders.
It is a great honor for us to perform in front of such an audience. When you see these people, you understand that they are real iron men. And when we take pictures with the audience after the concert, you can see from their faces that they really need it,
– said the comedian.
Regarding his personal life, in December 2024, Yuriy Veliky shared the news: he got married. His chosen one's name is Alina.
They not only built a family, but also pursue Yuri the Great's solo career and perform at concerts together.
“There are times between us, I wouldn't say quarrels, but arguments for sure. But there's a plus in this: when you've been working in the field of humor for many years, you might not notice some moments where there could still be something funny. And she notices and often suggests things that really work. But most importantly, when you go on stage with someone close to you, you feel a special emotion,” the comedian said.
The couple is currently performing with concerts called “From the Great to the Funny.” They present a program with jokes on family and everyday topics, show parodies, and interact with the audience.