Mikhail Evdokimov(1957-2005)

Evdokimov began his career as a comedian by imitating famous people saying famous phrases. He began as a young boy after watching the movie "Kavkazskaya plennitsa, ili Novye priklyucheniya Shurika" and memorizing phrases said by Yuriy Nikulin. As the movie was plaing throughout the region one village at a time, young Yevdokimov was traveling by bycicle through those villages so he could see the movie every day and memorize phrases. When he became older, the first time Evdokimov got to perform on TV, he was imitating the song sung by Nikulin in the film. When Nikulin found out about that, he was honored that he became so famous that people even try to imitate him.