The Ukrainian city known for the April Fools’ festival Humorina is Odesa.
Humorina is an annual celebration of humor held in Odesa around April 1. The festival is associated with parades, comic performances, musicians, clowns, costumes, and playful street events, turning the city center into a large public spectacle.
The festival was created in 1972 by members of Odesa’s KVN team after the all-Union KVN contests and television program were discontinued. Its first major celebration took place in 1973. The name “Humorina” was coined by Oleg Stashkevich, one of the team’s founders, and was formed by analogy with the word “Kinomarina,” a film-festival name used in Odesa at the time.
Humorina’s history includes interruptions and revivals. Authorities banned the official celebration after crowds grew, but humorous events continued informally in schools, clubs, and institutions. In the 1990s, the World Club of Odesa helped restore the festival, and comic performers including the troupe Masks later became prominent organizers. Odesa’s long association with wit and satire is central to the festival’s identity.