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New York Street Named in Honor of Soviet Dissident Writer Sergei Dovlatov

Sergei Dovlatov soon became a leading figure among Russian literary emigres in the U.S.

A New York street has been named after its most famous inhabitant writer, Sergei Dovlatov, who settled there after fleeing the Soviet Union in 1979.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio personally signed the law designating the intersection of 63rd Drive and 108th Street in Queens as "Sergei Dovlatov Way," according to a statement released by the mayor's office this week.

New York City Hall earlier approved the name after fans gathered 17,500 signatures to name the street — located in the Forest Hills section of Queens— in the writer's honor.

A new street sign will go up near the building where Dovlatov lived and worked, the statement said.

Dovlatov arrived in the U.S. in 1979 and quickly became a leading figure among Russian literary emigres such as Joseph Brodsky and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

The renaming is part of the city's plan to name 63 streets "in honor of individuals and entities that have made lasting contributions to New York City," de Blasio's office said.

See also:

Dovlatov Revival Hits the Streets of New York City

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