The Simpsons, Ukrainian-style

I think The Simpsons used to be fairly popular in Ukraine. Not so much anymore, though. Now I'm asked every 5 minutes if I watch How I Met Your Mother. Last fall it was House. And the TV show Friends? According to many of my students, Friends will go down in history as the greatest show ever created. There's even a Friends cafe in downtown Kharkov. But in the meantime, I occasionally see hints of The Simpsons' former popularity. Observe:

The Simpsonenko. -nenko is a common ending for Ukrainian last names.

Ad for an attraction at an amusement park in Sevastopol.

Homer is also a part of this pop culture mural on Pushkinska street

But it's not just Ukraine being curious about The Simpsons- the fascination goes both ways, The Simpsons writers are also curious about Ukraine. Has anyone seen the 2011 Simpsons episode featuring Viktor the Ukrainian gangster? There's a short article in the Kyiv Post about it.