Editing Yakov Smirnoff (section)

==Painting==
Smirnoff is also a painter and has frequently featured the [[Statue of Liberty]] in his art since receiving his U.S. citizenship. On the night of the [[September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks]], he started a painting inspired by his feelings about the event, based on an image of the Statue of Liberty. Just prior to the first anniversary of the attacks, he paid US$100,000 for his painting to be transformed into a large mural. Its dimensions were 200&nbsp;feet by 135&nbsp;feet (61&nbsp;m by 41&nbsp;m). The mural, titled "America's Heart,"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yakov.com/images/GAmericasHeartB.jpg |title=The mural in Yakov Smirnoff's official website |access-date=2005-07-16 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012112208/http://www.yakov.com/images/GAmericasHeartB.jpg |archive-date=12 October 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> is a [[pointillism|pointillist]]-style piece, with one brush-stroke for each victim of the attacks. Sixty volunteers from the [[Sheet Metal Workers International Association|Sheet Metal Workers Union]] erected the mural on a damaged skyscraper overlooking the ruins of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]. The mural remained there until November 2003, when it was removed because of storm damage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB107041376984327600|title=Trade Center Mural Is Retired|last=Frangos|first=Alex|date=2003-12-03|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2017-05-11|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=13 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013185706/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB107041376984327600|url-status=live}}</ref> Various pieces of the mural can now be seen on display at his theater in [[Branson, Missouri]].

The only stipulation he put on the hanging of the mural was that his name not be listed as the painter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.semissourian.com/story/97253.html|title=Branson comedian Smirnoff's mural now hangs at NY's Ground Zero|last=Farrow|first=Connie|date=2002-12-27|work=seMissourian.com|access-date=2017-05-11|archive-date=30 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130204315/http://www.semissourian.com/story/97253.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He signed it: "The human spirit is not measured by the size of the act, but by the size of the heart."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yakov.com/mural.html|title=Yakov's Mural at Ground Zero|website=www.yakov.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105155104/http://www.yakov.com/mural.html|archive-date=5 November 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-05-11}}</ref>