# The most famous quotes from The Twelve Chairs

Lines by Ostap Bender, Kisa Vorobyaninov and the other characters of Ilf and Petrov's novel (1928) that became Russian catchphrases. Based on Russian Wikiquote.

- 1 vote · 14 items
- Oct 24, 2024 · Мария Макарова
- https://even.best/en/l/1508/the-most-famous-quotes-from-the-twelve-chairs

## Top 12

1. **And maybe I should also give you the key to the flat where the money is?** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Ostap Bender's reply to a far too cheeky request.
2. **The ice has broken, gentlemen of the jury!** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap Bender, when things finally get moving.
3. **How much for the opium of the people?** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap Bender to Father Fyodor, twisting Marx.
4. **A sultry woman, a poet's dream.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap on Madame Gritsatsuyeva.
5. **Be strong! Russia won't forget you! Foreign countries will help us!** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap, collecting money from the members of the «Union of the Sword and Ploughshare».
6. **We must respect the Criminal Code.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap Bender: hunt for treasure, but «without crime».
7. **All the contraband is made in Odessa, on Malaya Arnautskaya Street.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap on «imported» goods.
8. **Kisa, let me ask you as one artist to another: can you draw?** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap to Vorobyaninov when they're hired as artists on a propaganda steamer.
9. **The meeting continues.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap Bender's signature line when nothing goes to plan.
10. **We are strangers at this feast of life.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap Bender.
11. **Monsieur, je ne mange pas six jours.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Kisa Vorobyaninov begging in broken French («I haven't eaten for six days»).
12. **Statistics knows everything.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Opening of chapter XVII, «In a Sea of Chairs».
13. **Well stated, dog, study.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap about someone else's eloquence, chapter XXXVI.
14. **I consider the evening of memories closed.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Ostap Bender interrupts too long memories.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.