KIEV, Ukraine — Even by the standards of former Soviet countries, Ukraine’s presidential election campaign was bizarre.

From the moment the Central Election Commission approved a record 44 candidates in early February — producing an 83-centimeter-long first-round ballot — to its conclusion this weekend, the race for the country’s top office has been a showcase of the surreal.

Perhaps that was to be expected, considering that the ultimate winner, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is the star of the hit television series “Servant of the People,” in which he plays a history teacher who accidentally becomes president.

Here are some of the most surreal highlights of a nearly four-month race that's been chock-full of them.

Stealing the New Year’s Eve spotlight

Zelenskiy set the tone of his campaign on day one. The comedian exploded onto the political scene by announcing his candidacy for president on the 1+1 channel on New Year’s Eve, in a timeslot typically reserved for the current president’s annual address to the nation.

Addressing voters directly from the stage of his popular Kvartal 95 comedy program while standing beside a decorated holiday tree, Zelenskiy stole Poroshenko’s show and ended months of speculation in saying that he had decided to run for the country’s top office to “try to change something in Ukraine.”

“Unlike our great politicians, I did not want to make promises in vain,” he said. “But now, just a few minutes before the New Year, I can promise you I'll do it in the right way.”

The 'Bachelor' candidate

The crowd of presidential candidates for the first round included spies, a man under house arrest, a self-proclaimed sexist, a Woody Allen lookalike and Ihor Shevchenko — a boyish 48-year-old who launched his candidacy with a "Bachelor"-like reality competition titled “Do You Want to Become the Wife of a President?”

Prospective partners could head to his official campaign site to fill out an application that requested three photographs. The site also featured a photograph of a tuxedoed Shevchenko holding a red rose under the phrase “Don’t miss your chance.”

Shevchenko told the Washington Post that he would choose from the roughly 300 women who had applied. At the time of publication, it was unclear whether Shevchenko, who didn’t respond to requests for comment, had found everlasting love. But it was clear that he would not become Ukraine’s next president.

Attack of the 'clones'

There is only one Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine’s fiery former prime minister who was, along with Zelenskiy and Poroshenko, one of the leading candidates in the election’s first round.

Tymoshenko has been called the country’s Joan of Arc and been jailed twice by political opponents only to bounce back to lead her Fatherland party. But some voters were found scratching their heads when they saw on this election’s first-round ballot two names similar to the veteran political operative.

Yuriy Tymoshenko and Yulia Lytvynenko — a lawmaker and TV presenter, respectively — are allegedly what is known in Ukrainian politics as “clones,” or candidates who closely resemble another in name and/or appearance and are meant to draw away voters from their more famous doppelgängers.

It’s unlikely they made a difference. Yulia Tymoshenko came third in the first round, with a little over 13 percent of the vote.

Yuriy Tymoshenko, for his part, denied being a clone, telling the BBC he announced his presidential run on his Facebook page "two years ago, a long time before Yulia did.”

“And I’m going to win,” he added.

He received just 0.62 percent of the vote, putting him in 10th place, far ahead of Lytvynenko, who finished in 19th place with .10 percent.

Election Day fare

No Ukrainian election day would be complete without a buffet, a tradition dating back to Soviet times, when authorities would offer cheap food products in an attempt to boost voter turnout. Today, the tradition continues, albeit with more and arguably better options.

Voters casting ballots in the first round were greeted by school cafeteria workers in brightly colored aprons presenting sweet and savory baked goods for the price of about 30 cents. Some even offered candies from confectionary billionaire Poroshenko’s own company, Roshen.

Meanwhile, at Poroshenko's election headquarters, quiche, muffins, and ham sandwiches, were on offer. At Zelenskiy's election headquarters, Greek salads, burgers, and pizza were spread beside foosball, air hockey, and ping-pong tables. As the evening progressed, chocolate desserts were brought out, followed by frothy pints, wine, and Champagne, which quickly ran out as exit polls showed the comedian with a strong lead over the president.

Livestreamed drug tests

It was Poroshenko who first challenged Zelenskiy to a debate as the exit polls came in on the night of the first-round election. His opponent, celebrating at his champagne-soaked campaign headquarters, quickly accepted.

But in the days following, a debate raged over how to hold the debate. Zelenskiy seized the initiative from Poroshenko, releasing a slickly produced video of himself speaking directly to the incumbent president from inside Kiev’s Olympic stadium where he demanded the two duke it out — but only after both men underwent drug testing.

To Zelenskiy’s surprise, Poroshenko accepted the unorthodox terms — in a video of his own.

Soon thereafter, both men were undergoing drug tests at medical clinics of their choosing. Zelenskiy opted for a private clinic owned by a physician and actor who has played roles like "killer," "nurse," and "German soldier" in 17 film projects, including some for Zelenskiy's Kvartal 95 film studio. Meanwhile, Poroshenko turned up at the Olympic stadium for his test, where the drawing of presidential blood was livestreamed for the masses.

With results of both tests coming back clean, the stage looked set for a debate — if only the two candidates could agree to a date.

The one-man ‘debate’

They couldn’t. After Zelenskiy declined to show up at the Olympic stadium on Poroshenko’s chosen date last Sunday, the incumbent debated an empty lectern adorned with Zelenskiy’s name.

“I know you're watching,” Poroshenko said, addressing Zelenskiy through the camera. “Don't be afraid,” he added. “A debate is nothing horrible.”

On Monday morning, Zelenskiy responded in a video posted on social media. “A showman can become a president but it is sad that a president became a showman,” he said.

On Friday, the last official day to campaign, the two finally got down to business, in typically bizarre fashion.

After a rock concert and dueling rallies on the square outside the Olympic stadium, the candidates faced off on the football pitch inside in front of a crowd of 22,000. For over an hour, the two traded insults rather than discussing the issues at hand. It was an appropriate conclusion to a campaign full of surreal moments.