On the grounds of the University of Messina, located in the industrial and resort city in the northwest of the island, a monument to Boris Pasternak has been erected. Messina, among all the cities in Sicily, is closest to the mainland of Italy, at the very "toe" of the boot-shaped peninsula. The bronze bust, weighing about 2 tons, was created by sculptor Andrei Klykov and architect Vladislav Meshchagin in Moscow.

Next to Pasternak's bust is another one, of the Italian Pietro Cvetermovich. Although his name is little known in Russia, he played an important role in translating the novel "Doctor Zhivago" into Italian, which allowed the book to be published for the first time. In the late 1950s, the novel could not be published in the USSR, and it was the Italian version that was sent to the Nobel Committee. The Soviet authorities tried to prevent the publication and distribution of the book, putting pressure on the publisher, Cvetermovich, and Pasternak himself.

Sicilian students can choose which part of the bronze monument of Pasternak or Cvetermovich to rub for good luck before exams. The belly of Professor Cvetermovich is considered the most suitable for this, as he was a portly man. The architect only asks not to touch his glasses, although they are difficult to reach, as both monuments stand 2.6 meters tall.