Influencers from Ukraine

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  • Maksim Chmerkovskiy

    Occupation: Instagram Personality

    Maksim Chmerkovskiy is an American Latin–ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He was born Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy on January 17, 1980, in Odessa, Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine), and his nationality is Ukrainian-American.

    He is widely known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series ***Dancing with the Stars*** (DWTS), on which he first appeared in season two. He has competed on the series for 17 seasons, reaching the final round five times, and winning the Mirrorball Trophy in 2014 with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis. He is often playfully known as the “Bad Boy of Ballroom.”

    His professional accomplishments include ranking 2nd in the U.S. and 7th in the world among professional international Latin dancers with his partner Elena Grinenko. He has also starred in Broadway productions of dance shows like Burn the Floor and Forever Tango.

    Maksim is an entrepreneur, having co-founded Dance With Me dance studios and starting the Rising Stars Dance Academy for youth competitive dance. He and his brother, fellow professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy, have co-written and co-directed North American tours. He is married to fellow DWTS professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd, and they have a son named Shai.

    He has been actively involved in charitable causes, supporting organizations like Childhelp and Alfalit International, and he, his father, and brother started a humanitarian aid fund called Baranova27.

    Instagram: 1.1M Followers / Subscribers Facebook: 780K Followers / Subscribers TikTok: 132.5K Followers / Subscribers Wikipedia: 0 Followers / Subscribers

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  • Valentin Chmerkovskiy

    Occupation: Dancer

    Valentin "Val" Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian-American professional ballroom dancer, choreographer, and television personality, best known for his long-standing role as a professional partner on Dancing with the Stars.

    Professional Career

    Championships: He is a 14-time U.S. National Latin Dance Champion and a two-time World Dance Champion. He was the first American to win the IDSF World Championship.

    Dancing with the Stars: Val has won the Mirrorball Trophy three times, with partners Rumer Willis (Season 20), Laurie Hernandez (Season 23), and Xochitl Gomez (Season 32). He has also finished as a runner-up with partners like Zendaya and Gabby Windey.

    Business: He is the co-founder and creative director of Dance With Me, a chain of social dance studios he operates alongside his brother, Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

    Personal Background

    Early Life: Born in Odesa, Ukraine, he immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of eight. He began dancing at a young age after his family opened a youth-oriented dance studio in New Jersey.

    Other Talents: In addition to dancing, he is a classically trained violinist who has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He is also a published author, having released his memoir, I’ll Never Change My Name, in 2018.

    Family: He is married to fellow professional dancer Jenna Johnson, with whom he has one son.

    Philanthropy

    Val is involved in several charitable efforts, including co-founding Baranova 27, a humanitarian organization created in 2022 to provide aid to Ukraine. He also supports organizations like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Pencils of Promise.

    Instagram: 1.5M Followers / Subscribers TikTok: 1.1M Followers / Subscribers Facebook: 516K Followers / Subscribers X: 272.6K Followers / Subscribers

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy

    Occupation: President

    Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is the sixth President of Ukraine, serving since his inauguration in 2019.

    He is a former comedian, actor, and screenwriter. Before entering politics, he was widely known for starring in the popular television series Servant of the People, where he ironically played the role of a fictional Ukrainian president.

    He ran for president as a political outsider on an anti-establishment and anti-corruption platform and won in a landslide victory.

    His presidency has been largely defined by the Russo-Ukrainian War, especially his leadership during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022. During the invasion, his refusal to evacuate and his powerful communication style made him a global symbol of national resistance and a prominent figure on the international stage, rallying support for Ukraine.

    IMDb: 0 Followers / Subscribers