---
title: "Max Barskih and Alan Badoev conclude their nearly twenty-year creative alliance: singer takes a hiatus"
description: "Max Barskih and Alan Badoev announced the end of their nearly twenty-year creative alliance on the 'Star Factory' stage. The singer will take a hiatus of at least a year and hold a final concert at the Palace 'Ukraine' on December 8, 2026."
date: 2026-11-06T08:22:54.259Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/max-barskih-alan-badoev-conclude-creative-alliance
tags: [maks-barskih, alan-badoev, fabryka-ziryk, ukrainian-music, creative-pause]
author: "Marina Slivenko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Max Barskih and Alan Badoev conclude their nearly twenty-year creative alliance: singer takes a hiatus

![Ukrainian singer Max Barskih and director Alan Badoev stand back-to-back together with colleagues indoors](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/06/maks-barskih-i-alan-badoev-zavershili-tvorcheskij-soyuz/maks-barskih-i-alan-badoev-zavershili-tvorcheskij-soyuz-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Max Barskih and Alan Badoev announced the end of their creative alliance during the eighth prime-time of 'Star Factory'; Badoev congratulated the singer with a cake featuring candles.
- Barskih is taking a creative hiatus of at least a year and has no plans to return to active concert activities in the near future.
- On December 8, 2026, the final concert 'Sogodni maie sens' will take place at the Kyiv Palace 'Ukraine', marking the finale of the Open Air Fest tour, the duo's last joint work, and the presentation of a new album.
- The alliance began in 2008 at 'Star Factory-2' following a repertoire dispute; according to Badoev, 2026 marked their nineteenth year of cooperation.

During the eighth prime-time episode of the musical show 'Star Factory', one of the most high-profile announcements on the Ukrainian pop scene in recent years was made. Max Barskih and his long-time director and producer Alan Badoev informed viewers about the end of their creative partnership, which has lasted since 2008 and spanned, according to Badoev himself, their nineteenth year of working together. The decision was announced right on stage during the broadcast, giving the moment the character of a public yet composed farewell between two people whose careers have been inextricably linked for nearly two decades.

The director framed the farewell ceremony with a symbolic gesture: he brought out a festive cake with candles for the artist, turning the announcement of the breakup into a solemn, almost anniversary-like episode. Badoev accompanied this gesture with the phrase 'You can always say goodbye with love,' which became a concise and ultimately conclusive summary of their multi-year partnership. The details of this episode and the chronology of events were verified by the XAB.info editorial office against the original source — a publication on [styler.rbc.ua](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/people/maks-barskih-ogolosiv-tvorchu-pauzu-ta-zavershennya-1793953026.html).

### Creative hiatus and final concert at the Palace 'Ukraine'

Alongside the announcement regarding the end of his alliance with Badoev, Max Barskih himself announced his intention to take a creative hiatus lasting at least a year. The artist emphasized that he does not plan to return to active concert activities in the near future. At the same time, before his break, he is preparing a large-scale farewell show: on December 8, 2026, a concert titled 'Sogodni maie sens' ('Today Makes Sense') will take place at the Kyiv Palace 'Ukraine'. According to the organizers' vision, this performance will simultaneously serve as the finale of the Open Air Fest all-Ukrainian tour, the final joint work between Barskih and Badoev, and a platform to present the singer's new full-length album. Thus, the tour finale, the farewell to the director, and the album release are combined into a single event, making it a pivotal milestone of the concluding career stage.

### From conflict at 'Star Factory-2' to a powerhouse tandem

The history of this alliance began not with agreement, but with conflict. In 2008, during the second season of 'Star Factory', Max Barskih was a contestant on the musical show, and Alan Badoev was its main director. A dispute arose between the artist and the organizers over the repertoire: Barskih wanted to perform his own composition 'Dožd' ('Rain'), but he was not allowed to do so. As a result, the singer left the project prematurely, and Badoev also left the show in protest. Paradoxically, this very rift became the starting point for their future partnership; later they began working together, and out of the conflict emerged one of the most enduring creative ties in Ukrainian pop music.

### Nearly twenty years of joint work

One of their first joint works was the music video for the song Lost In Love ('Teryayu tebya'). Subsequently, Badoev became Barskih's producer and set about shaping his stage image: the director worked on music videos, concert stagings, and entire creative projects, including the horror-musical Z.Dance presented in 2012. Over the years of cooperation, the tandem created a number of notable works, including videos for the songs 'Tumany', 'Moya lyubov', and 'Kole'. Their partnership extended far beyond music, encompassing visual concepts, scenography, and large-scale concert shows that became the artist's trademark. In 2026, Badoev spoke candidly about the nature of their working relationship: according to him, over the years of working together they quarreled and argued more than once, yet maintained love and respect for each other, which probably explains the calm, blame-free tone of the farewell.

### Who is Max Barskih

Max Barskih, whose real name is Mykola Bortnyk, is a Ukrainian singer, composer, and songwriter born on March 8, 1990, in Kherson. He gained widespread popularity after participating in the second season of 'Star Factory' in 2008. Throughout his career, the artist has released several studio albums, created a number of large-scale concert shows, and become one of the most recognizable figures on the Ukrainian pop scene. Among his most famous compositions are 'Tumany', 'Moya lyubov', 'Hochu tancovat', 'Berega', as well as Ukrainian-language songs 'Bude vesna', 'Mamo, ne plach', and 'Zorepad'. Following the start of the full-scale invasion, the singer began releasing more music in Ukrainian and participating in charity concerts in support of Ukraine, making his public persona even more closely tied to the national agenda. The now-announced hiatus and farewell concert at the Palace 'Ukraine' close one of the longest and most prominent chapters in his career and in the history of the Ukrainian pop scene as a whole.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Макс Барских объявил о творческой паузе и завершении 18-летнего сотрудничества с Аланом Бадоевым](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/people/maks-barskih-ogolosiv-tvorchu-pauzu-ta-zavershennya-1793953026.html) - The primary source confirms the announcement of the end of the alliance on 'Star Factory', the cake with candles, Badoev's quote, a hiatus of at least a year, the concert on December 8, 2026, at the Palace 'Ukraine' titled 'Sogodni maie sens', the Open Air Fest finale, the album presentation, the beginning of the alliance in 2008, the conflict over 'Rain', Z.Dance 2012, music videos, Barskih's biography (Mykola Bortnyk, March 8, 1990, Kherson), and the transition to Ukrainian-language music after the invasion.

## FAQ

### When and where did Max Barskih and Alan Badoev announce the end of their cooperation?

The announcement was made during the eighth prime-time episode of the 'Star Factory' show, right on stage. As a sign of farewell, Badoev brought out a cake with candles for the singer.

### How long did their creative cooperation last?

The alliance began in 2008 at 'Star Factory-2'. According to Badoev himself, 2026 marked their nineteenth year of working together, while the source's headline refers to it as an 18-year collaboration.

### What does Max Barskih plan to do after the end of the alliance?

The artist announced a creative hiatus of at least a year and does not plan to return to active concert activities in the near future. Before the break, he will perform a major concert on December 8, 2026, at the Kyiv Palace 'Ukraine'.

### What is the 'Sogodni maie sens' concert?

It is the final concert of the Open Air Fest all-Ukrainian tour, the last joint work between Barskih and Badoev, and a platform for presenting the singer's new full-length album. It will take place on December 8, 2026, at the Palace 'Ukraine'.

### How did their relationship begin?

In 2008 at 'Star Factory-2', Barskih was a contestant and Badoev was the main director. Due to a repertoire dispute (the singer was not allowed to perform 'Rain'), both left the project and later began working together.