A number of well-known performers and actors who were born and raised in Ukraine have, since 24 February 2022, failed to issue a public statement condemning the Russian invasion. Their hometowns — Kyiv, Odesa, Uzhhorod, Pavlohrad — are today in active combat zones or under occupation, yet these artists' career trajectories are closely tied to the Russian show business. According to the entertainment project Styler (RBC-Ukraine), after the start of the full-scale war, some of them have virtually disappeared from the Ukrainian information space, while others have limited themselves to cautious statements that contain no direct condemnation of the aggression. The XAB.info editorial team presents the key facts outlined in the Styler piece, along with the context of these individuals' public positions as of September 2026.

Entertainer and Producer: Tsikal's Silence and the 'Special Military Operation' in His Personal Story

Maxim Tsikal, entertainer and producer, was born in Kyiv, where he spent his childhood and first gained recognition in Ukraine, before building a major career in the Russian show business. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he was slow to comment on the war. However, according to the Styler piece, in 2025 Tsikal did mention the conflict in the context of his personal life, using the Russian term 'SVO' (special military operation). No public statement condemning the Russian invasion followed from him, and his production company, according to available data, continues to work with the Russian market.

Actors of Kyiv Origin: Makovetsky and Chernyshev

Sergei Makovetsky, also a native of Kyiv, moved to Moscow in adulthood and became one of the prominent actors in Russian theatre and film. In the first weeks of the full-scale invasion, he posted a video in which he performed the Ukrainian 'Pisnya pro rushnyk' (Song of the Towel). However, the post contained no direct condemnation of Russian aggression. After this episode, the actor effectively returned to his usual life in Russia and has made no further public statements about the war. A similar situation is observed with another Kyiv native — the actor Chernyshev, known to Ukrainian audiences through numerous Russian TV series. After 24 February 2022, he did not issue a public condemnation of the war, and materials on his current life noted that the actor continues to work actively in Moscow.

Stoyanov: 'My Language Is Art, Not Politics'

Andrei Stoyanov was born in Odesa, where he spent part of his childhood. He gained the greatest popularity in Russia thanks to the TV show 'Gorodok' and other television projects. In 2024, Stoyanov explained why he does not make political statements: in his words, 'his language is art, not politics.' No public condemnation of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine followed from the actor.

Yelka and MARUV: Ukrainian Roots and the Russian Stage

Elizaveta Ivantseva, known by the stage name Yelka, was born in Uzhhorod. For a time she was popular in Ukraine as well, notably serving as a judge on the Ukrainian 'X Factor,' but she subsequently built her main career in Russia. After the start of the full-scale war, the singer cancelled a concert and wrote: 'I'm sure everyone understands everything.' Despite her Ukrainian roots, she made no direct condemnation of the Russian invasion. It later became known that she had obtained Russian citizenship. Anna Korsun, known as MARUV, was born in Pavlohrad. Even before the full-scale war, she had been actively working in the Russian market, and in 2019, due to her tour in the Russian Federation, she refused to sign the conditions of participation in 'Eurovision' from Ukraine. In 2022, MARUV addressed Russian soldiers with a call to reflect on the consequences of combat operations and human casualties, but she did not call Putin an aggressor and did not issue a direct political condemnation of the Russian authorities. In 2025–2026, Ukrainian media continued to characterize her position as silent: the artist remains tied to the Russian-language music market.

Context: Why Silence Becomes a Position

The totality of the cases described in the Styler piece forms a consistent picture: artists whose careers, after moving to Russia, became almost entirely dependent on the Russian market have, since 2022, either limited themselves to neutral or aesthetic statements or made no statements at all. None of the listed performers issued a direct public condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For the Ukrainian audience, where the hometowns of these individuals are in active combat zones, such silence is perceived as a significant social and ethical signal. The Styler project emphasizes that the entertainment industry, where the Ukrainian and Russian markets intersect, has become, since 2022, a field in which professional activity and civic position are inextricably linked in the eyes of the public.