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Are Maksim and Val Chmerkovskiy related?

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Jan 06, 2026

Val, 36, opened up about his brother Maks, 42, being in Kyiv (the capital of Ukraine) on Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed an attack on Ukraine. "My brother was in Kyiv when the invasion started, and we were all really nervous, obviously," he told his former DWTS partner.

Are Maks and Val brothers?

Val, with his brother Maks, co-wrote and co-directed their very own 55-city North American tour “Our way” in 2016.

Is Maksim Chmerkovskiy Russian?

Chmerkovskiy, a Ukrainian-born American citizen famous for his longtime stint on “Dancing With the Stars,” was one of the few men fleeing Ukraine as the Russian military invaded on Feb. 24. As an American, he was allowed to go, even as Ukrainian men were forced to stay and fight.

Is Maksim Chmerkovskiy American?

But before all of that, Chmerkovskiy was a native of Odessa, Ukraine, where he lived with his parents and younger brother Valentin. When Maksim was 14, the family moved to Brooklyn, and in 2019, he became a citizen of both the US and Ukraine.

Are Maksim and Peta still married?

Peta Murgatroyd is “forever grateful” that her husband, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, has made it back safely to the United States. The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro arrived back to the United States last week on Wednesday after a days-long escape from Ukraine, where he was greeted at the airport by Murgatroyd.

18 related questions found

Why did Maksim Chmerkovskiy leave DWTS?

"I'm trying to process all of this, and I just want to go home," he told reporters at LAX. Chmerkovskiy was in his native country working on a dance competition series when the Russian invasion broke out. He was forced to leave and went to Poland. He shared a post Tuesday morning showing he made it there safely.

Is Maksim Chmerkovskiy home from Ukraine?

According to his representative, Chmerkovskiy, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine with his family in the 1990s, had been in Ukraine working on the reality competition series “World of Dance UA.”

Did Val Chmerkovskiy get out of Ukraine?

He also showed the train and the huge crowd of people waiting outside to get back on. And just a few hours ago, Chmerkovskiy confirmed that they have all arrived safely in Poland after 31 hours without sleep.

Who did Maksim Chmerkovskiy date?

Peta Murgatroyd & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

The professional dancers got engaged on Dec. 5, 2015 after dating since 2012. Maks proposed onstage at the SWAY: A Dance Trilogy event in Miami. Six months after welcoming their son Shai, the lovebirds exchanged vows during a lavish ceremony in July 2017.

Why is Chmerkovskiy in Ukraine?

The "Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer took to his Instagram on Sunday to tell fans he has returned to Europe to help refugees impacted by the invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this month, Chmerkovskiy detailed how the war had affected him personally by documenting his escape from Kyiv to Los Angeles.

Where is Maksim now?

After a harrowing journey out of Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion, Maksim Chmerkovskiy is finally home in Los Angeles where he reunited with his wife, Peta Murgatroyd.

Is Derek Hough and Julianne Hough related?

Her parents are Bruce and Marianne Hough; her father was twice chairman of the Utah Republican Party. Her brother, Derek Hough, is also a professional dancer. She also has three older sisters: Sharee, Marabeth and Katherine. All four of Hough's grandparents were dancers.

Are Hayley and Derek engaged?

Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert of Dancing With the Stars are 'getting engaged and having two babies' in 2022.

What is the age difference between Derek and Hayley?

Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert are the cutest couple ever! Despite their ten year age difference, their relatoinship is totally solid, and has been since they first got together.

When did Maksim Chmerkovskiy become a US citizen?

They moved to Brooklyn, New York, which allowed Maksim to work towards a career in dance. However, as per Page Six, he did not become a US citizen until 2019 after living in the country for 25 years.

Is Maksim in Ukraine?

Update, Wednesday, March 2, at 6:40 p.m.: Maksim Chmerkovskiy has made it back to America after being arrested in Ukraine, per TMZ. Paparazzi spotted him reuniting with wife Peta Murgatroyd. He wrote on a February 28 Instagram Story that he had made it to Poland.

How did Maks Chmerkovskiy escape Ukraine?

In an Instagram video posted at the time, Chmerkovskiy told his followers that the moment marked a "reality check" for him and that he was going to try to leave Ukraine. That day, he boarded an overly crowded train and 31 hours later, he made it safely to Warsaw, Poland, and checked into a hotel.