Maksim Chmerkovskiy — dancer (dwts) with roots in the USSR
Maksim Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian-born professional ballroom dancer who became one of the most popular — and controversial — professional partners on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Born in Odessa, he emigrated to the United States and became a US ballroom dance champion before joining the show.
Tracing the roots — Odessa
Born in Odessa in 1980, Chmerkovskiy and his family emigrated to the United States when he was fourteen. His Odessa origins — the city of wit, hustle, and theatrical performance — are entirely readable in his television persona. He returned to Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion to deliver humanitarian supplies and was deeply vocal about the war.
Odessa. At the time, this region was one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union.
A career defined by ambition
"Odessa made me. New York made me American. But Ukraine is my home."