The former 'Dancing with the Stars' pro-dancer says that he returns to Warsaw, Poland to assist in relief efforts after being slammed for fleeing on a train packed with women and children.
- Mar 22, 2022
AceShowbiz - Maksim Chmerkovskiy is now in Warsaw, Poland to help Ukrainian refugees. The former "Dancing with the Stars" pro-dancer revealed his return to Europe after he was labeled a "coward" for leaving Kyiv, Ukraine on a train packed with women and children.
On Sunday, March 20, the 42-year-old pro dancer posted a video on Instagram from Poland detailing what was going on with him and his attempt to assist in relief efforts. "Hi everybody," he began, "I'm fine. I'm good. I spent some time at home. I enjoyed some of that Los Angeles weather. Saw my family, saw my friends, obviously spent some time...And we've been working...We've been working on tangible opportunities to help."
"My father and my bother, together with a lot of people that we work with all the time, that we just friends with, and with the help of whom, we've started our organization, Baranova 27," shared Maksim. He added, "For those of who've been following, Baranova 27 is the address where my father, myself and Val were born, in Odesa in Ukraine. So, that's where, sort of our roots are at. And we've been working diligently on making Baranova 27 something that, as big as it took off, that it can continue that way."
Maksim went on to share his plans for the organization as well as an upcoming fundraiser. He also said he's going to visit Bethenny Frankel's organization, BStrong, and help in their aid of the Ukrainian people.
Before concluding the video, Maksim shared another plea for Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis. "Right now, we're getting a little bit hungover, people are getting tired," he acknowledged, "And this is the time, that I would like to ask everybody to realize that it didn't end or slow down, it got worse in Ukraine."
Maksim made his safe return to the U.S. earlier this month, after being stuck in the country for over a week following Russia's invasion. On March 2, the dancer arrived at Los Angeles International airport, where he was greeted by his wife Peta Murgatroyd.
After Maksim successfully fled from Kyiv, many social media critics dubbed him "coward" as he took a train full of women and children to escape from the country. "That picture of Maksim Chmerkovskiy 'slouched down' on the train trying to be less visible says a great deal about this coward. He ran while women, teenagers, men & some foreigners stayed to fight. We can see you Max," one Twitter user opined.
"Maksim Chmerkovskiy is in Ukraine why isn't he willing to stay and fight, he stated that's his country? His wife and son are in the US but, the men 18-60 cannot leave maybe that's why he wants out now because he may be asked to fight. Is he a coward??" a separate person said, while another tweeted, "Maksim, SHAME ON YOU, U coward! You have Uk. citizenship! ILLEGAL 4 U 2 leave now! SM is great but Y don't U stand up like a man & fight for your homeland?" One Twitter user, in the meantime, believed that "documenting his fleeing was a poor choice."
