Author Archives: DCG

‘I felt embarrassed the entire ride back because I was the only man on the train amongst all women and children,’ Maks admitted, adding: ‘I feel guilty. I feel bad. I feel shame. I feel upset.’

Initially, Maks had planned to stay in Kyiv amid the battle but was arrested for breaking curfew. That brief brush with the law was an aha moment for the reality star who then decided he needed to get him to his wife Peta and their son.

‘I felt like things got real, and all the sudden I don’t actually have all of the things needed to feel safe in this place at all,’ he said. ‘I’m not built for this at all. I’m just realizing that I’m not at the place where I should be.’

Maksim documented the days of shelling and his escape on social media.

‘After we took off, I realized that all the people that didn’t get in have to now sleep right there in that train station. It’s not heated. It’s just a giant building. It’s cold,’ he recalled in his first interview since returning home. ‘I’m dying inside because this is still, you know, very emotional stuff for me. There’s kids everywhere, babies everywhere. It’s negative temperature.’

‘I made it on the train. We’re heading to Warsaw (hopefully). Train to Lviv was not an option,’ the choreographer penned. ‘The situation at the train station is insane. AT first it feels manageable, but it get A LOT worse when it comes time to actually board the train.’

‘Long story but all I can say now is that I’m a big man with nothing but a backpack it’s TRAUMATIZING,’ he continued. ‘Currently I’m in a cabin with 4 adults and 7 kids (ages 2-11) which is usually only occupied by maximum of 3 people.’ 

He was able to leave Ukraine thanks to his US passport as all Ukrainian men of fighting age – between 18-60 – have been prohibited from leaving the country and must remain to fight the Russian invaders. 

He admitted it was a difficult choice, explaining via social media: ‘I’m having very mixed emotions.

Maksim said he ‘lived through some s**t that I’m going to need a lot of therapy for’ on an Instagram Live. “