Aleksandr Nezlobin is a Russian stand-up comedian, actor, director, and former resident of "Comedy Club". Born on 30 July 1983 in Polevskoy, Sverdlovsk Region. Following the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he publicly opposed the war and left the country.
Aleksandr Nezlobin's stance on the war in Ukraine
Immediately after the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Nezlobin publicly opposed the war. He posted a "black square" on Instagram captioned:
There is no call to action here. I just want peace. Please
He was among the 250 comedians who signed an open letter to Vladimir Putin demanding an immediate halt to the war.
Nezlobin's statements about the war
In an interview with Katerina Gordeeva, the comedian directly declared his opposition to the war, emphasizing his mixed Ukrainian and Russian background:
People say that I am a traitor, but I'm not. I have both Ukrainian and Russian blood in me. I am against this war.
Nezlobin spoke harshly about the silence of fellow celebrities (specifically comedians from the show "What Happened Next?"), arguing that they chose money over conscience:
They didn't just shove their tongue up their ass — they simply had their faces stuffed with cash... They will quietly keep silent, make their millions, and leave. I don't know their exact stance, but I'm certain that seven out of eight are definitely against it.
Departure from Russia
Following the outbreak of the war, Nezlobin spent two days in shock, "lying paralyzed in bed". Then he packed his suitcase, bought a ticket to New York, and on 26 February 2022 left the country.
Aleksandr cited the fear that authorities would force him to exploit children for war propaganda as the primary reason for leaving:
Where is the guarantee that an agency won't be set up where you must defend your creative project? They tell you: we need the children to lie down in the shape of the letter 'Z', or make this kid wear a 'Crimea is Ours' T-shirt... And you say NO! But then you walk out and see a film crew of 70 people... I realized that by staying there, I was cultivating a sickness inside myself.
Interview with Yury Dud in 2026
In an interview with Yury Dud, Nezlobin reaffirmed that his convictions had not changed and shared his emotional turmoil:
- On personal pain: "February 2022 brought so much pain... when deep inside your stomach, something aches intensely. When I see horrors under the bombs, I cannot be happy."
- On attempts to justify the war: "People write: 'The US was allowed to kill [Native Americans], so why can't we in Ukraine?'. How can anyone equate those things? Both are terrible. Neither should ever have been done."
- On the impossibility of returning: "A guy was imprisoned for high treason for transferring 40 euros to a girl holding a Ukrainian flag... You look at that and realize: it's simply completely unsafe to live there."
Designation as a "foreign agent"
On 28 August 2026, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation included Aleksandr Nezlobin in the register of "foreign agents".
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