Denis Dorokhov is a Russian actor, comedian, member of the KVN team "Kamyzyak Region Team", and participant in the TV show "Once Upon a Time in Russia" (Odnazhdy v Rossii). Born on May 4, 1987, in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Krai, to a military family.
On October 8, 2019, he was entered into the Myrotvorets database for unlawful commercial activities in occupied Crimea.
Dorokhov's stance on the war in Ukraine
From the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Dorokhov offered no comments regarding the full-scale invasion and continued working in Russia on pro-government channels. However, in September 2023, together with his partner Azamat Musagaliev, he performed comedy routines at the Saur-Mogila memorial complex during a concert celebrating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Donbas. Dorokhov and Musagaliev took part in the concert alongside ardent Putinists, such as singer SHAMAN, Grigory Leps, and Dmitry Dyuzhev, entertaining Russian occupying troops.
During their performance in occupied Donbas, the comedians said nothing about peace, instead singing before Russian occupiers about Americans and Germans who could be destroyed by Russian "Vasiliys". For example, lines from their song: "Yet somewhere across boundless, snow-covered Siberia a mobile ballistic missile system rolls...", "Yet somewhere in the expanses of the Baltic Gulf a nuclear submarine lies submerged, carrying a Bulava missile..."
Following this active complicity in Russian propaganda, Dorokhov's stance became unmistakable. Substantial fees and fame won out in the end.
Cancellation of "Kamyzyaki" in Kazakhstan
Following the performances of Dorokhov and Musagaliev in occupied Donbas, concerts by the KVN team "Kamyzyaki" were canceled in Kazakhstan. One of the organizers, Olga Li, announced the cancellation of performances scheduled for early October in Astana and Almaty:
In view of the resounding negative public backlash to the high-profile public actions of the artists of the 'Kamyzyaki' team, the organizing team made the decision to completely cancel the solo tour of the 'Kamyzyaki' team across Kazakhstan.
Dorokhov recorded his reaction to the concert cancellations in a video message, which was memorably addressed by Ukrainian blogger Oleksiy Durnev at the 00:42 mark:
Stand-up comedian Aleksandr Nezlobin also commented on the Donbas performance:
The guys were probably heavily compromised. There was an element of «bargaining» or pressure. But when I saw that song about missiles... Well, that's just... Dorokhov's dance really finished me off... Okay. You were forced, something else happened, you decided yourselves. Put that aside. But a song about missiles? You are saying that missiles are cool, and killing is cool. Firing missiles is cool. That is terrifying! Why a song about missiles? Some of my friends say this is already complicity. I don't want to hate them, but I can no longer love them either.
