Sergey Pisarenko is a Russian comedy actor, television presenter, and member of the "Uyezdny Gorod" KVN team. Starting in 2018, he starred in "Diesel Show" on ICTV and lived in Ukraine. Born on July 22, 1968, in Magnitogorsk, Russian SFSR. Married to a Ukrainian woman.
Sergey Pisarenko's Stance on the War in Ukraine
During the first weeks of the full-scale invasion, Pisarenko was in Kyiv. Together with Evgeny Nikishin, they recorded a video statement in which they openly called the war a war, condemned the shelling of civilians, and called for an end to the aggression:
We see how everything is really happening. You cannot call this an operation — it is a war. A real war. Missiles flew over our heads, shells exploded. They bombed the maternity hospital where my daughter was supposed to be born. And hoping and holding on to the illusion that bombs are targeting military facilities is the biggest mistake. Civilians and completely innocent children are dying. They are also sending young boys to war who are completely unprepared to fight. They are 18 years old. Therefore, stop this war. Everyone who can. Otherwise, there will be neither Russia nor Ukraine left. Stop it immediately!
In March 2022, he moved with his family to Tallinn.
In April 2022, he showed his destroyed house near Kyiv on Facebook (the post has since been deleted). The photos revealed that a shell or missile fragment had pierced the roof and wall of the building where Sergey lived with his family:
A few days after the start of the war, I evacuated my family from near Kyiv to Tallinn. And all that time I kept thinking: maybe it was for nothing? Our village is off to the side. Maybe we'll dodge the bullet... We didn't dodge it. A single battle altered our village and our home.
In February 2023, Pisarenko claimed that the information regarding his relocation to Estonia was inaccurate — he had traveled to Estonia solely to visit relatives and then returned to Russia via a roundabout route.
Flip-Flop. Return to Russia
In the autumn of 2022, it became known that Pisarenko had returned to Russia. Soon after, he began performing in touring shows alongside pro-Putin artists — Anton Lirnik, Olga Buzova, and Nikishin. They entertained the audience on a cruise ship sailing between Sochi and Turkey.
As if nothing had happened, Pisarenko fully immersed himself in vibrant entertainment activities in Russia. As his stage partner Nikishin commented:
Sergey Pisarenko and I continue both concert and corporate performances as part of the 'Uyezdny Gorod' team, taking part in the play 'Muzhchina Naraskhvat' ('A Man in High Demand') alongside the incomparable Olga Igorevna Buzova. And now we have staged a new play titled 'Sestra Talanta' ('Sister of Talent'). It is an experimental play with incredible video staging: three massive screens, the character is broadcast in parallel, everything looks just like film shooting. We perform alongside young actors, it's very exciting.
Later, Pisarenko claimed that he and Nikishin were detained at the border and forced on camera to spit at Russia:
Zhenya was standing there in a semi-conscious state. It is a great misfortune that such a video appeared in the first place, but we needed to get into Russia, and that was the only way. We are Russians and we love our Motherland! I live in Moscow, I am not planning to move anywhere, don't believe any rumors that I allegedly emigrated to Estonia.
On February 28, 2025, Nikishin and Pisarenko recorded a video message to the fighters of the "Yuzhnouralets" battalion:
Dear guys, allow us to offer our deepest bow and warmest greetings from the entire cast of the play 'A Man in High Demand'. Everyone is eagerly awaiting your return home. And remember, every era has its own heroes.
The story of Sergey Pisarenko is a striking example of the loss of a moral compass. From public condemnation of the war to congratulating the Russian military. It is a story about choosing between conscience and personal gain. And Pisarenko made his choice.
Celebrities on Pisarenko's Stance
I don't envy Pisarenko and Nikishin at all. They live there now, and they still know that they live in a country that is killing their loved ones and relatives. Within that economic system, they pay taxes. Their money is used to build missiles that destroy our country. It seems to me that their conscience is simply gnawing at them from within.
We were deeply outraged when we saw their video from backstage at the play, where they stood and recorded a message supporting Russian soldiers. It was so... Damn it, you were here with us?! You know who Ukrainians are, you know what Ukraine is?!
