Ukrainian
performers
at war

The Culture Fights Back project to share stories of artists and civil society representatives who have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In this section, we tell the stories of Ukrainian theater actors, ballet dancers, opera singers and choreographers who, often despite a complete lack of military experience, joined the ranks of the army at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

Dmytro Dikusar

Dmytro Dikusar is a Ukrainian dancer and choreographer.

Having started dancing at the age of 6 — first ballroom dance, and later dancesport — Dmytro has participated in Ukrainian and international competitions for many years. He has achieved victories and high results: in Latin American dances, he made it to the finals of the European Cup and was also the winner of the World Championship in this genre.

In 2006, Dmytro received the title of Candidate for Master of Sports in ballroom dancing. He participated in various international competitions and the Championship of Ukraine.

Dmytro gained wide popularity through the Ukrainian version of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered in 2006. The project was beloved by audiences, gaining tremendous popularity. Later, Dmytro worked as a director and producer for the Georgian version of the show.

In 2022, Dmytro joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, now rarely communicating with his followers online. In the first months of the full-scale invasion, he wrote an Instagram post regarding his escape from Russian ballistic missile fire. He publicly thanked his commanders for their professionalism. 

Dmytro last published updates on social media in January 2023 and October 2022. These are usually short messages, telling his followers that he is alive and healthy, or announcements about collecting donations for military aid, such as thermal imaging cameras or walkie-talkies. 

Photos:
Dmytro Dikusar Instagram-page
You can find more about Dmytro Dikusar: Іnstagram dikusar_dmitriy