Famous Ukrainian Men

Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian former boxer. Widely regarded as one of the best heavyweight champions ever, Wladimir Klitschko was renowned for his great footwork and extraordinary knockout power. He won a gold medal for his country in the super-heavyweight division at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He has often been named among Ukraine's most influential people.

Sergei Prokofiev was a Russian Soviet pianist, composer, and conductor. Renowned for creating masterpieces across various genres, Prokofiev is widely considered one of the 20th century's major composers. Many other composers like Arthur Honegger have called Prokofiev the greatest contemporary musician of all time. An open pianists' competition, which is held every year in Ukraine, is named after Sergei Prokofiev.

Vasyl Lomachenko is a Ukrainian professional boxer. He is widely regarded as the most popular Ukrainian boxer and one of the most successful amateur boxers ever with an impressive record of 396 wins and 1 loss. Known for his exceptional accuracy, creativity, hand speed, athleticism, footwork, and defense, Lomachenko won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.

Retired Ukrainian boxer Vitali Klitschko, who is now a politician and the current mayor of Kyiv, is also known for his 6’7” frame. He was once the World Boxing Council world heavyweight title winner and earned the nickname Dr. Ironfist. He also holds a PhD from the physical science department of Kyiv University.

Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk is not just a European and World Champion but also an Olympic gold medalist. Considered one of Ukraine’s best boxers in history, he is also the fourth male boxer to hold the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles at the same time.

Andriy Shevchenko is a former professional footballer who played for the Ukraine national team. One of the greatest Ukrainian football players of all time, Shevchenko scored 48 goals for his national team, making him the all-time top-scorer for Ukraine. He is also only the third Ukrainian to receive the prestigious Ballon d'Or. He is currently serving as Ukraine's head coach.

Jan Koum is a Ukrainian American computer programmer and entrepreneur. He is credited with co-founding the popular cross-platform messaging service, WhatsApp. One of the most popular billionaires around the world, Koum donated almost $556 million to the donor-advised community foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, in 2014.

Vaslav Nijinsky was a ballet dancer and choreographer. He is counted among the greatest male dancers of the early 20th century. He was known for the intensity of his characterizations. He was brilliant and could dance en pointe, a rare skill few male dancers of his era possessed. He suffered from mental health issues in his later life. 

Andriy Yarmolenko is a Ukrainian football player who plays as a forward or midfielder. He is the current captain of the Ukraine national football team. He is best known for his association with Dynamo Kyiv; he played for the team from 2008 to 2017. In 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017, Andriy Yarmolenko was named Ukrainian Footballer of the Year.

Vitas is a Ukrainian-Russian actor, singer, and songwriter. Renowned for his eclectic musical style and unique falsetto, Vitas has performed with well-known labels like Universal Music Group. He often incorporates elements of folk, classical, jazz, techno, dance, and operatic pop into his music.

Russian star pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka had started training at age 9. He soared to fame after winning the world championship in Finland at age 15 and later became the first to jump 6.1m. He won the 1988 Seoul Olympic gold and shattered the global men’s pole vault record 35 times.

Ukrainian-American professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy is best known for his appearances in the US version of the reality dance competition TV show Dancing with the Stars, which he won twice. A versatile and brilliant dancer, he is also a 14-time US National Latin Dance champion. He is the co-owner of nine social dance studios as well. 

Vitalii Sediuk is a name celebrities dread. The Ukrainian former reporter and prankster who crashes red-carpet events made headlines when he crawled under America Ferrera’s dress at Cannes, eventually losing his job at the TV channel 1+1. He faced legal issues when he broke Brad Pitt’s sunglasses at a premiere.

Denis Stoff is a Ukrainian guitarist and vocalist best known for founding the popular metalcore band, Make Me Famous. He is also credited with founding Down & Dirty, which was formed after the dissolution of Make Me Famous. He then joined the British band Asking Alexandria before becoming the lead vocalist for Drag Me Out.

Yevhen Konoplyanka is a Ukrainian football player who plays as a midfielder for the Ukraine national team. He has also played for clubs like Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Schalke 04, and Shakhtar Donetsk. In 2010, 2012, and 2013, Yevhen Konoplyanka was named Ukrainian Footballer of the Year.

Alex Len is a Ukrainian basketball player who currently plays for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. He has also played for other popular NBA teams like Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards.

Igor Vovchanchyn is a Ukrainian former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Renowned for his punching power, Vovchanchyn was regarded as one of the most feared strikers of his time. He made up for his short reach with an aggressive counterpunching style. Igor Vovchanchyn is also known for his significant grappling skills and dexterity on the ground.

Sergei Polunin is a Soviet-born ballet dancer, model, and actor. He is of mixed ethnicity, but has "always regarded himself as Russian". He started training in gymnastics at the age of four and then switched to ballet. At 19, he became the Royal Ballet's youngest ever principal dancer. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Prix de Lausanne. 

Sergei Bondarchuk was a Soviet and Russian actor, screenwriter, and film director. One of the leading personalities of Russian cinema during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Bondarchuk is best remembered for his period dramas, including War and Peace and Waterloo. Sergei Bondarchuk's work earned him numerous international accolades, including the Golden Globe Award.

Petro Poroshenko is a Ukrainian politician and businessman. From 2014 to 2019, Poroshenko served as the fifth president of Ukraine. Before being elected as the president, Petro Poroshenko served in positions, such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Trade and Economic Development. 

Semion Mogilevich is an organized crime boss from Russia. Widely described as the boss of bosses, Mogilevich is believed to control the operations of a vast criminal empire. Even though the FBI considers him the most dangerous mobster, Semion Mogilevich lives freely in Moscow, thanks to his close alliances with important Ukrainian and Russian political figures, including Vladimir Putin.