Former “Dancing With The Stars” professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy has made it out of Ukraine after fleeing the country on a train to Poland.
Tuesday Update:
Maks Chmerkovskiy made it to Poland!#DWTS #StandingWithUkraine
Per Maks' IG Story: pic.twitter.com/ZNz3vCMlbl— Kristyn Burtt (@KristynBurtt) March 1, 2022
Chmerkovskiy ‘Made It On The Train’
Chmerkovskiy revealed on his Instagram Story on Monday night that he had “made it on the train” to get out of Ukraine.
“We’re heading to Warsaw (hopefully). Train to Lviv was not an option. The situation at the train station is insane,” he wrote. “AT first it feels manageable, but it gets A LOT worse when it comes time to actually board the train.”
He went on to describe the situation as “TRAUMATIZING,” saying that he was in a train cabin with “4 adults and 7 kids (ages 2-11) which usually is only occupied by maximum of 3 people.”
“There’s usually up to 30 people in this particular wagon,” he wrote. “We were told we have to fit 135. Walkways are packed. People everywhere. It’s sweaty and claustrophobic.”
Backstory: Former ‘DWTS’ Pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy Sends Chilling Video From Ukraine – ‘I’m Very Scared’
Chmerkovskiy Is ‘In Poland’
Chmerkovskiy, 42, later revealed that he had to get off the train 30 minutes from the Polish border so that the wheels could be changed. He could not help but quip, “Can’t make this up.” Thankfully, he soon let his followers know that he was “in Poland.”
He had previously revealed that he was arrested at one point in Ukraine over the weekend as he tried to figure out a way to leave the country.
He was born in Ukraine in 1980, and while he moved to the United States with his family in 1994, he had been back there at the moment to film World of Dance. He announced it on Instagram early last month.
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“I have options. My options are better than most people’s, unfortunately,” he confessed. “I’m a little nervous to be honest with you, but I think it’s going to be all right. Well, I know it’s going to be OK.”
“I will never be the same,” Chmerkovskiy captioned a video he posted last week. “This is stressful and I’m getting old feelings back, like I’ve done this before. This does feel like the way it was when and why we left in the ’90s. Like my old PTSD I’ve finally fixed is coming back.”
Related: Maks Chmerkovskiy Of ‘DWTS’ Fame Announces He’s Leaving Ukraine – ‘I Got Arrested’
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‘I’m Very Scared’
Entertainment Weekly reported that Chmerkovskiy previously reflected further on just how lucky he is to have a “way out” of Ukraine.
“I’m very scared and don’t know what words to use, but I do know that at the very least I have a chance,” he said. “I have a passport and a way out. A lot of people do not, and it’s f—ing nonsense. I love Ukraine, it’s an incredible pleasure to spend six months now on the ground. I fell back in love. I know now who these people are, what this country is, and what it stands for. It is totally not what is being portrayed to the Russian people in order to justify this invasion.”
We are so glad to see that Chemerkovskiy has made it to safety, and we will continue to pray for the people of Ukraine.
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