‘DWTS’ Pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy Returns to Poland to Help Ukrainian Refugees
Michael Tran/FilmMagic Reading Time: 3 minutes
Maksim Chmerkovskiy went live on Instagram yesterday to share that he is now in Poland once again. During the live video, the former Dancing With the Stars professional shared he returned to the country to be a ground representative for his organization, Baranova27.
Chmerkovskiy was stuck in in Kyiv, Ukraine when war broke out. The professional dancer successfully made it back to Los Angeles, California after a week and spent time with friends and family before heading to Warsaw, Poland to help.
On March 20, Chmerkovskiy shared that he was going live on the app to share what he’s doing in Poland. The professional dancer made sure to begin the video expressing that he’s currently in a good state after his stay in Los Angeles. During his time in the U.S. he’s worked on tangible opportunities to help Ukraine. On March 3, he created an organization along with his brother Valentin and father Aleksandr Chmerkovskiy. The organization is named Baranova27.
What is Baranova27?
Baranova27 is a humanitarian fund for Ukraine. Baranova27 strives to help Ukraine families through donations, time, and resources. The name of the organization comes from the location were the founders were born in Ukraine. in Chmerkovskiy’s live video, he shared that Baranova27 immediately took off during the first two weeks.
They raised way over their goal of $100,000 and shipped out 134,000 pounds of aid to Ukraine. This aid is in four categories, things for soldiers and first aid, things to do with babies, and hygiene products. They shipped out 49,000 pounds (22 tons) by air and 7,600 pounds were delivered, while the rest is still enroute. They also sent out 85,000 pounds (39 tons) by ship which will be in Poland between April 10 and 20.
The organization is continuing their GoFundMe with a new goal of $350,000. Chmerkovskiy noted that price raise is due to the increase in shipping costs. Chmerkovskiy returned to Poland because the organization is trying to be a bigger presence on the ground of Poland. His final update in relation to the aid is that he has individual representatives giving the aid out to multiple Ukraine cities.
The professional dancer shared that the organization feels successful and feels like they’re doing a lot of great work. They’re now beginning to see the beginning of the positivity that comes out of their work. He thanked individuals that personally helped with the initiative, as well as everyone who donated their money.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy Creates Another GoFundMe For Ukraine Aid
During the live video, Chermoskivy mentioned that he is creating a fundraiser for Ukrainian dancer, Jakub Rybicki. Chermoskviy noted that the fellow dancer has done amazing things since the war began. Rybicki has been driving people from the border and into his house. He currently has 12 refugees living in his home and has placed over 200 people in his city. Rybicki placed those people by calling friends, neighbors, etc. He met up with this dancer and saw it all first hand.
The two men are trying to find a company that can build an outdoor tent with climate control on the inside for people to reside. This tent would serve as short term housing for people Rybicki brings from the border. Chermoskviy expressed that the tent is so important because neighboring towns are beginning to turn refugees away. He then mentioned another friend that has centers at the borders. After visiting he’s going to see if he can help that friend in the same way as Rybicki.
Before finishing his Instagram live, Chmerkovskiy promised to continue showing first hand accounts from the ongoing war in Ukraine. He urges people to remember that this war has only gotten worse over time. People in Ukraine still need help, so people need to continue to provide it.
