Potential successors for KVN after Maslyakov’s passing

Alexander Maslyakov, longtime host of the Club of Cheerful and Resourceful, passed away on September 8 at the age of 83. Media reports cite lung cancer as the cause. He had stepped back from hosting KVN last year after devoting six decades to the show.

Who might step into the hosting role for KVN?

Dmitry Khrustalev

Many observers see Dmitry Khrustalev as the leading candidate to succeed Maslyakov. Since 2022, Khrustalev has filled in for Maslyakov in the Major League and at KiViN music festivals, and in 2024 he became the permanent host of the Club of Cheerful and Resourceful. Just before Maslyakov’s passing, Anastasia Drapeko, PR director for AMiK—the company that owns the rights to the show—told Metro that several contenders were considered, and the producers ultimately chose the Comedy Club star:

“Last year there were many different presenters for KVN, and everyone was evaluated. We settled on Dmitry. He is a KVN alumnus, an excellent host, and deeply involved in the process.”

In the late 1990s, Khrustalev captained the St. Petersburg Team and helped the squad reach the Major League final, earning a runner-up finish. He later joined the USSR National Team, securing the KVN Summer Cup. Khrustalev, now 45, is widely recognized from the Comedy Club and Comedy Woman programs, and has co-hosted Evening Urgant.

In an April 2024 interview, Khrustalev recalled Maslyakov’s invitation years earlier:

“On KVN’s 60th anniversary, after a successful match, I thanked Alexander Vasilyevich for the celebration and for everything he did for me and many young teams. He surprised me by offering to take his place only to watch from the audience. The casting process then stretched for two years.”

Alexander Maslyakov-Jr.

Alexander Maslyakov Jr., now 44, first hosted the Club of Cheerful and Resourceful while still a student, starting with Planet KVN in 1999. He later led the premiere and the First League. He currently serves as general director of AMiK and, according to media reports, supported his father’s choice of Khrustalev in 2021, countering rumors of any inheritance-based succession. It seems Maslyakov Jr. will continue to work within KVN behind the scenes.

Dmitry Nagiyev

In the autumn of 2022, Dmitry Nagiyev organized a Major League game in a surprise move that caught many off guard, given that his involvement in KVN had not been publicly disclosed. He later reduced his television appearances after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, and in August paused another Channel One project, The Voice. Yet Maslyakov reportedly asked Nagiyev to lead the Major League episode, a request attributed to a trusted friend of Maslyakov.

Nagiyev himself, who never played in KVN but wrote jokes for teams and served on juries, has said that he and Maslyakov shared a warm relationship until the end. He told RIA Novosti that Maslyakov’s supposed sophistication and cunning were never part of their dynamic, and they remained close and supportive.

Today, Nagiyev is involved in various film projects but rarely appears on television and is unlikely to become the permanent KVN host.

Svetlana Druzhinina

People’s Artist of Russia Svetlana Druzhinina hosted KVN even before Maslyakov, starting in 1962, during the early days of her acting career and predating her directorial success with Midshipmen. Her former partner in the Club of Cheerful and Resourceful was the late Mikhail Derzhavin.

Druzhinina is unlikely to return as a regular host, not due to age (she recently turned 88 and released two films) but because she views the show in its current form differently. In a 2016 interview, she recalled that KVN in the 60s was a true amateur showcase, full of improvisation, while today many performances feel staged with professional participants.

Alexander Oleshko

Like Nagiyev, Alexander Oleshko stepped in during Maslyakov’s illness and, as an Honored Artist of Russia, tried his hand at hosting KVN in 2023. Oleshko has admitted that hosting KVN has long been a dream for him. Maslyakov reportedly told him that if he manages his life well, perhaps one day he would host the show. Oleshko later shared that he has fulfilled that dream on stage by announcing, “We’re starting KVN!”

In September it was announced that the 48-year-old Oleshko would host another Channel One program, All the Same.