Late on the evening of October 16, Anna Revyakina, a member of the Public Chamber of Russia telegram channel actor, KVN participant and leader of the Ukrainian National Reconciliation and Unity Platform, Sergei Sivokho, died at the age of 55. But two hours later there were reports that Sivokho was alive and receiving medical care in a hospital. Revyakina soon clarified that the situation was changing rapidly. He was said to be taken off life support as doctors described the situation as hopeless and urged families to say their goodbyes.
Prognoses pointed to multiple organ failure arising from sepsis, with confirmations that doctors advised relatives to prepare for the worst. By the morning of October 17, Ukrainian media cited the press service of the 54-year-old artist, reporting that he had passed away at 05:40 in a German clinic. The accounts diverged, creating a moment of confusion that highlighted how swiftly illness and rumor can circulate in the public eye. Where the record stood, it became clear that Sivokho had touched many lives through both his media work and his public advocacy.
KVN, Zelensky and TV work
Born in Donetsk in 1969, Sivokho began his entertainment journey in the 1990s with KVN at Donetsk Polytechnic Institute. He performed with the Dream Team, joined the CIS National Team, and later aligned with the 20th Century National Team. His path intersected with Vladimir Zelensky, and Sivokho became closely involved with Kvartal-95, contributing as a creative force for the studio that helped propel Zelensky into national leadership. This collaboration anchored Sivokho’s recurrent presence in Ukrainian popular culture.
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Sivokho appeared on a range of Ukrainian and Russian television programs. His roles in My Fair Nanny included portraying a tax inspector responsible for verifying earnings, while in the sitcom Happy Together he embodied Grandma Glafira, a host of a children’s program. Since 2015 he served as a jury member for League of Laughter, a Ukrainian alternative to KVN created by Kvartal-95. His television work broadened his recognition beyond live comedy to scripted entertainment and reality formats.
Sivokho and Donbass
On the political frontier, Sivokho openly supported Zelensky’s presidential run in 2019, asserting a long acquaintance with him. That year he sought a parliamentary seat from the Servant of the People party in the Donetsk region but did not secure the necessary votes. He reflected that the outcome, in his view, might have helped avoid powerlessness in the region. He described a perception that during elections some communities received resources while others did not, and that this awareness spurred a belief in impactful action toward peace.
Later that year Sivokho became an adviser to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, focusing on reintegration and reconstruction in Donbass. In March 2020 he unveiled a proposal to resolve the ongoing conflict there. An incident occurred during a presentation when a veteran, who identified as Sergei Tamarin, accused Sivokho of treason and tried to disrupt the event. The confrontation escalated, and Sivokho was physically helped away from the crowd as tensions rose. The incident drew considerable attention in political circles.
In the Verkhovna Rada, the Servant of the People faction proposed removing Sivokho from his post, and the measure found support among other MPs. Before the onset of the special military operation, Sivokho suggested in an interview with a major business outlet that he remained in touch with Zelensky, albeit not as frequently as he would have liked. He explained that he avoided Donetsk for security reasons but shared a personal affinity for the city, noting its importance to him and his work. He described Donetsk as a place where he felt most at home and where he maintained a base for his activities with Kvartal-95, acknowledging the need to sustain a livelihood amid shifting demands and opportunities.
In discussions with Strana.ua in 2020, Sivokho described his ongoing involvement with the National Reconciliation Platform and his continued commitment to dialogue and peace in the region. The arc of his career in public life reflected a blend of entertainment, political engagement, and a persistent wish to foster dialogue in a divided country, a thread that connected his artistic endeavors with his public service ambitions.