Valeriy Astakhov is a Ukrainian actor, television host and master of ceremonies. He was born on 6 August 1964 in Slavuta in the Khmelnytskyi region and trained at the Kyiv institute of theatre arts under Yuri Nepsha. He has acted at the Novyj Alkazar theatre in Kyiv since 1987, has presented concert programmes since 1991 and works in the talk show format since 1999. Wider fame brought him the role of the district inspector Diatlo in the series “Return of Mukhtar”. A presidential decree of 23 July 1998 made him an Honored Artist of Ukraine. On Czech stages he directed the Ukrainian Christmas comedy “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka”, in which he plays the mayor.
On 2 January 2027 at Brno's Besední dům, Astakhov plays the mayor in the Ukrainian comedy “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka”. The show runs 80 minutes without a break.
On 6 December 2026 he directs the Ukrainian Christmas comedy “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka” at Prague's Divadlo Na Maninách. Dmytro Lukianenko handles the choreography, Oleh Shpanchuk produces.
