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"I fled like a rat": what happened to stand-up comedian Andriy Shchehel after fleeing Ukraine
Stand-up comedian Andriy Shchehel left for Turkey in the spring of 2023 with permission from the Ministry of Culture to perform charity concerts and did not return home. Later he settled in the United States and publicly stated that he does not intend to go back to his homeland. This sparked a wave of criticism.
In the spring of 2023 one of the most popular Ukrainian comedians at the time, Andriy Shchehel, received a temporary permit from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy as a performer and went to Turkey. The official purpose of the trip was charity concerts. At that point the comedian had already received three draft summonses from the military registration and enlistment office. And, apparently, he did not plan to return home so as not to be drafted. Fokus recalls what happened to the national stand-up star who chose a crooked path.
Judging by photos on social media, Shchehel now lives in Dallas, Texas, USA.
After leaving, the comedian gave an interview to journalist Roman Skrypin, where he said he does not plan to return to Ukraine because he considers himself a "free person." He explained his position by saying he was "tired of the war" and "doesn't want to die." He called the military's decision to defend the country "their personal choice."
Stand-up comedian Andriy Shchehel left for Turkey in the spring of 2023
Photo: Instagram
Later, during one of his streams, Shchehel said: "I fled like a rat." He added that if Ukrainians "choose to die," he wants to live in comfort.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danylov said on the telethon that such "artists" have no place in Ukraine, and if the comedian returns he will face a very different "reception."
Shchehel said: "I fled like a rat"
Photo: Instagram
The scandal affected the entire cultural sector. The Ministry of Culture significantly tightened rules for traveling abroad for draft-age men. This complicated the work of volunteers and artists.
Shchehel recorded a video apology, but he could not restore his reputation or avoid financial consequences. In the fall of 2023 the founder of the production center Comedy Space, Serhiy Chudaiev, filed a lawsuit against him. The grounds were breached contracts, failure to appear at scheduled concerts, and reputational damages.
The scandal involving Shchehel affected the entire cultural sector
Photo: Instagram
The court fully granted the claims and ordered the comedian to pay 1 million hryvnias in moral damages. According to the organizers, these funds will be directed to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As early as 2021 Shchehel spoke with noticeable confidence about his own achievements. "Dude, I'm already a legend. Success was when I first gathered 40 people for a solo show at Heaven… They came, and since then I've calmed down," he said in an interview.
Today the name of the comedian, who was among the pioneers of Ukrainian stand-up, is primarily associated with the scandal over his departure and statements during the full-scale war.
Regarding his personal life, for a long time Shchehel was linked with well-known comedienne and cultural manager Lana Chubakha, who was at the origins of stand-up development in the country. The couple tried not to publicize details of their personal life on social media.
Now the comedian has completely disappeared from the information space. His main Instagram page is currently inactive. Another profile, with about 1700 followers, has effectively not been updated since the summer of 2025. In the most recent photos the humorist poses against a backdrop of mountains with a backpack on his shoulders. He has visibly gained weight, and his latest captions are in English. Judging by the page's geotag, he still resides in the territory of the USA.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "«Я втік як щур»: що сталося зі стендапером Андрієм Щегелем після втечі з України". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: ANTIKOR.
