Mikhail Galustyan (officially Nshan Sergeyevich Galustyan; born October 25, 1979, in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russian SFSR, USSR) is a Russian comedian, actor, television host, producer and performer of Armenian descent. He became widely known as a member and captain of the KVN team «Utomlyonnye Solntsem», which won the KVN Premier League championship in 2003. He later played Ravshan, Alexander Rodionovich Borodach, Zhorik Vartanov and numerous other characters in the sketch comedy series «Nasha Russia», appeared in films and television series, voiced Po in the Russian-language versions of «Kung Fu Panda», and in 2019 launched the musical project Super Zhorik. In 2023, Galustyan obtained Armenian citizenship.
His best-known screen projects include «Nasha Russia», «Zaytsev+1», «Borodach. Ponyat i prostit», the films «Nasha Russia: Yaytsa sudby», «Tot eshchyo Karloson!», «Podarok s kharakterom» and other comedy productions. In the 2020s, Galustyan continued working on television as a reality-show host and returned to the sketch-comedy format with «Galustyan+».
Childhood and real name
Mikhail Galustyan grew up in Sochi in an Armenian family. The name Nshan, which appears in his official documents, was given to him in honour of his grandfather. Galustyan has explained that his grandfather was also called Mikhail in Russian-speaking surroundings, while relatives had called him Misha since childhood. Therefore, Mikhail is not a stage name invented later in life, but a name he had used long before beginning his television career.
During his school years, Galustyan studied music, attended theatre classes and practised judo. One of his early stage roles was Winnie-the-Pooh. In his senior school years, he began playing KVN and soon became captain of his school team.
Medical education
After finishing school in 1996, Galustyan entered the Sochi Medical College and trained as a paramedic. He completed the standard practical training associated with medical education, but even during his studies he increasingly devoted his time to KVN. Galustyan later said that he chose medicine partly under the influence of his mother, who worked in the field.
After medical college, he enrolled at the Sochi State University of Tourism and Resort Business. He combined his studies with rehearsals and touring with «Utomlyonnye Solntsem», which gradually became his main professional activity. Galustyan did not complete his university degree.
«Utomlyonnye Solntsem» and KVN
The first major stage of Mikhail Galustyan’s career is closely associated with the KVN team «Utomlyonnye Solntsem». Representing Sochi, the team gradually progressed from regional competitions to KVN’s top league.
Galustyan specialised in short acting sketches and characters that could often be recognised by their voices, facial expressions and physical mannerisms even before the storyline developed. In 2002, he became captain of «Utomlyonnye Solntsem».
In 2003, the team won the KVN Premier League championship. Later, «Utomlyonnye Solntsem» won the Summer Cup three times — in 2004, 2005 and 2009. Among Galustyan’s teammates was Alexander Revva, who later also built an independent career in comedy, film and music.
«Nasha Russia»
A new phase began in 2006, when «Nasha Russia» premiered on TNT. The project’s main performers were Mikhail Galustyan and Sergey Svetlakov, who played numerous characters representing different cities and social groups.
The sketch-comedy format allowed Galustyan to develop recurring characters who returned from episode to episode. Unlike KVN, where a character usually existed for only a few minutes, here each one could develop a personal background, habits and recurring storylines.
Ravshan
One of Galustyan’s best-known characters was Ravshan, a construction worker who worked with Jamshut under their boss Leonid. The sketches were built around the constant mismatch between a simple assignment and the catastrophic results produced by the two workers.
The character became one of the most recognisable figures from the early seasons of «Nasha Russia» and later appeared in the feature film «Nasha Russia: Yaytsa sudby».
Alexander Rodionovich Borodach
Another famous character is Alexander Rodionovich Borodach, a security guard who constantly starts new jobs, becomes involved in absurd incidents and then has to explain what happened to police officers.
In 2016, the character received his own series, «Borodach. Ponyat i prostit». Borodach continued to appear in later Galustyan projects, including «Galustyan+». TNT lists him among the characters the comedian has revived years after the original «Nasha Russia» ended.
Zhorik Vartanov
Zhorik Vartanov is the host of the fictional regional television channel «Sev-Kav TV». His speech is characterised by heightened emotion, distinctive pronunciation and unwavering confidence in his own professionalism.
The character remained active after the classic seasons of «Nasha Russia» ended: Zhorik Vartanov returned in «Galustyan+» and other TNT specials. Galustyan also reprised the role in the musical television film «Nasha Russia. 8 Marta».
«Nasha Russia: Yaytsa sudby»
In 2010, the feature-length comedy «Nasha Russia: Yaytsa sudby», based on characters from the television series, was released. Galustyan played several roles in the film, including Ravshan and Borodach.
The film marked a transition from short television sketches to feature-length cinema and coincided with the period when Galustyan began appearing regularly in comedy films.
Film career
Galustyan’s first appearances in feature films date back to the mid-2000s. He subsequently worked mainly in comedies, often playing characters distinguished by strong personalities and unusual physical mannerisms.
His filmography includes:
- «Ispanskiy voyazh Stepanycha» — 2006;
- «Samyy luchshiy film» — 2008;
- «Gitler kaput!» — 2008;
- «Nasha Russia: Yaytsa sudby» — 2010;
- «Beremennyy» — 2011;
- «Rzhevskiy protiv Napoleona» — 2012;
- «Tot eshchyo Karloson!» — 2012;
- «Bilet na Vegas» — 2013;
- «Podarok s kharakterom» — 2014;
- «8 novykh svidaniy» — 2014;
- «Odnoy levoy» — 2015;
- «Papy» — 2022;
- «Artek. Bolshoe puteshestvie» — 2022;
- «Nebilliantovaya ruka» — 2024.
«Tot eshchyo Karloson!» and «Podarok s kharakterom»
In the comedy «Tot eshchyo Karloson!», Galustyan played the lead role of an unusual creature from the world of «metriks» living among humans. The film relied heavily on physical comedy, which had long been an important part of his performance style.
In «Podarok s kharakterom», Galustyan played Mikhail Oreshkin, an actor who earns money performing at children’s parties while dressed as a panda. In addition to playing the lead role, he also participated in producing the film.
Producing
During the 2010s, Galustyan began working in cinema not only as an actor. He participated in the production of «Nyanki», «Tot eshchyo Karloson!», «Bilet na Vegas», «Podarok s kharakterom», «8 novykh svidaniy» and «Odnoy levoy» as a producer or creative producer.
His producing filmography later expanded with newer projects, including «Papy» and «Artek. Bolshoe puteshestvie».
Po and voice acting
Since 2008, Mikhail Galustyan’s voice has been associated with Po, the panda protagonist of the «Kung Fu Panda» animated franchise. He voiced the main character in the Russian-language dubs of the first three films released in 2008, 2011 and 2016.
In 2024, Galustyan returned to the role of Po in the Russian-language version of «Kung Fu Panda 4» prepared by Red Head Sound studio.
In addition to «Kung Fu Panda», Galustyan has worked in voice acting and dubbing for other animated projects, including «Zhelezyaki», «Savva. Serdtse voina», «The Lego Ninjago Movie», «Trolls World Tour» and other films.
«Zaytsev+1»
In the TNT series «Zaytsev+1», Mikhail Galustyan played Fyodor, the second personality of the main character Sasha Zaytsev. While Zaytsev himself was shy and indecisive, Fyodor represented the complete opposite: confident, rude and prone to impulsive behaviour.
The series aired during the first half of the 2010s and became one of Galustyan’s longest-running television roles outside «Nasha Russia».
STS and return to TNT
In 2019, Galustyan began working with STS. Together with Sergey Svetlakov, he hosted the comedy show «Russkie ne smeyutsya». Galustyan’s official website also lists the project among his main television works from this period.
In autumn 2021, Galustyan returned to TNT as a host of the reality show «Zvyozdy v Afrike» alongside Olga Buzova. In 2022, he signed an exclusive contract with Gazprom-Media Holding.
He later continued working with Buzova on the adventure reality show «Sokrovishcha imperatora». By 2026, the project had reached its third season, with Galustyan and Buzova continuing as hosts.
«Galustyan+»
The sketch show «Galustyan+» returned the performer to short comedy stories and multiple transformations. The programme featured both new characters and familiar figures from his earlier work, including Zhorik Vartanov and Alexander Rodionovich Borodach.
In July 2025, the second season of «Galustyan+» premiered on TNT. Alongside Mikhail, the cast included Svetlana Permyakova, Denis Dorokhov, Ekaterina Shkuro, Dmitry Zhuravlyov and other actors and media personalities.
Super Zhorik
In 2019, Mikhail Galustyan launched the musical project Super Zhorik. It is a separate stage character with an intentionally flamboyant image, distinctive pronunciation and a repertoire based mainly on dance-oriented pop music with a comedic presentation.
The project’s first official single was «Хочу тибя любицца», released on November 14, 2019. The music was written by Richard Madlenyan, while Mikhail Galustyan and Garik Martirosyan were credited as lyricists.
On Galustyan’s official website, the musical side of his career is presented specifically under the Super Zhorik name. The video catalogue includes «Хочу тибя любицца», «Золото», «Чао! Чао!», «Меня прёт от тебя!» and «Это всё».
«Хочу тибя любицца»
The debut track immediately established the character of Super Zhorik. The deliberately incorrect spelling of certain words became part of the character’s speech, while the music video developed the image of an overconfident hero attempting to impress women.
The release launched a separate series of songs and videos that existed in parallel with Galustyan’s main acting and television career.
«Золото»
In 2020, the second single, «Золото», was released. The music video continued the project’s visual style with colourful costumes, ostentatious luxury and deliberately exaggerated behaviour by the protagonist. Apple Music lists «Золото» among Super Zhorik’s most popular recordings.
«Чао! Чао!» and «Меня прёт от тебя!»
In 2021, the project’s discography expanded with «Чао! Чао!», «Меня прёт от тебя!» and «Это всё».
The music video for «Меня прёт от тебя!» was published on July 8, 2021, and received more than 120 million views on the official Super Zhorik YouTube channel. Yevgeny Bardachenko is credited as the writer of both the music and lyrics, while Mikhail Galustyan and Garik Martirosyan are listed as video producers.
Duets and latest Super Zhorik releases
In 2022, Super Zhorik recorded the song «Другая» with the group «Blestyashchie». The single was released on June 24, while the music video centred on a conman character who meets several women at once through a dating app.
That same year, the catalogue also added «Чили», a collaboration with Khabib. In 2023, Super Zhorik released the single «Yerevan». It remains the latest release listed in the project’s current Apple Music and Spotify catalogues.
Super Zhorik discography
- «Хочу тибя любицца» — 2019
- «Золото» — 2020
- «Чао! Чао!» — 2021
- «Меня прёт от тебя!» — 2021
- «Это всё» — 2021
- «Другая» — with Blestyashchie, 2022
- «Чили» — with Khabib, 2022
- «Yerevan» — 2023
Super Zhorik has not released any full-length studio albums. The project’s musical catalogue consists primarily of individual singles and music videos.
Musical style of Super Zhorik
Super Zhorik’s music is based mainly on dance-pop with elements of club music and southern pop-show styling. The visual identity of the character is equally important, however: the songs were created simultaneously as musical and comedic works.
Galustyan does not use Super Zhorik as a replacement for his own name. In films, television shows and interviews he continues to work as Mikhail Galustyan, while Super Zhorik exists only within the musical project.
Armenian citizenship
In April 2023, Mikhail Galustyan announced that he had obtained Armenian citizenship. He explained that he had applied as a person of Armenian descent and had wanted to receive an Armenian passport for a long time.
Obtaining citizenship was not accompanied by any announcement that he was ending his work in Russia. Galustyan continued appearing in Russian television and film projects.
Personal life
In 2007, Mikhail Galustyan married Victoria Shtefanets. The couple had two daughters, Estella and Elina.
In April 2025, Galustyan announced their divorce after 18 years of marriage. According to him, the couple had decided to separate in 2024 and maintained a normal relationship after ending their life together. He did not publicly disclose the reasons for the divorce in detail.
Television in the 2020s
In the 2020s, Galustyan’s main professional activity remains connected with television and comedy projects. After «Zvyozdy v Afrike», he continued hosting major TNT reality formats, while «Galustyan+» returned him to multi-character sketch comedy.
At the same time, TNT continues to use characters from the classic «Nasha Russia». In the musical special «Nasha Russia. 8 Marta», Galustyan and Sergey Svetlakov once again played Zhorik Vartanov, Borodach and other characters from the original show.
Main television projects
- KVN / «Utomlyonnye Solntsem»
- Comedy Club
- «Nasha Russia» — 2006–2011
- «Zaytsev+1» — 2011–2014
- «Borodach. Ponyat i prostit» — 2016
- «Russkie ne smeyutsya» — from 2019
- «Misha portit vsyo» — 2020–2021
- «Zvyozdy v Afrike» — host from 2021
- «Galustyan+»
- «Sokrovishcha imperatora» — host
- «Nasha Russia. 8 Marta»
Main film roles
- «Samyy luchshiy film» — 2008
- «Gitler kaput!» — 2008
- «Nasha Russia: Yaytsa sudby» — 2010
- «Beremennyy» — 2011
- «Rzhevskiy protiv Napoleona» — 2012
- «Tot eshchyo Karloson!» — 2012
- «Bilet na Vegas» — 2013
- «Podarok s kharakterom» — 2014
- «8 novykh svidaniy» — 2014
- «Odnoy levoy» — 2015
- «Papy» — 2022
- «Artek. Bolshoe puteshestvie» — 2022
- «Nebilliantovaya ruka» — 2024
Mikhail Galustyan as a comedy actor
The foundation of Galustyan’s acting style is his work with strongly defined characters. In his best-known roles, voice, intonation, facial expressions and physical performance are especially important. Ravshan, Borodach, Zhorik Vartanov, Fyodor and Super Zhorik differ not only in costume and makeup, but also in their distinctive ways of speaking.
For this reason, most of Galustyan’s career has not been based on stand-up comedy or monologues performed as himself, but on sketches, television series, comedy films, dubbing and music videos in which he can work within a separate character.
Mikhail Galustyan’s career from KVN to cinema and major television formats spans more than two decades. «Utomlyonnye Solntsem» brought him his first major recognition, «Nasha Russia» created his most famous screen characters, cinema and dubbing expanded his acting career, while Super Zhorik transferred his familiar principle of comedic transformation into pop music.
