Born on April 30, 1982, in Kaliningrad, Artyom Tkachenko is a versatile Russian film and stage actor known for his striking appearance and range across genres. After graduating from the Shchepkin Higher Theatre School in 2002, he shot to stardom as the lead in the fantasy-action film The Sword Bearer (2006). He has since built a prolific career with over 80 credits, notably starring as Lev Barsky in The Red Queen and the mysterious Alexey Danishevsky in the Gogol film trilogy. Recently, he has garnered further acclaim for his role as the vampire-doctor Zhan Ivanovich in the hit series Central Russia's Vampires.