Dimitri Diatchenko (April 11, 1968 – April 21, 2020) was an American actor. He studied guitar and martial arts from the age of seven and won medals in both. He released four solo guitar CDs. He studied acting and music at Florida State University and appeared in the action film G.I. Jane. In 2015 he pleaded no contest to animal cruelty after allegedly cooking and eating his ex-girlfriend's pet rabbit. He died at age 52 of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
Life and career Diatchenko was born April 11, 1968. Sources differ as to whether he was born in Oakland, California or San Francisco, California. He was of Ukrainian, Greek and Swedish descent. Diatchenko began classical guitar lessons at the age of seven. Two years later, he gave his first solo classical guitar recital. During and after his studies, Diatchenko won several medals in guitar competitions including the Stotsenberg International Classical Guitar Competition or the World Championships of Performing Arts. He released four solo guitar CDs.
Diatchenko studied martial arts from the age of seven. He earned black belts in both Tae Kwon Do and Kenpo Karate and studied boxing and arnis. During the early 1990s, Diatchenko competed as a heavyweight in several national championships, winning many medals in full contact fighting, including the US Olympic Festival, the WTF National Championships and The 1991 World Invitational in Miami, Florida.
Diatchenko attended Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts where Matt LeBlanc also attended at the same time and later Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. There he was a scholarship music student, majored in classical guitar, and received a Bachelor of Music degree. After transferring to Florida State University in Tallahassee, Diatchenko continued with acting and music studies in the Masters program. In April 1996, as Diatchenko was graduating, he was cast in Ridley Scott's 1997 action film G.I. Jane and landed a small role as trainee; following this, Diatchenko relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. In Los Angeles, he also taught guitar privately and performed regularly as a soloist and ensemble player.
Diatchenko made appearances in several television series. After appearing in the action series Alias, he was in the films Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Get Smart.
For his performance as Ukrainian tour guide Yuri in the film Chernobyl Diaries, Diatchenko received positive reviews from some film critics.
In addition to acting, Diatchenko worked as a voice actor. He lent his voice to a lot of video and computer games. His first performance in a video game came in 2005 with additional voices for Medal of Honor: European Assault.
Animal cruelty charge In 2015, Diatchenko pleaded no contest to animal cruelty after allegedly cooking and eating his ex-girlfriend's pet rabbit. He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to perform sixty days of community labor and undergo forty-eight hours of counselling.
Death Diatchenko died in his home in Daytona Beach, Florida, on April 21, 2020, aged 52. He was discovered two days later after a wellness check initiated by concerned relatives. According to Diatchenko's agent, the death appeared to be a heart attack or complications from an electric shock Diatchenko had sustained at work a week before his death. An autopsy later revealed that there was a large amount of fentanyl and Valium in his system and the medical examiner listed the official cause of death as an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1997 Goiterboy Richter Short G.I. Jane Trainee 1999 The Settlement Uncredited 2001 Norman J. Lloyd Norman J. Lloyd Short 2006 The Genius Club Jesse The Mechanic Miriam Alexi Love Made Easy Poker Player 2007 The Longest Yard Sale Grammy 2008 Remarkable Power Ivan Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Russian Suit 1 / Russian Soldier Get Smart Russian Underling 2010 Burning Palms Bob 2012 Chernobyl Diaries Yuri 2013 Company of Heroes Ivan Puzharski Direct-to-video Clubhouse Misha 2016 They're Watching Vladimir Filat Final film role
Television Year Title Role Notes 1997 Total Security Bodyguard Episode: "Pilot" Diagnosis: Murder Thug #1 / Carl Episode: "A Mine Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" 1998 Timecop Sergeant Episode: "D.O.A." 1999 Walker, Texas Ranger Robert Jackson Episode: "Power Angels" Pensacola: Wings of Gold Anton Marisovich Episode: "True Stories" 2000 V.I.P. Episode: "Val Point Blank" 18 Wheels of Justice Alexei Episode: "Smuggler's Blues", Uncredited 2001 The Wild Thornberrys Elder Beaver Voice, Episode: "All Work and No Play" 18 Wheels of Justice Sergei Zukaross Episode: "Hot Cars, Fast Women" 2004 Alias Vilmos Episode: "The Frame" 2005 Wanted Darsikska Episode: "The Wild Bunch" 2006 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Waiter Episode: "Odd Couples" The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Attendant 1 Episode: "No So Suite 16" 2007 Criminal Minds Lyov Lysowsky Episode: "Honor Among Thieves" Shark Gavin Lundy Episode: "Fall from Grace" Burn Notice Boris Episode: "Pilot" 2008 The Riches Russian #2 Episode: "The Lying King" My Own Worst Enemy Gold Teeth Episode: "Breakdown" Without a Trace Yuri Ovsenko Episode: "Push Comes to Shove" 2009 CSI: Miami Andrei Episode: "Wolfe in Sheep's Clothing" Family Guy Russian Dinosaur / Russian Guard #2 Voice, Episode: "Spies Reminiscent of Us" 2010 General Hospital Babak 3 episodes, Uncredited 2011 Sons of Anarchy Head Russian 2 episodes 2012 How I Met Your Mother Arvydas Episode: "46 Minutes" Perception Alexi Topaloff Episode: "Faces" 2013 Project: SERA Zakir Episode: "Immunity" 2014 Bones Dimitri Romanov Episode: "The Master in the Slop" 2 Broke Girls Yuri Episode: "And the Kilt Trip" 2016 Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street Green Beret Episode: "Gortimer vs. White Hat" Murder in the First Janko Kolar Episode: "Rise of the Phoenix" 2017 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vulko / Lone Knight / Lead Knight Voice, 2 episodes
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2005 Medal of Honor: European Assault From Russia with Love Quake 4 Sledge 2006 SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 2 SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault Paramilitary Leader 2008 Iron Man Boris Bullski / Titanium Man, Russian Soldiers Fracture Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Cmdr. Oleg Vodnik Call of Duty: World at War The Commissar Aion: The Tower of Eternity 2009 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising Cmdr. Oleg Vodnik Resistance: Retribution Cloven Leader / Cloven 2 Wolfenstein Golden Dawn Agent / Wehrmacht Officer / Black Market Agent Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Serbian Soldiers Rogue Warrior Russian Soldier 3 / SEAL Captain 2010 Iron Man 2 General Valentin Shatalov / Roxxon Soldiers Singularity Crackdown 2 Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Sandman Call of Duty: Black Ops Spetsnaz Operative 2011 Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Serbian Soldier 2012 Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Evgeny Petrakov Call of Duty: Black Ops II 2013 Tomb Raider Solarii Metro: Last Light Secretary General Moskvin The Last of Us 2015 Evolve Markov Battlefield Hardline Fallout 4 Vadim Bobrov Rise of the Tomb Raider 2016 XCOM 2 Soldier Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Awards and nominations
Music 2003: Instrumental and Acting Grand Champion of the World at the World Championships of Performing Arts
References
External links