(Trigger warning: this text and the video below contain some mentions of acts of war.)
Maksym Brovchenko is an autistic teenager originally from Berdiansk, in Ukraine. After this hometown was invaded by Russian forces, he and his mother moved to the city of Zaporizhzhia. Maksym has become somewhat of a celebrity in his country in the past few years. A big fan of astrophysics and painting, Maksym started creating colorful paintings of planets, the night sky, and creatures from other worlds when he was 8. After the Russian invasion, he also tackled some darker topics and his paintings started depicting angels, soldiers and conflict.
The quality and subject matter of his art soon attracted attention and he was able to sell several paintings for considerable sums. He insisted on donating all proceeds to the Ukrainian armed forces and autism organizations in Ukraine. Maksym’s dedication soon gained him some high-profile fans: President Volodymyr Zelensky and first lady Olena Zelenska, both of whom have added their autographs to works by Maksym.
Last year, Maksym was given other ways to express himself. In March 2025, he took on the lead role in a performance of the play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”, based on the best-selling novel about a neurodivergent teen, on stage in Zaporizhzhia.
Almost all the rehearsals of the play took place under fire, as Zaporizhzhia was under constant bombardment. Maksym’s mother, Oksana, at first had doubts whether her son would be able to make it through a difficult two-act play in such conditions. But he did — and received a standing ovation at the premiere and subsequent performances.
(Photo of Maksym courtesy of Child with Future, the Ukrainian member of Autism-Europe.)
