Leonid Yakubovich

Leonid Arkadyevich Yakubovich PAR (Леонид Аркадьевич Якубович, born 31 July 1945) is a Russian actor and television host, best known for hosting the game show Pole Chudes (the Russian version of the Wheel of Fortune – literally, The Field of Wonders – and the celebrity episode of Slaboye Zveno). Yakubovich is one of the best-known television and internet personalities in Russia. In January 2023, Ukraine imposed economic sanctions on Leonid Yakubovich for his support of 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biography
Yakubovich was born in Moscow into a Soviet Jewish family. His father was born in Belarus. In his youth, Yakubovich sought a practical profession, and studied metal craftsmanship. After finishing his education, he went to work at ZIL as a heat-gas technician. In college, Yakubovich started performing in the Russian KVN show.

In the 1980s he became a freelance satire writer and actor, and even played in the Russian children's "film-magazine" Yeralash. Even so, Yakubovich was not considered experienced enough for regular work in television until in 1991 he accepted Vladislav Listyev's proposal to host Pole Chudes. Listyev was previously a mentor to Yakubovich, and helped sharpen his acting skills, among others.