- December 19, 2025
- 12:48 pm
- Ukraine
June 10 is the birthday of the legendary “Dido Panas” – Petro Vesklyarov (Pinchas Khaimovich Vesklyar). The future actor was born in Talne, Uman County, Kyiv Province (now Cherkasy region) and came from a Jewish family.
A significant legend spread that, being the host of the children’s program “Good Night, Kids”, which was broadcast live, Grandpa Afanasiy ended the program with the phrase: “Such nonsense, kids…”
There is no tangible evidence that this happened (only one tape was preserved from the television archives), and the testimonies of witnesses are contradictory.
His signature greeting “Good evening to you, little ones, dear boys and girls” immediately transported you to some amazing world and heralded a fantastic adventure.
His fifteen-minute program “Good Night, Kids!” aired every Friday at 8:45 PM from 1964 to 1986 for 17 years (!).
From childhood. Who remembers? How many of us are here?
“Good evening to you, little ones, dear boys and girls…” This is how Grandpa Panas, the beloved of all, addressed Ukrainian kids from the TV screens in the program “Good Night, Kids.”
His colorful appearance (real Cossack mustache, beautiful embroidered shirt, warm voice with genuinely Ukrainian intonations); the interior of a Ukrainian room with towels; exclusively Ukrainian fairy tales made an unforgettable impression on both children and adults. For all viewers, he was familiar and recognizable.
The future actor was born in Talne, Uman County, Kyiv Province (now Cherkasy region). His birth surname was Vesklyar, and he came from a respectable Jewish family. The family lived in a so-called commune – a two-story house where several families settled. One room per family and a shared kitchen and dining room.
Petro became interested in theater in his youth. He visited the local drama club. It was here that actors from Cherkasy, who came on tour, noticed him. Thus, in 1932, Vesklyarov became an actor at the Cherkasy Workers’ and Peasants’ Theater.
At the beginning of the war, Petro was mobilized and sent to serve in the military theater of the Southwestern Front.
The 30-year-old artist was surrounded with the troops and ended up in a prisoner camp, where he introduced himself as Petro Vesklyarov. His atypical appearance and rich Ukrainian language saved him, and he escaped at the first opportunity. He returned to Kyiv, which was occupied by the Germans at the time. Concealing his origin, he found work on the railway and immediately created a theater club.
In late autumn 1941, the Germans began to gradually release Ukrainian prisoners home – Vesklyarov was freed. He did not return to the Cherkasy region, where the truth about his origin was known, and spent two years of occupation in Kyiv.
When the city became Soviet again, Vesklyarov returned to the frontline theater. He was demobilized in 1946.
He was not allowed to settle in the capital of the Ukrainian SSR (due to being on occupied territory – a “black mark” in his record for life), and was sent to Lutsk.
After the war, P. Vesklyarov was appointed to the Volyn Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after Shevchenko. Here the actor served until 1959, playing many interesting roles. Among them were Nikolai Zadorozhny (“Stolen Happiness” by I. Franko), the Commander (“The Stone Host” by Lesya Ukrainka), the Mayor (“The Inspector General” by N. Gogol)…
While working in Lutsk, he received an invitation to act in films. He moved to Kyiv. He proved himself as a brilliant supporting actor. Uncle Lev in “The Forest Song,” Grandpa Petriya in the film “Oleksa Dovbush,” Mr. Rector (“Viy”), Father Budulai (“Gypsy”)…
Vesklyarov’s last role in cinema was a peasant in the film “Forget the Word Death,” shot at the Odessa Film Studio in 1979. By that time, Petro Yefimovich was already widely known as Grandpa Panas from television. Which, by the way, was not only a positive but also a negative side: Vesklyarov was no longer invited to act in films. Whatever role he was offered, people saw only “Grandpa Panas” in the actor.
But this is probably not the main reason why Petro Vesklyarov was not offered leading roles or any roles at the “main” film studios. The reason is almost fantastic. In the USSR, a state of total Russification, actor Vesklyarov… practically did not speak Russian. Always – only in Ukrainian. To “language” questions, he jokingly replied: “I can’t learn Russian”… In the films where Vesklyarov still acted, his characters were voiced by other actors.
The actor died on January 5, 1994.
Colleagues remember Petro Yefimovich as a very sociable person, with a great sense of humor, a joker, and a wonderful storyteller.
Already grown-up people fondly remember him: “Sleep, my little one, hush, and the gray bunny is sleeping…”
A person who dedicated his entire life to ensuring that generation after generation of children in Ukraine heard the Ukrainian language, listened to Ukrainian fairy tales, joined Ukraine, and became Ukrainians. A person who proved with his entire life that even one warrior in the field is still a warrior and can still hope for victory. Even if everyone around considers Ukrainian a “rural dialect,” if they despise it and do not speak it – he still raises millions of children in such a way that they love and understand Ukrainian.
A deep bow and eternal respect. For everything. For the wonderful fairy tales, for the melodiousness of speech, for the crescent-shaped mustache, and the good smile. Bright and friendly, he became a grandfather for everyone. Every Ukrainian child had Grandpa Panas. Happy Birthday!
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