Mother is Russian,[2] Yevgenia Leonidovna Stoyanova (born June 21, 1935), worked as deputy director for educational work, director of a pedagogical college and taught Ukrainian language and literature, honored worker of education of Ukraine.

Father — Bulgarian,[3] Nikolai Georgievich Stoyanov worked as a gynecologist, died in 1993.

After graduation in 1978, he played at the Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater, where he worked as an actor until 1995.

Received nationwide fame after the release of the sketch show Gorodok, which he created and led together with Ilya Oleynikov from 1993 to 2012.

[5] October 30, 2018, he joined the Council on Public Television by decree of the President of the Russian Federation.