Val Chmerkovskiy shared an emotional Instagram post about one of the most influential women in his life, his mother Larisa, and it has warmed the hearts of his fans on the social media site.
The Dancing with the Stars pro posted a black-and-white image of he and Larisa joyfully dancing together. In the caption, Val described his true feelings for the woman whose guidance allowed both Val and his older brother Maks to flourish and pursue their dreams.
The sweet image shows Larisa throwing her head back in laughter, as she is swept across the dance floor by her youngest son. She is seen with her blond hair atop her head, wearing a dark-colored blouse adorned with what appears to be a shimmering diamond design.
Val’s hair is slicked away from his face, and he is wearing dark dress pants, a dress shirt, and suspenders as he whisks his mother across the ballroom floor.
In the caption which accompanied the post, Val stated that very few things bring him more joy than seeing his mother laugh. He applauded Larisa, whom he revealed went without many things so that he and Maks could always be provided for.
The dance pro then remarked how grateful he was to God for allowing him to be her son.
Val concluded the tender post seen below by stating, “I love you mama.”
Fans were so touched by this gesture from the two-time mirrorball-winning Dancing with the Stars pro that they posted their own sentiments regarding the photo to Instagram.
First to post was Val’s brother Maks, who chimed in with the following statement.
“We the luckiest,” which was followed by Maks’ wife Peta Murgatroyd, who stated, “such a special picture.”
“Truly the most selfless mama,” Val’s wife, Jenna Johnson, also commented.
“I swore I wasn’t a sappy person but then here I am wiping tears away from reading this caption,” said a fan of the dance superstar.
A second fan remarked to Val that the photo and the caption were a beautiful tribute to his mother, followed by a prayer hand emoji.
This is not the first time Val has paid tribute to his parents, Larisa and Aleksandr, who emigrated from Ukraine to the United States when Maks and Val were very young in the hopes of providing a better life for their sons.
In an interview for his 2019 book titled I’ll Never Change My Name , Val remarked that while he was growing up, his family experienced many struggles, at times not knowing where the next dollar was coming from. But they all knew that despite their difficulties, when they got home at the end of the day, they all had each other.
Val also called his parents “magicians” in the interview, particularly Larisa, who — with what he claimed was very little –was always able to provide the family with a warm cooked meal and made sure they all spent critical time around the dinner table to share their day.