Butkevich was born in 1940. After graduating from Riga Secondary School No. 11 in 1959, he studied at the Riga Polytechnic Institute and worked at the VEF factory as an automatic telephone exchange adjuster. At the same time, Butkevich actively participated in artistic life: he worked at the Robert Ligerts Riga Pantomime Theatre, later at the 3rd studio of the Dailes Theatre, where he learned the basics of acting alongside several artists who later became well-known stage performers. In addition, Butkevich studied at the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of History and Philosophy at the University of Latvia, as well as at the choral conducting department of the Latvian State Conservatory. Butkevich began his journey in cinema in 1963 with a role in the television film "The Unripe Song." A few years later, he received his first leading role in Ada Neretniece's film "The Hippocratic Oath," where he played Imants Veide. He appeared in films directed by Rolands Kalniņš, including "Stone and Shards" and "Breathe Deeply." The film "Breathe Deeply" is included in the Cultural Canon of Latvia. He acted in beloved films and series such as "Rally," "The Unfinished Dinner," "A Long Road in the Dunes," "Mirage," and "Aija." Butkevich filmed in Russia, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and India. In 2016, Butkevich was awarded the Fourth Degree Cross of Recognition for his long-term and significant contribution to the culture and cinema of Latvia.