Russian Personalities

People well-known in art, sport, film, fashion

Category Archive: Movies and theatre

Svetlana Svetikova, singer and actress

Svetlana Svetikova

Beautiful Sveta


Svetlana Svetikova is a Russian singer and actress.
Beautiful girl was born on November 24, 1983 in Moscow. Her father served in the Navy, currently working as Florentine mosaic artist. Her mother sang in the ensemble before marriage, later worked as a music teacher in kindergarten, now she is a housewife. Svetlana has a younger sister Natalia, who graduated from the Moscow State University, Faculty of Law.
To tell the truth, Svetlana started her career at the age of 4, when her parents brought her to the musical group Cartoon. The little girl performed in the children’s musical Zoo. At the age of 8 she joined Moscow Children’s Theater and became a soloist of the children’s rock band Papa Carlo. The group recorded the album Live in Rock and toured in Russia, the Crimea, and Germany.
Talented girl began performing solo at the age of 12. She was a winner of such contests as Crystal Droplet, Bon Chanson, Young Talents of Moscow and visited Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic, Germany and France.
More »

Zhanna Friske – pop singer, TV host

Jeanna Friske

Zhanna Friske – pop singer, TV host

Zhanna Friske or Jeanna Friske, Russian singer, TV presenter, film actress and socialite, was born on July 8, 1974 in Moscow, Russia.
Until 1996 her surname was Kopylova. She was engaged in artistic gymnastics and acrobatics, went to a ballet school.
Pretty Zhanna first became famous when she joined pop group Blestyashchie in 1996. Group members together with Jeanna have recorded 4 solo discs and realized 3 solo programs for their fans.
To tell the truth, she left the group in 2003 to embark on a solo career as a singer, actress, and occasional model.
Internationally Friske is known for her roles in the films Night Watch and Day Watch as Alisa Donnikova, the witch and mistress of Zavulon, the principal character. Her most successful single was I Was, which reached the top of the Russian charts. Also her album was successful and reached the top of all Russian-speaking countries.
More »

Irina Saltykova, pop singer

irina saltykova

Irina Saltykova – beautiful singer

Irina Saltykova is a Russian singer and actress. Her maiden name is Irina Sapronova. Beautiful blonde was born on May 5, 1966 in Novomoskovsk, Tula region. Her father was a machinist, and her mother worked in a kindergarten. In her childhood Irina was engaged in artistic gymnastics. She even received prizes in the competitions.
From 1981 to 1985 she studied at the College of Building, then from 1985 to 1990 at the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics.
Pretty girl performed with the group Mirage in Saransk in 1988, then briefly worked in variete at the restaurant. After having trouble at work and in her personal life Irina decided to become a singer.
In 1994, she debuted on the concert stage of Moscow cinema Warsaw with the song Let Me Go.
On February 1, 1995 Irina recorded her first song Grey Eyes. The song composer was Oleg Molchanov, who previously worked with Natalia Vetlitskaya and wrote her hit Playboy.
More »

Anna Stryukova Zavorotnyuk – beautiful blonde

Anna Stryukova

Anna Stryukova Zavorotnyuk – beautiful blonde


Just a few years ago Anna Stryukova was an unknown girl. Her mother, Anastasia Zavorotnyuk is a famous Russian actress, and the girl was in her shadow. However, in 2012, everything has been turned upside down. Charming beauty, Anna Zavorotnyuk-Stryukova broke into the Russian showbiz world.
Pretty girl was born in January 1996. Her father, Dmitry Stryukov was a famous businessman and her mother, Anastasia Zavorotnyuk was a little-known actress at that time. The girl was born in Moscow, but soon moved to the United States. In Los Angeles the family of the future celebrity founded their own real estate agency.
Anastasia Zavorotnyuk appeared in the TV series My Fair Nanny in 2004 and became a real star. So, Anna returned to Moscow. Some time later, her parents divorced and Anna was sent to England. At Albion the future celebrity graduated from school and returned to the Russian capital. In Moscow she began her acting career.
More »

Chulpan Khamatova

Chulpan Khamatova film and theater actress

Chulpan Khamatova – film and theater actress


Chulpan Khamatova is a Russian theater and film actress, TV presenter, People’s Artist of Russia (2012), Laureate of the State Prize of Russia (2004). By the way, she is a leading actress of the Moscow theater Sovremennik, winner of numerous theater and cinema awards. In addition, she is one of the founders of the charity fund Give Life. Khamatova was a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
Beautiful girl was born on October 1, 1975 in Kazan, USSR into the family of engineers. Chulpan means the “dawn star” in Tatar. Talented actress has younger brother Shamil (born in 1985), who is also an actor. In her childhood the future actress was engaged in figure skating. After graduating from school she entered the Kazan theater school. Later, her teachers advised to continue her studies in Moscow and Chulpan entered the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts.
More »

Anastasia Vertinskaya, Soviet-Russian actress

Anastasia Vertinskaya

Anastasia Vertinskaya, Soviet-Russian actress

Anastasia Vertinskaya is a famous Soviet-Russian film and theater actress.
Future star of Soviet cinema was born on December 19, 1944 in Moscow, in a creative family. Her father was a composer, legendary Russian singer, actor, poet Alexander Vertinsky, and her mother was a painter and actress Lydia Vertinskaya (Tsiagvava). Anastasia’s elder sister Marianna is also an actress, she worked in the Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre.
Father taught sisters to love art, music and literature, because he believed that, regardless of their future profession, daughters must be fully developed.
In 1961, being a schoolgirl Vertinskaya played her debut role of Assol in the movie Scarlet Sails directed by Alexander Ptushko, based on Alexander Grin’s novel.
Cute girl became famous, even though she did not know how to behave and what to do in front of the camera.
More »

Irina Antonenko – Miss Russia 2010

irina antonenko

Irina Antonenko – Miss Russia 2010

Irina Antonenko is a Russian actress, winner of Miss Russia 2010, as well as Miss Auto Sound 2008 and Miss Yekaterinburg 2009.
Beautiful girl was born on September 1, 1991 in Sverdlovsk, Ural region, which a few days later was named Yekaterinburg. Her parents, Natalia and Igor Antonenko, were both employees of the police. Irina has a brother.
After finishing school, the girl began to study at the Ural Finance and Jurisprudence Institute. At the same time, she started her modeling career. For 2 years Irina worked as a model in Ilya Vinogradov’s modeling agency. Pretty girl quickly became one of the most sought after models in Yekaterinburg. Also, she took part in a popular beauty- project New Hollywood Look.
In late 2009, Irina won Miss Yekaterinburg pageant and decided to go to Moscow to take part in the national beauty contest.
More »