Where did granddaughter Zhenia from the TV series "Svaty" disappear to: rumors about moving to Moscow, scandalous statements from TV relatives, and life in Toronto

As a child, this girl was so successful that everyone in Ukraine knew her face and name. Sonia Stetsenko, who played Zhenia's granddaughter in the TV series "Svaty," starred in many other famous films.

And then she suddenly disappeared from TV screens. Rumors circulated that the girl had moved to Moscow, where she entered a theater school and later became an actress in a Russian theater. Sofia herself told OBOZ.UA whether this is true.

Sofia Stetsenko is 20 years old. She was born and raised in Kyiv. No one in her family had anything to do with artistic professions, except that one of her grandmothers used to sing in a choir. At the age of five, she started studying at a Kyiv theater studio, which she got into thanks to her brother: "Serhii used to go there after school. And since my parents were working and I was staying with him, he took me with him. While I was waiting for him, before I knew it, I was participating in the performances myself."

And then there was the Ladies and Gentlemen children's variety art competition, where Sofia won the Grand Prix as Pippi Longstocking and attracted the attention of an agent who was looking for young actors to participate in the series "Svaty." She entered the world of movies at the age of six. Her most recognizable role is that of Zhenia's granddaughter in several seasons of "Matchmakers." She also starred in the following films: "Miracle," "Champions from the Backyard," "Swallow's Nest," "In the Sight of Love," "I'm Next Door," "The Flight of the Butterfly," "Looking for a Wife and Child," "I Can Do Anything for Love."

In an interview, young Sonya said that she didn't think about acting but wanted to become an interior designer. But later, she made up her mind: she was going to be an actress. However, after graduating from high school, she decided not to enter a theater school: "I decided to wait a little longer, although I was thinking about Karpenko-Kary University. I went to study at the workshop of the director Olena Lazovych. I started by offering my help everywhere: scanning tickets, and running around for props. And I learned acting."

According to Sonia, her parents were understanding of her decision: "When I told them I wasn't going to enroll yet, they had no objections. We found Lazovych's studio together with my mom. She supported me at the audition. My dad said that if I needed any props, we would find them. My parents always support me."

Meanwhile, the Russian media reported that "Zhenya's granddaughter from the TV series 'Matchmakers' has successfully entered the Moscow GITIS." Sonya says this information is a lie: "I did not study in Russia, I never planned to go there. I never even thought of going and I will never go. I was in Moscow only once, during the filming of the New Year's Eve movie 'Matchmakers.' And I didn't like that city."

She recalls her work in "The Matchmakers" as follows: "If you watch the series very carefully, you can see both my mother and brother in the extras. My dad also came to the set often, but they didn't have time to document him (laughs). For me, 'The Matchmakers' is a good childhood memory and a very cool experience. But when I start to think about my colleagues... Because of the full-scale invasion, I don't feel very good, because the Russian actors who play the main roles support the Kremlin's aggression."

When "Svaty" was being filmed in Moscow, Sonia Stetsenko and her mother stayed with actress Tatiana Kravchenko for almost three weeks. As you know, the actress, who was born and raised in Donetsk, is now actively supporting the Kremlin's aggression and willingly participates in propaganda TV shows. Sonia's mother Svitlana Stetsenko recalled in an interview: "When we arrived for the filming of the New Year's Eve "Svaty," we were put up in an apartment that was not suitable for living. I was scared to stay there with my child, even for a night. I called Tatiana Eduardovna: "Let us stay with you for one night while they find us another place to live." In the morning, she called the people who were in charge of the settlement: "They don't need to look for anything, they will stay with me."

In a commentary to OBOZ.UA, Svitlana Stetsenko says that she is grateful to Tatiana Kravchenko for sheltering her, but admits that it hurts her to hear how she speaks about Ukraine now. She says that Russian actors who came to the set were always treated like dear guests. They lived here not for weeks but for months, so they saw everything perfectly well and know that no one oppressed Russian-speaking Ukrainians, and the Banderites they talk about are a myth.

"You know, the filming of "Svaty" was a long time ago," says Svitlana Stetsenko, "14 years have passed, as if in another life. We used to communicate and wish each other happy birthdays whenever we were on set. We shared a room with Olesya Zheleznyak for almost a month in the Crimea when we were filming the next season of "Svaty." How do I feel when I hear her talking about Ukraine now? Nothing, because she is not a person close to me for whom I could be ashamed. I'm not disappointed because I've never been enamored. Don't look for "good Russians" in that country, they are not there. They're all trying to find a warm place to live, that's all they care about."

Svitlana Stetsenko says that two years ago, Sonia, who spoke Russian with her family and friends, switched to Ukrainian as a matter of principle. And the whole family is with her. "Sometimes, when I call her, I inadvertently switch to Russian, and she corrects me: "Mom, dear, please!" says Svitlana.

Her mother, who was with her almost all the time, recalls her daughter's work in the movies as follows: "When people say to me: "You're so lucky to be acting," I answer that for two years we didn't know what our relatives' birthdays were, or what our classmates' holidays were. Because everyone had a birthday party, and Sonia had a rehearsal, everyone had a barbecue, and we had a shoot."

When the full-scale invasion began, Sonia Stetsenko found temporary refuge from the war abroad: "My parents decided that it was better for me to leave. The choice was mine. I spent the first six months in Prague, where I entered an acting school. I studied on a scholarship for one year. It was a great experience. When the course was over, I applied to several universities to study acting, and I was accepted, but not all countries would grant me a visa. That's how I ended up in Canada. I've been living here for a year now."

According to Sonia, she works as an assistant on film sets and at various festivals. "When I came here, I didn't know what to expect, because I was here all alone," she recalls. "My parents said, 'Try it, if you don't like it, you can always go back home. Life here is a little different, but in many ways, Ukrainian realities are better. For example, our banks are simple and fast, while Canadian banks are very slow and have complicated interfaces."

Sofia came to Ukraine three weeks ago: "I missed my family and teachers very much. I managed to get into an intensive course with actress Lesia Ostrovska, who is my teacher at the theater studio. In Canada, I continue to study acting, but more for myself. Now I am searching, listening to myself: is this really what I want to do? When I was in Ukraine, I managed to see all the iconic performances that were announced in the repertoires of theaters. Especially by Olena Lazovych. I am very inspired by her."

According to the girl, everyday life in Toronto is not much different from Kyiv: "You can buy everything: there are both Ukrainian and Polish stores. Candy, canned food, our bread. We cook borsch and dumplings at home. The only thing I haven't made yet is cabbage rolls. You know how mothers always say: it's easy, all the ingredients are by eye. But it doesn't turn out so tasty. So I'm waiting for my mom to give me the full recipe with all the grams and subtleties. We always have a large package of sour cream at home, and we eat everything with it, just like in Ukraine."

Sonya says "we" because she met her love in Toronto: "He's Canadian. He's an arborist by profession - he treats trees. He is learning Ukrainian. My mom sends him special books from Ukraine. We started with the simplest thing - we read literally by syllables. We watch Ukrainian theater performances and movies. In addition, there is a Taras Shevchenko Museum in Toronto, which constantly hosts some Ukrainian events: movie nights, artists exhibit paintings. My boyfriend volunteers there. In the near future, we really want to come to Ukraine together. I plan to meet his parents."

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about the life of "X-Factor" star Andriy Matsevko: photos with fans for money, work as a janitor, fake documents and a criminal case.

Also, OBOZ.UA told how the family of the star of the video about "Easter and sausage" lives Matvii Brus: a store in Kyiv, hateful attacks and not a penny for the legendary video.

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