Where did the flashmob "Let's See You at 21" come from and how did MamaRika, Hreshnova, Mozgova and other stars looked like at this age?

The Let's See You at 21 flash mob has gone viral on Facebook and Instagram. The idea behind it is simple: users have to post a photo taken at the appropriate age on their page. Where did the trend come from? It was started by 43-year-old Damian Ruff from Arizona (USA). He shared a photo on Instagram of himself sipping a beer as soon as he turned 21. It was a big deal for him at the time! After all, in the United States, people are considered adults at this age and are officially allowed to drink alcohol.

There are other versions of the flashmob's "goals" on the web that have nothing to do with nostalgia: for the training and progress of artificial intelligence or for Russia's special services (to collect private information). The fact-checkers of "The Other Side of the News" refuted this. It turns out that #21 is another interactive for Internet users that has gone far beyond the United States. Ukrainians joined it, including famous directors, actors, singers, politicians, and musicians. In the OBOZ.UA article, we take a look at what some of them looked like at the age of 21.

1. MamaRika

Today, Anastasia Kochetova performs under the pseudonym MamaRika, but once, on the show "Star Factory. Super Final" she was known as Erika. It was at that time that she turned 21. Back then, she was a brunette with a bob haircut and rich eye makeup, who mostly wore daring outfits.

2. Olena Mozgova

Olena Mozgova, a 50-year-old Ukrainian producer, shared a photo on Facebook of herself performing on stage at the age of 21. She was dressed in a bright yellow satin dress, and her hair was decorated with flowers of the same saturated color. "But you're beautiful in a yellow dress," "As for me, she's changed only a little," "Really, yellow suits you," "She hasn't changed at all, she's just become even more beautiful," subscribers wrote in the comments.

3. Artem Chekh

A popular Ukrainian writer, and since 2015 a soldier, 38-year-old Artem Chekh joined the #21 flash mob. He posted atmospheric photos on his Facebook page: next to a rock, against the backdrop of a city, and squatting on a stool. He wrote: "Frost's betrayal, you won't find this on Yandex, 3-5 books read a week, Crimea, Bastardo Inkerman. Return it all, I'll pay you back."

4. Ivan Malkovych

Ukrainian poet and director of the A-ba-ba-ga-la-ma-ha publishing house Ivan Malkovych, whose books many of us grew up with, is now 62 years old. He also decided to amuse his followers with a photo from his youth. "My 21st birthday. Somewhere in my native mountains," the author wrote, apparently alluding to the mountains in Ivano-Frankivsk region, where he comes from.

5. Dasha Tregubova

Dasha Tregubova, a 43-year-old Ukrainian TV presenter and actress, showed more than the flash mob's terms required. "Hmm, #21, you say? I opened Pandora's box - the archives. In which photo would you not recognize me?" she wrote slyly. Indeed, the celebrity has hardly changed over the years. She is recognizable in all the photos.

6. Anna Salivanchuk

Anna Salivanchuk, a 38-year-old Ukrainian theater and film actress, couldn't decide which photo to post for flash mob #21. So she decided to surprise her followers with something different - a video of a series of photos. "You're a Ukrainian Angelina Jolie," "You're only getting better over the years," "As if from a fairy tale," the star was showered with compliments in the comments.

7. Lyubava Hreshnova

The 35-year-old actress Lyubava Hreshnova also wanted to be nostalgic, and called her 21st birthday "the best in her life." "Everything possible and only good happened in it. At 21, I hit my stride... The first leading roles, the start of The Weighted, everyday life on STB, the first covers, the first interviews, and a total lack of understanding of what was going on," the star shared her memories in a post with a photo of herself just starting her journey into the world of film and showbiz.