In Los Angeles, I was fortunate to befriend the renowned Soviet actress Olga Prokhorova, known for films such as Yegor Bulychov and Others, Liberation, To Love a Man, The Ivanov Family, Emelyan Pugachev, A Problem with Three Unknowns, “Strange Horizons,” and others. Olga Prokhorova has lived in the USA since the early 1990s. She rarely acts these days and prefers to avoid the press, but she agreed to an interview with Slavic Sacramento. Recently, she turned 69 and mentioned her deteriorating eyesight. However, what troubles her more than life’s difficulties are the Russian-language media, which continue to spread rumors and negative information about her life in emigration.

10.22.2024 — New Moscow — Before moving to Canada, Prokhorova frequently starred in films directed by her then-husband, Alexei Saltykov. She was in demand in Canada but hardly had any work in the USA. When in America, she never seemed to get any help with quotidian life, which prevented her from focusing on her creative work.

I remember a song written by actress Elena Sotnikova from the Vakhtangov Theater:

Actors are like children,

Dreaming of miracles,

Hoping someone will notice them

Someday.

On stage, on screen,

Even in a cameo,

Dreaming of recognition

Is an actor’s nature …

Prokhorova had dreams of her own when she left her homeland, a homeland that both loved and hurt her. The people she once trusted betrayed the famous actress. She always trusted “her own people,” believing that there could be no impostors among her fans and admirers.

Olga always strove for perfection and for all things kind. It was important for her to preserve everything she absorbed in her homeland and be a model of post-Soviet dignity.

I’ve known Olga for a long time. For the interview, we went to a shopping center on Santa Monica Boulevard. There, we secluded ourselves at a table on a balcony overlooking the famous Hollywood sign.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I’m thrilled and honored to see you today. You look wonderful, as usual, though slightly tired. You don’t need to tell me about the gossip written about you in the newspapers. You don’t have to tell me how hard it is to live here in Los Angeles. We’re in one of the most expensive cities in America. The prices here are astronomical, yet you afford all these chic clothes and an apartment in Hollywood. Many people who come to the USA leave California because of the high cost of living. But you’ve been living here for 20 years. Tell me, is this how you imagined your life at 70? Is this where you wanted to spend your golden years?

Olga Prokhorova: I realize I live in the Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors, called the Lodging Free Zone, which is a dump living by jungle law. It saddens me that people from the CIS living in America are mostly vultures, 99.9% of them. They have the brains of lizards and the intelligence of soap dishes. Unfortunately, they only care about money and dirty gossip on social media.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Are you saying that the people who come to America leave much to be desired?

Olga Prokhorova: God forbid. All sorts of scum gather in America! I know of cases where my compatriots would come to the USA and buy multi-story buildings with cash. How could they afford it, coming from the post-Soviet space? They’re clearly bandits. They bring their relatives here, who never worked a day in their life. Some occupy social housing, some drain all of Medicare’s resources. There’s an entire army of freeloaders here. I’m a simple person; I used to work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. I’m sure that “Who needs brains if you’ve got audacity” works—up to a point.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I’d like to recall the moment you left our homeland for distant Canada. Where did you marry a diplomat from the Canadian Embassy? In Moscow?

Olga Prokhorova: In Russia.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Explain this. You were sent to the Canadian Embassy, but what could actress Olga Prokhorova be doing among those diplomats? You didn’t speak English or French at the time, right?

Olga Prokhorova: I was called an International Party Girl back then and didn’t speak English. But I had read all of world literature, since I started reading at 2.5 years old. By 4-5 years old, I had read all the children’s Russian literature available. Many diplomats at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow spoke Russian. In my childhood, I read the Brothers Grimm, Andersen’s tales, Pushkin, Tolstoy, “The Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cipollino,” “Pinocchio.” Then I moved on to more adult literature. At 4, I asked my mom, “Why does Tatiana drink the magic poison of desires?” Mom said the heroine from Pushkin’s novel probably wanted to drink! And I naively replied, “Then why didn’t she drink water?” This made me interesting to the Canadian Embassy staff.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Did you tell them stories?

Olga Prokhorova: No, we discussed Turgenev, Goethe, Chekhov, Bulgakov, and Dostoevsky. Americans love the phrase: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” Yet they keep making the same mistakes, which amazes me. I believe all these “color-coded” revolutions lead to suffering, and each country should handle its own affairs.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Let’s return to when you often visited the Canadian Embassy. You were already married to Alexei Saltykov then. By the sound of it, you caught somebody’s eye there?

Olga Prokhorova: Yes, I was already married to Saltykov at that time, and many people there were interested in me. I graduated from both music and dance schools, having played Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. I’m sure Canadian diplomats were interested simply because I sang, danced ballroom, and played the piano. We could discuss any topics. By that time, I knew American and English literature better than Harvard graduates. I was surprised to find out that the Canadians hadn’t heard of Theodore Dreiser, the American writer and journalist. After all, he wrote the novel An American Tragedy, which was later adapted into the Hollywood film “A Place in the Sun”. In my opinion, the book is much more powerful than the film itself. But actress Elizabeth Taylor, who played Angela Vickers in the film, soon received an Oscar. Also, I recently saw an interview with my favorite actress, Jane Fonda, who starred in the famous movie They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? She is now almost 90 years old but looks amazing. She has had plastic surgery, though.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: This is all very interesting and informative, but I want to know more about your Canadian love.

Olga Prokhorova: I don’t kiss and tell.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: There’s a lot of information on the internet that claims Soviet actress Prokhorova entered into a sham marriage with a Canadian citizen just for the passport! Why, when you had everything in the Soviet Union, and in Russia too? A great actress!

Olga Prokhorova: Great is a big word. My husband (film director Alexey Saltykov) liked to say that I was as talented as Giulietta Masina and more beautiful than Catherine Deneuve. The thing is, in the Soviet Union, there were many scripts for thriller films that were shelved. The officials at the time thought it was dangerous to release them. For example, there was this script based on Tolstoy’s novel Prince Serebryany. They were worried that the oprichnina would remind people of the KGB. Back then, the censorship was neurotic. It was a stumbling block for those who wanted to create. I remember that back in my day, there were plans to make a film about Sergei Yesenin, but Soviet leaders opposed it. As actors, we often prepared for shoots, poured our heart and soul into projects, but in the end, the film would be scrapped. Cinema was oxygen for my husband and Nikolai Yeryomenko. I imbibed my love for art with my mother’s milk. That’s why my entire creative life was a source of happiness for me, and I breathed it in.

Vitaly Ataev-Troshin: Am I right in understanding that in such a situation, you had to go to Canada because you hoped to star in films there that were banned in the USSR?

Olga Prokhorova: Yes. But the thing is, at that time, Canadians were interested in making psychological thrillers. They saw the Soviet dramatized film «Wormwood is a Bitter Herb,» where I played Masha, and were delighted. When I arrived in Canada, I realized that they loved my first husband (Alexey Saltykov) even more than in the Soviet Union. In Toronto, I came across a book about Soviet cinema that mentioned three directors: Saltykov, Tarkovsky, and Konchalovsky. They fundamentally changed the film industry. Saltykov’s films are about our own people, in which I see myself. Every marriage is always 50/50. But I had many brilliant men who, unfortunately, burned out quickly, and I had to say goodbye to them.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: You came to the Canadian city of Toronto from Russia. Did you break up with the diplomat right away?

Olga Prokhorova: We lived together for a year and a half. He was very interesting to talk to: the man spoke six languages and spoke excellent Russian. I really liked him, and he adored me. His preferred way of dealing with stress was always retail therapy. Despite the deficit in the Soviet Union, I dressed well thanks to my Canadian husband’s colleagues. We would go to the best stores, where I would try on expensive outfits, and he loved watching me try on all kinds of swimsuits. The only problem was his mother. She was a complete nightmare, though his father was alright. I was the first to decide to part ways with my Canadian husband. But first, I started learning English at breakneck speed so I could tell my mother-in-law exactly what I thought of her in a language she understood. She was like a venomous octopus and piranha combined. Her place was in a crematorium. I simply hated her.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Can you explain why you disliked her so much?

Olga Prokhorova: On the second day after my arrival in Canada, I went to the nearest store for vegetables. When I returned home, my husband’s mother screamed at me over the prices at the supermarket across the street, which she thought were astronomical. She was outraged that I didn’t go across Toronto to shop at the market. After that, she constantly terrorized us. I would tell him daily that she was vile. Eventually, I had to move out. Unlike Alexey Saltykov’s mother, who loved me very much. During the collapse of the Soviet Union, she heard that gold prices would rise and ran to buy jewelry for me. Alexey’s mother would stand in long queues and ceremoniously present me with gold chains, earrings, and other items.

Vitaly Ataev-Troshin: So you left for Toronto, abandoning two men in Russia?

Olga Prokhorova: Yes. It was a big mistake. You should never part with your loved ones. The only thing I wanted was to work in Canada. And Peter Roberts, the cultural attaché at the Canadian embassy in Moscow, told me plainly: «Canada is a very young country, and you are very talented. The ambassador’s wife watched your film five times and used an entire box of tissues each time. No words necessary.» At that time, it was indeed very difficult to find acting work in Russia.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Did people recognize you on the streets of Toronto like they do here in California?

Olga Prokhorova: Not particularly, but I was quickly introduced to the local elite, and within a week of my arrival, I began filming in local production. I was introduced to the American-Canadian TV writer Louis Del Grande and his wife, Martha Gibson. Unlike Russian women, who fear that other women will steal their husbands, Martha told me, «You’re Oscar material.» She knew I had great respect for her work as an outstanding Canadian actress. Martha shared her brief stay in the USA with her husband. They hated America: they lost all their money there, were mistreated, and barely escaped back to their homeland. In the USA, they were swindled and conned out of their money. Fortunately, their parents in Nova Scotia were able to support them. Louis and Martha returned to Canada, recovered, and continued their creative work. They tried to dissuade me from going to America. But my perspective changed when I lost my mother and ex-husband Alexey. Perhaps it’s a poor excuse for unfulfilled expectations. But at the time, my logic, intuition, and self-preservation instincts stopped working.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Can you list the Canadian films you managed to take part in before moving to the USA?

Olga Prokhorova: There were many, mostly TV series like America, Seeing Things, Crazy People, Strange Horizons, and others. The Canadian directors and producers quickly realized I was a professional actress. I usually arrived on set at 5 am having memorized the entire script. I was always ready to work in one take, and this was important to the Canadian filmmakers due to tight budgets. A second take with me was only needed if the cameraman required different angles. Some actors would regularly miss shoots due to alcohol or drugs, but I always approached my work responsibly. Canadian actors often needed to be pleased and surprised, for example, by gifts from the USA. What I needed on set was some carrot juice and coffee. I remember one story from a shoot near Toronto: they brought all kinds of Italian and Japanese foods. The organizers of the shoot approached me to apologize for the meager snacks. They didn’t understand where I came from and didn’t realize how films were shot in the USSR! There, we were lucky if some local grandmothers brought us some boiled potatoes.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: As I listen to you, I keep thinking about how you never had enough. In the Soviet Union, everyone knew, respected, and loved you. Then you went to Canada, and at the peak of your creative career, you turned around and moved to the USA. Why did you do that?

Olga Prokhorova: In the USSR, my husband Alexey Saltykov and I searched far and wide for good domestic and foreign literature to find inspiration. We even argued in front of my mother over who would read new texts first. Alexey would complain to her like a hurt child, «Nadezhda Ivanovna, explain to Olga that I was the first to find this magazine.»

Saltykov sometimes behaved like a mischievous student and invented all sorts of pranks and making me take part in them. We even ended up at the police station because of him. But my mother saved us when she promised to look after us.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Olga, I don’t want to delve too deeply into your personal life. But how did you feel being married while having an affair with Nikolai Yeryomenko during the Soviet era? That was quite scandalous!

Olga Prokhorova: I don’t see it that way. At the time, I was very happy. Moreover, I was surrounded by wonderful people like my mother, my grandmother, Tamara Fyodorovna Makarova, Ekaterina Furtseva, Marina Vlady, Maya Plisetskaya, and Shchedrin. The latter are a great couple who created masterpieces together. We were part of the elite crowd in Riga. Maya once met my best friend Sasha Godunov. We spent time with Borya Galkin, Volodya Kachan, Leonid Filatov, and others. When we traveled together, my mother always told them, «Guys, do look after Olechka.» And they did. I often got teased by the girls for my chubby cheeks. The guys tried to distract me and got me tickets to Princess Turandot at the Vakhtangov Theater. There was never any hatred between us; there was mutual love and support. Yeryomenko and Saltykov adored each other. I would compare Plisetskaya and Godunov as a couple to myself and Nikolai. Yeryomenko had a magnetism that was impossible to explain.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I’d like to go back to my previous question about your move from one country to another.

Olga Prokhorova: Yes. At one point, I came across «Barrier,» a short novel by the Bulgarian writer Pavel Vezhinov. I was amazed; it reminded me of Kuprin’s «Olesya.» I let my mother read it, and she said it was as if the story was written about me. I remember Bulgaria then, and Yeryomenko. People called us “the hope of Soviet cinema.” We knew Christo, who invited me to star in his films. It was my dream, but we were busy with other projects. Then I came across a novel titled «Synopsis,» which I tried to film in the U.S. I came to California in the 90’s to show the script to various investors. A British professor had helped me write the text. But the project failed because of director Pavel Chukhrai. I invested my own money to secure the rights to the novel and equipment. One day he came to Los Angeles with his wife Marina, and they made a fool of me in front of the American producers who trusted me. I fully supported this couple in California, rented them an apartment in Marina Del Rey. They spent my three-month salary in one go on restaurants. Marina drank five cocktails a night. They wasted all my money in California and left. With the rights I finally acquired, I could have made it in America as an actress and producer. That’s when I lost my desire to pursue film. It’s tough to earn a reputation in the U.S. because people come here from all over the world. After my fallout with Chukhrai, news outlets called me an alcoholic, a drug addict, and a prostitute.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Do you think Pavel Chukhrai was behind the smear campaign in the media?

Olga Prokhorova: It’s possible! I idolized his father, Grigory Naumovich Chukhrai, but his son is a scoundrel.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I’m curious why Russian journalists portrayed you in such a negative light, writing about your «failed» life in the U.S. and Canada. You were one of the first to try to start fresh without much of a budget. You were filmed alongside local actors who were born there. It’s tough in the West indeed due to the intense competition. People come to America from all over, just like to Canada. You recently turned 76. You work a lot. Understandably, government support may not be enough, but you live in the heart of Hollywood with many perks that people back home only dream of. But all this keeps you going and feeling like your local communities need you.

Olga Prokhorova: Many offered to help me go back to Russia. I’ve long wanted to visit Alexei’s and my mother’s graves. They would leverage this to get close to me, then disappear or behave inappropriately after getting the information they needed.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Your wish to go back is understandable. Everyone wants to visit their homeland and pay respects to their loved ones. You are a famous actress, and you could meet with fans and occasionally fly to Moscow. But for this to be possible, something needs to change in the way your former colleagues and friends treat you.

Olga Prokhorova: I’ve always wanted to visit Russia, but some situations prevented me from being that mobile. I was naïve and kept giving second chances to fellow countrymen who would often deceive me. Even NTV and Channel One offered to pay for my flight and accommodation. After many conversations and interviews, I felt uncomfortable continuing my communication with them. I felt they might drop me at a train station in Moscow and film me begging for money, rummaging through the trash.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I’m sure Olga Prokhorova would never beg! Trying to stay on topic… You have an excellent memory, impossible not to listen to your story, and you’re such an engaging conversationalist. I’m sure many compatriots from across the post-Soviet space and abroad want to hear and see actress Olga Prokhorova.

Olga Prokhorova: I still hope to turn the script I have into a movie. I need over a million dollars.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I’m sure it’s very important to you that this dream comes true. But you’re no longer 15. Is it maybe time to start thinking about something else?

Olga Prokhorova: I understand that and probably can’t play the main character. I might sell the script. Yes, I still need to pay for my rental apartment, although I might get social housing in Los Angeles. Now I pay more than what the government provides. So, I work as a translator in local courts, translating legal proceedings for our compatriots from Russian to English and back.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Pensioners in modern Russia might not understand you. Despite meager pensions, they somehow survive without the fame you still have.

Olga Prokhorova: Perhaps they have different expenses and circumstances…

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: What would you say to those in Russia who genuinely want to help you? For example, with housing in Moscow or the regions. You could give lectures on cinematography.

Olga Prokhorova: I would go, but not to the regions. I need concrete and cement.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: You last visited Russia in the 90’s, and much has changed since then. Some suburban areas look better than the capital. I’d like to ask you directly – how have you managed to keep your good looks? Despite your age, you’re as slim and beautiful as ever. You’ve traveled to many countries that were unsafe at times. I admire this and wonder how you survived it all! You’ve lost some of your vision, which can still be restored, but you’re not completely blind. You can still see people and read texts with the help of a magnifying glass. Like a young girl, you run to work in the courts of California and avoid harmful foods.

Olga Prokhorova: That’s true. But I feel there’s a sort of Russophobia in America that is spread by some compatriots. For example, I’d say some Jews simply hate me. There was a time when I was in the elevator of my building with a newly arrived immigrant and the building manager. We were speaking in Russian. The girl praised my role in the film «No Return,» but the Jewish manager snorted and said she doesn’t watch such trash. Not everyone is like her, but there are individuals like that.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I think they just envy you. That’s just how some people are. If someone in Russia offered you a role in a film, would you go?

Olga Prokhorova: Definitely! Just don’t offer me a comedic old lady role. I’d prefer the role of district attorney. As Goldie Hawn said, and this inspires me immensely: “I always loved to play babies, but I cannot play babies anymore. Now it’s time to play district attorney.”

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: It seems that when we talk about cinema, you lose yourself in the conversation. How could such slander befall Prokhorova on the internet? In the past, we took pride in compatriots who managed to make a life in the West, no matter how difficult.

Olga Prokhorova: Yes, things were different back then. Everyone treated Gala Loginova, the Soviet and Russian-American actress and mother of Milla Jovovich, with great respect. But even Gala seemed to have a dislike for me. I suspected that some negativity might have come from her, especially after rumors spread that I worked in escort services all my life. Her possible insults against me could have been supported by the famous Soviet and American actor Oleg Vidov. At that time, I had found investors for my screenplay. I managed to pay off all my debts in the U.S., but Vidov suggested I ditch these banks and not pay the bills. He was willing to help in this fraud. I refused and resisted such offers—it’s something I couldn’t allow myself due to my worldwide fame and the renown of my husband Alexei Saltykov. It was like dealing with low-grade swindlers. After that, his entire company, including Gala Loginova, started slandering me, calling me a crazy alcoholic and a prostitute.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: It always seemed to me that such gossip only adds to your fame. Many modern celebrities dream of the kind of rumors that circulate about you. Despite not having acted in a long time, people continue to talk about you and discuss your current life. Your publicity is top-notch, and you don’t even have to pay for it. There are many Soviet stars who have been forgotten, but Olga Prokhorova remains in the spotlight, even among the younger generation. It’s like with the endless stories about Russian actor Alexei Panin, who moved to California in 2023. No matter what they write about him on the internet, it only works to his advantage—everyone is talking about him.

Olga Prokhorova: It’s always good when they write about you. Except when it’s an obituary.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Tell us more about the state of your eyesight at the moment.

Olga Prokhorova: I can see silhouettes and shadows. It’s difficult and dangerous for me to go outside and cross the street. Of course, it affects my life. I need to drive, but I can’t. I also need to go online, which is problematic for me. This one time, I found a good doctor who wanted to perform the surgery for free, but he couldn’t go through with it due to insurance limitations, and the procedure could cost up to $20,000. If I had had that surgery, my life would have been so much better now. I don’t have other major health issues. I think most ailments are a result of a stressful situation. I’m also concerned about the ligaments in my legs, which need fixing.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Do you miss Canada?

Olga Prokhorova: Yes, and I have many friends there. About 20 people would come to meet me if I returned to Toronto. They would visit me often, and I wouldn’t have trouble going to the store. Sometimes I worry that my grocery cart might get stolen while I’m returning home from the store.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: The obvious question arises: why not return to Canada?

Olga Prokhorova: I would say that Canada is a very touchy country. I probably shouldn’t have left.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: Do you think your compatriots from the post-Soviet space could support you and help solve some problems?

Olga Prokhorova: It’s probably not worth relying on people, although I’m sure there are many good and sincere individuals. I would very much like for someone else to be found on the internet instead of me, and for them to stop writing nasty things. How could these Russian-speaking journalists smear me? What ever did I do to them? I started working at 14 and dedicated my life to the film industry. Could I have imagined that my compatriots would write all these horrors about me?

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I wanted to ask you about the property that you had in Moscow and throughout the Soviet Union. Where is it all now? Did your relatives leave OlgaProkhorova with nothing?

Olga Prokhorova: Vitaly, you’re a bit strange. Thank God I’m still alive. They took everything from me while I was engaged in my creative work. They could have buried me alive if I had fought with them. But if I had a big truck, I would drive over them twice. They took my jewelry, personal photos, my mother’s orders and medals. My father worked very hard and got an apartment there, which he left to me. My grandmother left a house on the Azov Sea. I let them use everything and asked them to take care of my father’s grave. They sold everything and forgot about his grave. How can I talk to them after that? If I had something there, I would have left America a long time ago.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: If you returned to Russia, could you still teach?

Olga Prokhorova: At a certain point, Batatov did offer this to me. He wanted me to teach acting. I have immense experience in the film industry, and I would gladly share it with students. I would be interested in working with actors who read and want to learn about the world. The more you know, the more you grow like a diamond whose facets and shine multiply. In the acting profession, this is very important. I’ve met some compatriots in America who say they’ll become stars. I usually ask about their education, and they tell me they don’t need to study. Here in the U.S., I often switch to a primitive kind of language with people who mainly read dirty gossip, price tags, and menus. It upsets me when I start talking about the Battle of Kursk, and they don’t know who the Podolsk cadets are, where Krasnodon is, or what the Young Guard was. I lived and grew up with these experiences. I internalize all these emotions. I have a phenomenal memory. I deliberately retell books and movies. Even American judges who hear me speak say I have a tape recorder in my head. I’ve been developing my memory since childhood. Back then, I was taken to many performances, and I soaked everything up. I retold and read everything on the spot. My parents bought me books, knowing that I was crazy about reading.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I must ask you another, perhaps not entirely pleasant, question… What if, God forbid, I hear that Olga Prokhorova has passed away in 50 years. Do you have any thoughts on where and how you would like to die?

Olga Prokhorova: I want to be buried among the cats and dogs here in California and to be cremated. I’m serious! I’m not sure I’ll go to Russia. There has been a lot of turmoil both here and there. It hasn’t been easy for me. When I think of my homeland, Charles Dickens’ favorite expression comes to mind: «It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.» I used to have powerful protection in the form of my husband Alexei and other celebrities. Now, these moral degenerates have targeted me by writing all of these horrors. Of course, I want to live my life with dignity.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: These are very good thoughts. But would you want to live in the very center of Moscow or, perhaps, somewhere on the outskirts?

Olga Prokhorova: It would be important to me to be near the metro. I can’t navigate well anymore. It would be very difficult for me otherwise.

Vitaly Ataev Troshin: I am proud of our friendship and really want things to work out well for you. I’m sure many people around the world would be happy to hear your beautiful, fresh voice and your Russian accent. I hope you continue to delight us, and I wish you new creative heights.

About the Book

Olga Prokhorova starred in well-known Soviet films as well as movies produced in Canada and the United States. Her unique education, experience, and knowledge, along with the challenging work in the film industry, shaped her character and made her who she is today—something she shares in her book.

With Olga’s permission, I would like to share a small excerpt from the first chapter, which focuses on the actress’s childhood, with the readers of Slavic Sacramento:

«My childhood was spent in the theater, surrounded by sets and costumes. I remember how, at first, they would slide my stroller under the makeup table. And when I started to walk, they placed me in the orchestra pit. That pit became my second home. Everyone got used to seeing my cheeks constantly sticking out from the orchestra pit.

I was the theater’s youngest and most devoted audience member. I listened attentively to all the director’s notes and watched both rehearsals and performances. My parents’ colleagues often joked that the ‘theater critic’ was always on duty.

Adult performances shaped my worldview early on. I was already thinking like a grown-up, even composing poems that were far from childish. I remember writing at the age of four: ‘The show has ended, the encore has thundered, And I’ll lead you to the beautiful world behind the curtains. One thing I know for sure: An actor’s fate is far from easy. A tough profession, yet there’s nothing in the world I cherish more.’

When guests would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d say, “An actress, like my mom and dad. Or a diver.” Seeing their puzzled looks, I’d explain, “Because if I’m not accepted as an actress, I’ll be so sad that I’ll only be able to talk to the fish.” This always made the adults laugh, but to me, it made perfect sense in a child’s way.

The theater taught me so much. I absorbed the creative atmosphere, watching the work of actors, directors, and costume designers. Every day was a lesson in acting for me, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.

Despite spending most of my time in the theater, my parents tried to give me a proper childhood. On New Year’s, they would find the biggest tree, secretly bring it into the house, and decorate it at night so that I could see the “magic” in the morning.

These moments remain in my memory as the warmest and happiest memories of my childhood.»