Childhood and youth
Olesya Zhurakovskaya is from Kiev. She grew up in a family far from art: her father built roads, her mother worked at a sewing company and sewed to order for private clients. The family had two daughters growing up, Olesya the youngest.
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Olesya Zhurakovskaya in childhood with her mother.
At an early age, the girl attended the gymnastics section and showed promise in this sport. Olesya’s acting talent manifested itself in childhood: together with her sister, she organized home theater and circus performances, which brought together the yard children and family.
After finishing the 9th grade, at the insistence of her mother, Olesya Zhurakovskaya entered the light industry technical school to become a sewing production technologist. But soon the girl caught herself thinking that she was in a hurry to go to school because, together with the amateur performance participants, she would appear on the stage of the student theater.
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Olesya Zhurakovskaya without makeup
After graduating from technical school, the Kiev resident went to Moscow and entered a theater university. A friend pushed her to this decision, persuading her to go along with the company. At the entrance exam to RATI-GITIS, Olesya Zhurakovskaya read an excerpt from Nikolai Gogol’s story and sang a Ukrainian folk song. The spontaneous and open girl became a student at the theater institute and studied on the course of Vladimir Andreev.
Olesya showed promise and during her student years she first appeared on the professional stage. After receiving her diploma in 1996, Zhurakovskaya served for 2 years at the N. Ermolova Theater. The girl was distracted from her career by her marriage, which ended after 5 years.
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Actress Olesya Zhurakovskaya
In 2002, Olesya returned to her hometown and joined the troupe of the Kiev Academic Drama and Comedy Theater on the left bank of the Dnieper, in which she plays to this day. Her acting credits include roles in the plays “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, “My Darlings!..” based on the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Alexander Volodin, “It’s not all Maslenitsa for the cat” based on the play by Alexander Ostrovsky and others.
Work in the theater
In total, actress Olesya Zhurakovskaya lived in Moscow for about eight years. The girl worked at the Ermolova Theater for approximately two years, but family circumstances forced her to return to Kyiv. Soon after returning to her hometown, she managed to join the troupe of the Drama and Comedy Theater. Olesya captivated the theater management by demonstrating a scene from Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew.” The final decision to accept her was made when the actress brilliantly coped with a cameo role in her debut production “Sylvia”.
On the stage of her native theater, Zhurakovskaya mainly plays the roles of strong and self-confident heroines, easily manipulating others, always achieving their goals. The best productions with her participation can be listed for a long time, for example, “Romeo and Juliet”, “The Corsican Woman”, “The Rubber Traders”, “26 Rooms”, “It’s not all Maslenitsa for the cat”.
Olesya became famous thanks to cinema and television, but still continues to consider working in the theater the main work of her life.
A television
In the spring of 2009, Olesya participated in the 2nd season of the entertainment show “I Dance for You,” which aired on the Ukrainian channel “1+1.” Alexander Maibenko became the artist’s partner. Zhurakovskaya's African dance, in which she transformed into a dark-skinned girl, left a vivid impression.
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TV presenter Olesya Zhurakovskaya in the show “Weighted and Happy”
In 2012, the actress tried herself on television. For 4 seasons, she was listed as the permanent host of the popular Ukrainian show “Weighted and Happy,” in which participants, under the guidance of professional trainers and nutritionists, struggle with excess weight for several months. Zhurakovskaya oversaw the regular and “Double” seasons. With her participation, episodes of “Battle of Generations” and “Family Season” were filmed.
In the first episodes of the program, Olesya Zhurakovskaya got rid of unnecessary pounds along with the show participants. With a height of 1.76 m, the actress weighed 95 kg. While participating in the project, Olesya lost 30 kg. Fans were delighted with the singer’s slimmer figure.
TV presenter
Olesya Zhurakovskaya, whose films and biography are discussed in the article, is known not only as an actress. In 2012, she was offered to host the show “Weighted and Happy,” which instantly gained popularity among Ukrainian viewers. The idea of the TV project is that its participants must lose excess weight under the supervision of professional nutritionists and trainers.
It is interesting that Olesya not only took on the responsibilities of hosting the show, but also agreed to fight excess weight along with the participants. This allowed her to lose approximately 30 kg in a short period of time.
Movies
A cinematic biography of Olesya Zhurakovskaya started in 1999, when she appeared in an episode of the popular crime action series “Bourgeois’s Birthday.” Four years later, the actress attracted the attention of viewers by starring as housekeeper Lyuska in the New Year's musical “Chasing Two Hares,” which is a remake of the famous 1961 comedy. The film, where Alla Pugacheva, Maxim Galkin and Andrei Danilko played the main roles, was liked by television viewers.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya (shot from the series “Professor in Law”)
In 2006, the premiere of the social comedy with elements of black humor “Professor in Law” took place, where Olesya Zhurakovskaya played Ekaterina Ivanovna, a “retired” moth. In the film, the artist created a bright and comical image without a touch of vulgarity.
In 2009, Zhurakovskaya appeared in the comedy melodrama “The Milkmaid from Khatsapetovka,” starring Kirill Zhandarov, Vladimir Zherebtsov and Evgenia Osipova. Olesya played a heroine named Margarita. In the same year, 4 more projects were released with the participation of the Kiev resident. In the political sitcom “The Inviolables” she played Vera, and in the melodrama “Windows” she played Tom.
Olesya Zheleznyak, Olesya Zhurakovskaya, Tatyana Kravchenko and Lyudmila Artemyeva (shot from the series “Matchmakers”)
Fame came to the artist after the release of the family series “Matchmakers,” beloved by millions of television viewers, in which Olesya Zhurakovskaya appeared in the 4th season in the role of cosmetic consultant Ksenia Pavlovna. In the image of a purposeful and hyperactive businesswoman, the actress looked convincing. She admitted to journalists that she enjoyed working on the set with Lyudmila Artemyeva, Fyodor Dobronravov, Tatyana Kravchenko and Anatoly Vasilyev.
The actress’s filmography also includes dramatic roles. In the mini-series about the Chernobyl tragedy “Moths” Olesya Zhurakovskaya got a bright supporting role. Another drama called “The Last Janissary” was released in 2020. On the set of the historical project, the actress appeared in the company of Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Anatoly Khostikoev and Igor Petrenko. She recreated the image of the imperious passport officer in the television film “I’ll Come Myself,” which also starred Evgenia Loza, Elena Yakovleva, and Alexey Anishchenko.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya (still from the series “Moths”)
In 2020, viewers saw the Kyiv artist in the adventure series “Island”. The premiere took place in February on the TNT channel. The actress appeared in the image of the fake producer Tamara, who “organized” a reality show on a tropical island.
In the same year, a comedy film of Ukrainian cinema called “Relatives” was released on the “1+1” TV channel, where Olesya Zhurakovskaya played Alexander Feklistov and Ekaterina Kisten.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya and Viktor Saraikin (still from the TV series “Relatives”)
Zhurakovskaya refused to film in Russia for political reasons. In an interview with a Ukrainian publication, the artist said that she received an offer to star in a film by Stanislav Govorukhin, but because of his position on Ukraine, she refused the master, although she respects Stanislav Sergeevich as a master.
One of the last bright projects in the repertoire of the Ukrainian performer was the supporting role in the drama “Threads of Fate”, which was released in 2020. The film was created based on the Korean series “Shoes for Cinderella,” which was about twins separated in the hospital. The main cast, along with Zhurakovskaya, included Mila Sivatskaya, Evgenia Rozanova, Oleg Gaas.
Independent adventurer
“Cinema is when there is destiny and something to tell people.” In the television series "Black Sheep". 2010
- So how did your parents let you go to Moscow?
— Before leaving there, I graduated from a light industry technical school: I studied sewing, studied excellently and received an increased scholarship. And at the same time she worked part-time as a sewer and led an amateur dance club in the Kiev Foreign Languages School. My mother and I had an agreement: first I get a profession that will feed me under any government and under any life circumstances, and then do what you want. I have the wisest mother, my most reliable friend.
In general, life has generously gifted me with happiness: I was lucky to be born into a wonderful family - yes, they do not have professorial titles, but there is much more. My father fell in love with my mother in the 4th grade and maintained this love until the end of his life. Dad died at 57, but for almost half a century he loved the same woman. My sister and I grew up in an atmosphere of absolute love, attention, care: we were never pressured, but gently advised and trusted.
Therefore, from the age of 15, I was already an independent person - I earned money and felt independent. Since then, the problem of how to earn a piece of bread has not existed for me: if suddenly something does not work out and no one needs me, I know for sure that I will not be lost. And I have already had such situations.
I entered GITIS right away, but the first six months were very difficult: I didn’t really understand what they wanted from me, I didn’t realize the complexity of the acting profession. I was lucky - I had brilliant teachers, and I left the institute seasoned, ready to work in different genres.
And the work was already waiting - four theaters called me at once: in the South-West, Ermolovsky, Molodezhny - RAMT and the Soviet Army Theater. But since my teacher Vladimir Alekseevich Andreev headed the Ermolova Theater and immediately offered the main role, I accepted the invitation.
True, I only worked in the theater for one season, and then some very striking life circumstances intervened. I married a very influential and very jealous man, but I was forced to separate from him and leave, since it is unknown how this divorce would have ended.
The role of the housekeeper Lyuska in the musical “Chasing Two Hares” was her first success in cinema. 2004
Personal life
After receiving a GITIS diploma in 1996, Olesya Zhurakovskaya married a wealthy Moscow businessman. The man did not allow his young wife to act in films or go on the theater stage. Zhurakovskaya endured 5 years without her favorite business, but in 2001 she divorced her husband and left for Kyiv. There were no children in the marriage.
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Olesya Zhurakovskaya in 2020
Today, the actress does not give detailed answers to journalists’ questions about her personal life, but emphasizes that if she loves, then without reservations or halftones, surrendering to the feeling with all her heart.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya's hobby is traveling. The actress spends two-thirds of her fees on trips around the world. If she is faced with a choice - an item or a journey, she will certainly choose the second. As a child, Olesya’s favorite TV show was the “Travelers Club” program with Yuri Senkevich. In elementary school, a Kiev resident told her classmates about fictitious trips to Spain, describing the country in detail.
I was able to truly travel abroad when I became an adult and earned money for the trip. The actress visited a dozen foreign countries, Spain and saw its beauty in reality. He names Paris, Rome and Barcelona as his favorite cities. In the capital of Catalonia, Olesya found everything she needed for happiness: architecture, the sea, temperamental people and delicious food.
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Olesya Zhurakovskaya on a trip
In November 2020, on the Ukraine TV channel, the artist became a guest of the Alexey Sukhanov Culinary Academy project, where she shared recipes for delicious and healthy dishes that she expertly prepares, and revealed the secrets of her personal life. Olesya Zhurakovskaya spoke about her modeling past and that in her youth she gained weight due to a hormonal disorder that occurred after her divorce from her husband.
The actress admitted that fans do not give her a pass. In a bouquet of flowers presented by one of them, Zhurakovskaya found earrings with diamonds. She is offered marriage on every second date, but Olesya has a loved one next to her, so dozens of men in love have to be refused.
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Olesya Zhurakovskaya in 2020
The actress does not have a sweet tooth; she prefers healthy food, vegetables and fruits. Olesya goes to the gym and dances. He relaxes and gets rid of stress in the company of friends and family, and reads books to take his mind off sad thoughts. For complete happiness, as Olesya Zhurakovskaya admits, she does not have enough children. She has seven godchildren whom she adores, but the dream of her own baby remains.
The actress is very sociable, so she has an active correspondence with friends and fans on Facebook and Instagram. Olesya loves to show photos in national costumes and original outfits, but she avoids taking pictures in a swimsuit.
Personal life of Olesya Zhurakovskaya
At 23, the young beauty graduated from GITIS and immediately married a wealthy businessman. Despite the fact that her husband knew that Olesya dreamed of becoming an actress, he forbade her to go to castings. Resigned to fate, the girl endured it for 5 years, and then decided to get a divorce and return to her native Kyiv.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya's husband forbade her to act in film
They had no children, and the husband understood that they were completely different people, so he did not interfere with the divorce. As Olesya later admitted, her ideal married couple is her parents. They could sit in the kitchen for a long time, admire each other and just communicate.
In all interviews about her personal life, the actress answers vaguely, but emphasizes that if she loves, she gives herself to this person with all her heart. Well, while Olesya is looking for her soulmate, she prefers to travel a lot, so she spends most of her fees on entertainment.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya now
Now the actress is actively filming in Ukraine, but she also has international projects in her repertoire. In 2020, filming of the drama “Donbass” was completed, in the creation of which filmmakers from European countries and Ukraine participated. The performer also appeared in the 2nd season of “The Island”.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya (still from the series “According to the Laws of Wartime”)
In 2020, the artist played the main role in the TV series “Digged the Potion Early on Sunday.” This is a Ukrainian mystical melodrama, which is about the journey of two philologists into the outback, where young people encounter inexplicable phenomena. The film stars Victoria Poltorak, Andrey Land, Dmitry Pchela.
Olesya recreated the image of the protagonist’s mother in the film “How Long I’ve Been Waiting for You.” The son of her heroine experiences the betrayal of his beloved girl. The popular series stars Alexander Mokhov and Evgenia Nokhrina. Zhurakovskaya herself noted in an interview that you shouldn’t let negative emotions into your heart, in order to survive difficult times, you need to get a good night’s sleep and start paying attention to your favorite things.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya and Ekaterina Kovalchuk (still from the series “The Serf”)
Zhurakovskaya recreated the bright national image of the cook Pavlina in the film “The Serf.” This is a picture about a girl Katerina (Katerina Kovalchuk), who, being a peasant, received a full-fledged education at home thanks to her godmother, a noblewoman. The beauty is in an ambivalent position: she is not accepted in any of the classes. Thanks to the peasant revolt, she gains freedom.
Another premiere of the year that took place with the participation of the actress was the melodrama “Mother’s Heart,” in which Olesya Zhurakovskaya played together with Olesya Fattakhova, Ilya Alekseev and Alexei Nagrudny, and the series “Daddy” with Stanislav Boklan and Daria Petrozhitskaya.
Childhood and family of Olesya Zhurakovskaya
Olesya was born on August 13, 1973 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her family can hardly be called wealthy, since her father spent his whole life building roads in his hometown, and her mother spent whole days at a garment factory. After she became pregnant again, the whole family was expecting a boy, but another girl appeared.
Actress Olesya Zhurakovskaya
With the advent of their second daughter, life changed, because because of her fiery character, her parents had a hard time. In addition, in order to provide the children with everything they needed, the mother was forced to sew clothes during non-working hours.
From an early age, Olesya was an active and purposeful girl. She spent most of her time in the yard, playing with the boys and climbing trees. Once the future star even got into a fight. Although, after her parents found out about this, she greatly regretted it.
Olesya Zhurakovskaya's height is 176 cm
Already in her early years, Olesya had the ability to transform into various images. At all holidays, she climbed onto a chair and recited poems with expression or organized real concerts with her sister. Also, until the 9th grade, the girl devoted a lot of time to gymnastics, but was forced to give it up because she entered a technical school.
Filmography
- 2003 – “Chasing two birds with one stone”
- 2006 – “Women’s Tears”
- 2008 – “Adventures on a farm near Dikanka”
- 2008 – “King, Queen, Jack”
- 2009 – “The Milkmaid from Khatsapetovka”
- 2009 – “Intouchable”
- 2010 – “Cinderella with a trailer”
- 2010 – “Black Sheep”
- 2010-2013 – “Matchmakers”
- 2013 – “Moths”
- 2014 – “Husband for an Hour”
- 2016 – “Island”
- 2016 – “Relatives”
- 2018 – “Donbass”
- 2019 – “I dug the potion early on Sunday”
- 2019 – “Serf”
