Ksenia Sobchak: biography
Ksenia Sobchak is one of the most famous and bright TV personalities and social activists. Many show-business stars would hate the idea to be the subject of her sharp discussions. Having begun to be spoken about in Russian tabloids, Ksenia Sobchak did not try to excuse herself – on the contrary, she was stirring up public interest. She has always been attracted to the extraordinary. She can stand out, and she always does. That is why her biography and personal life are in the center of the audience’s attention.
Ksenia Sobchak was born on November 5, 1981, into a wealthy family. Ksenia’s father Anatoly Sobchak was the mayor of St. Petersburg in 1991-1996, the mother Lyudmila Borisovna Narusova who is a historian by training. The mother’s university friend became the girl’s godmother, and her godfather is the Minister of Alexander Nevsky Lavra father Gury.
In her childhood, Ksenia had a lot of attention; she had painting classes at Hermitage and ballet classes at Mariinsky Theater. Ksusha was not an obedient child either at school or at home. Her parents admitted that it was difficult to bright their daughter up. For some time, Ksenia Sobchak went to the school with intensive study of the English language. She finished the school attached to the Herzen University.
The family status and the father’s high position contributed to the peculiar atmosphere in the house. Ksenia Sobchak grew up as a child of a politician, and she does not deny it. Heated arguments and debates concerning serious political issues and high-ranked people’s presence made an impact on the girl and developed her mind. It is interesting that such significant political figures as Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev used to work under Anatoly Sobchak’s leadership.
In 1998, Ksenia entered Saint Petersburg State University, School of International Relations. In 2000, she moved to Moscow and transferred to Moscow State Institute of International Relations. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in 2002, and in 2004, she graduated the Master’s Degree Program in Political Sciences with honors. Sobchak speaks Spanish, French, and English.
TV and journalism
Ksenia Sobchak’s TV biography started in 2004. Together with Ksenia Borodina, she became the host of the famous reality show “Dom-2.” The project brought her great popularity and thousands of fans. In 2012, Ksusha decided not to extend the contract and left the project to the show host Olga Buzova.
2007 was successful in terms of her singing career: she starred in Timati’s music video “Dance.” In the same year, tabloids burst with the photos of their “warm” relationship.
In 2010, Sobchak was the host of the TV program “Freedom of Thought” on Channel 5. In that year, she also took part in the program “Girls” but left it with the scandal because “Russian women cannot laugh at themselves.” 2011-2012 are marked with the participation in the show “Russia’s Next Top Model” as a host. Irina Shayk changed her later. It is wonderful that Sobchak’s participation always increases show ratings – it seemed that many people viewed her in a negative light.
Throughout her career, the socialite hosted the programs “Who Does Not Want to Be a Millionaire?” on TNT, “Sweet Life of a Blonde” on MUZ TV, “Last Hero-6” on Channel 1. Ksusha appeared in the Euroset ad, was the host of the Muz-TV Music Awards together with Ivan Urgant, and hosted the program “Two Stars.”
Due to her scandalous career, Ksenia Sobchak’s character has been mentioned in the Russian version of the game “World of Warcraft” – the character has a nickname “Psenia Kobchak” which is compared to the character “Haris Pilton” (Paris Hilton) to whom Sobchak has always been compared.
In 2015, Ksenia Sobchak became the TV host of the culinary show “Restaurant Battle” on Channel Friday. The authors of the project decided that the scandalously famous star would become “a storm” for the national restaurants and bring emotions to the show.
In 2016, Ksenia Anatolyevna continued to host the show “Sobchak Live” that was aired on the channel “Rain.” She invited many famous guests, such as Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Alla Pugacheva, Scarlett Johansson, Ivan Okhlobystin, Timati, Milla Jovovich, and others. Besides, the socialite is the chief editor of the French fashion magazine.
Movies
Apart from TV projects, Ksenia Sobchak’s biography is also notable for movies. Her movie debut took place in 2004 in “Thieves and Prostitutes.” In 2007, the beginning actress starred in the popular “The Best Movie.” This was the first time the Channel TNT and Comedy Club collaborated.
In 2008, Sobchak played Hitler’s lover in the movie “Hitler Goes Kaput!” and appeared in episodes in the movies “Europe-Asia,” “Nobody Knows Sex-2,” and “Artifact.” In 2012-2013, the actress played several roles in “Company Party” with Nikolay Naumov, the black comedy “Entropiya” in which she had the leading role of producer Pasha, and the documentary “Term” that described the events after the Russian presidential elections in 2012.
For the audience, the famous TV host’s activities are sometimes less interesting than her talent to get into various scandals. In 2008, Sobchak had an argument with the radio “Mayak” host Katya Gordon, and the girl was fired. The scandal with Anastasia Volochkova that lasts for approximately 10 years is also vivid.
There is no particular moment when the ballet dancer and socialite began their conflict, but both of them continue to dishonor each other when the opportunity occurs. In 2013, the popular TV host began “cold war” with her former friend Tina Kandelaki. Suddenly, the women had different opinions about life, and the arguments appear on social networks and TV even today.
In 2015, the religious scandal with Ksenia took place. The Investigative Committee of Russia in Moscow started the examination of Sobchak’s case because the journalist had posted a photo of herself wearing the priest’s clothes on Instagram. The insult to the feelings of believers case was not proceeded, but this photo was discussed in the media and online for a long time.
Even neutral and innocent Sobchak’s ideas on Twitter provoke scandals. The quotes from poems and her TV host schedule become the subjects of discussions.
Books
The TV host and interviewer is the author of 5 books. In 2008, she presented the books “Masks, glitter, hair curlers. Beauty Alphabet” and “Stylish Tricks of Ksenia Sobchak” in which she described clothes and make-up styles. In 2009, in co-authorship with Oksana Robski, she published the so-called textbook “A woman for a millionaire, or a high-class marriage.” The book “Philosophy in the Boudoir” was also released in co-authorship with Ksenia Sokolova.
Another book in which Ksenia’s writing talent manifested itself is “A Dork’s Encyclopedia.” Just as the author, the literature provokes many emotions among readers and controversial criticism. Some admit that Sobchak was a good satirist, others do not recommend reading the book. The only thing that remains the same is that Ksenia Sobchak’s works attract the wide audience’s attention.
Political life
In addition to all achievements of this bright person, she is notable for her social activism. It became obvious after the presidental elections in 2012 were held and Vladimir Putin took up this position. At the end of 2011, after the elections for the State Duma, Ksenia was included into the radio station “Echo of Moscow” list of the most influential Russian women.
Sobchak takes part in numerous meetings including “For Honest Elections.” The measures that the authorities took in relation to the social turbulence allowed to arrest Ksenia and her colleague Alexey Navalny. However, it did not stop the activist: she was seen at other opposition meetings.
These events had a negative effect on Ksenia’s TV career. She was excluded from the list of the anniversary ceremony Muz-TV Music Awards hosts. Besides, Sobchak’s apartment was searched, and a large sum of money was confiscated. The TV personality announced it was the come-back of the repression country. At the conclusion of the audit, the money was returned to its owner.
Personal life
The journalist has always been in the center of the media attention. Ksenia Sobchak is of average height (170 cm) and her features are spirited, but her ill-wishers frequently get to the woman’s appearance and compare her to a horse during Sobchak’s social and political position discussion.
Sometimes, Ksenia is reproached with her nationality: in 2013, Sobchak officially announced her grandfather had Jewish roots.
These accusations do not interfere with Sobchak’s personal life. She does not keep in secret that her family and love relationships have been far from perfect. As she confessed, at 17, she left the house and lived in a civil marriage with a man who supported her financially. Today, Ksenia neither boasts with her relationships not disguises them. As she says, “there were some men, there were some affairs.”
In 2005, Ksenia was going to marry the businessman Alexander Shusterovich, but in several days before the wedding, the young woman called off the ceremony.
On November 16, 2011, the former State Duma Deputy Sergey Kapkov declared his love for Ksenia publicly on the program “Let Them Talk.” In a year, the couple broke up.
In summer 2012, the media actively discussed the relationship between Sobchak and the politician Ilya Yashin. In their interview to the channel “Rain,” the young people confirmed they were dating, but six months later, they split up.
On February 1, 2013, out of a sudden, the media announced Ksenia Sobchak and actor and director Maxim Vitorgan’s wedding. At the movie premiere that took place in one of the Moscow movie theaters, the audience could lean this news about this crowning moment in Ksenia Sobchak’s personal life. Despite numerous discussions and rumors about their divorce, Ksenia enjoys the happy and long-awaited family life.
Present days
In summer 2016, the press reported about the new baby in the family. In June 2016, Sobchak confirmed it. The unprecedented discussions took place in the media and on social networks. Some even organized a totalizator in which it was suggested to “earn” if Ksenia’s child gender will correspond to the bet.
In November, it was known that the son was born in the elite Moscow regional hospital “Lapino.” The rumors and speculations about Sobchak’s personal life did not stop. The Internet community and media remember the TV personality’s ex-boyfriends and short-term relationships and suggest the new family will eventually break up. Despite the ill-wishers’ prophecies, today, Ksenia happily lives with her family: the husband and the son Platon.
Candidate for presidency
In October 2017, Ksenia Sobchak announced she was going to take part in the Presidential Elections in 2018. Not long before the official announcement, “Vedomosti” reported that a woman was going to participate in the future elections. To establish her intentions, Sobchak wrote an open letter to the “Vedomosti” editorial office in which she explained that she was doing this not for the sake of PR, but because she could no longer remain silent.
Ksenia Sobchak realizes her position is weak. In the official letter, she called herself the column “against all.” The TV personality encourages to vote for her as the alternative to boycotting the elections for those who get sick of the same faces in voting papers that remain the same for years. In Sobchak’s opinion, the boycott implies a person rejects their own civil rights and helps ballot-rigging. For this reason, the TV personality decided to offer herself as a candidate.
In the open letter, Ksenia also explained why she should play such an extravagant pre-election role. Sobchak does not belong to any political party, and her ideological position is not rigid. As she said, it is important for her that “the all-round thievery stopped, the real politics and the authorities subject to free people’s will appeared.”
As Ksenia states, another reason to show one’s protest by means of her name is that she does not live on state finances in comparison with her colleagues from the opposition.
Sobchak does not propagandize a revolution. She can deal with both liberal opposition and the official authorities. The fact that Ksenia is a woman implies she is ready to work on the issues of the jobs forbidden for women and equal wages. A half of the country’s population will have the opportunity to have their own – female – voice in these elections. The full text of Ksenia Sobchak’s address to the voters with her political ideas explained is posted on the official website of “Vedomosti.”
Ksenia’s political team includes the media manager Demian Kudryavcev, political consultant Vitali Shklyarov, and economist Vladislav Inozemtsev. Ksenia Sobchak has recorded a video for the press conference in which she, as the candidate for presidency, insists to set free political prisoners.
To a large extent, Ksenia Sobchak’s running for the post of president provoked an ambiguous reaction because she herself encourages such a response. As she admits, her actions are often subject to the “liberal friend’s” attacks and official institutes’ speculations – they try to compromise her.
With all that, “Vedomosti” published the article in which an anonymous source close to the president’s administration called Ksenia “an ideal candidate.” This rumor gave the opposition the opportunity to accuse Ksenia Sobchak of the double game.
Alexey Navalny criticized Sobchak’s decision to take part in the presidential elections and called his possible rival the caricature liberal with cannibal views. In response, the journalist accused the oppositionist of leadership mania and hypocrisy.
Media personalities did not ignore this news. For example, Maxim Galkin recommended Sobchak to take to her team scandalous figures: Sergey Mavrodi, Slava KPSS, Aleksey Panin, Sergey Shnurov, Ksenia Borodina, Diana Shurygina, and others.
Projects
- 2004-2012 – “Dom-2” (“House-2”)
- 2008 – “Who Does Not Want to Be a Millionaire”
- 2008-2009 – “Last Hero-6”
- 2008-2017 – “Barabaka’s weekdays” (the title has been changed to “Barabaka and Gray Wolf”)
- 2010 – “Freedom of Thought”
- 2011-2012 – “Russia’s Next Top Model”
- 2011 – “Let’s Get Married!”
- 2012-2017 – “Sobchak Live”
- 2012 – “State Dept with Ksenia Sobchak”
- 2012 – “The Main Topic”
- 2013-2014 – “The Bargain”
- 2015 – “Restaurant Battle”
- 2017 – “New Star Factory”
- 2017 – “New Russian Sensations”
