Good Lifestyle

Everyone remembers granddaughter Zhenya from the series “Matchmakers,” but few people know how her fate turned out. Sofia Stetsenko, who captivated viewers as a child, disappeared from the screens and left Ukraine. Today she is 22, and she lives a completely different life - without cameras, but with the same sparkle in her eyes. She speaks only Ukrainian, works behind the scenes at a movie and is in love with a man who heals trees. What made her run away from fame?

Sofia was born in Kyiv on April 1, 2003 - symbolically, on April Fool's Day. Perhaps that is why since childhood there was something sunny and light about her. Already at the age of five, Sofia performed on the stage of the Fantasy New children's theater, participated in productions, competitions, and got used to the spotlight. The girl was quickly noticed and in 2009 she received the role of Zhenya Kovaleva’s granddaughter in the TV series “Matchmakers.”

The series became incredibly popular throughout the CIS, and Sofia became a public favorite. After the success of “Matchmakers” there were other works: “Solstice”, “I’m near”, “For the sake of love I can do anything”. It seemed that the young actress had a brilliant career ahead of her. But in 2015, Sofia suddenly disappeared from the screens.

Russian tabloids immediately came up with a version: supposedly the girl went to Moscow and entered GITIS. Sofia later laughed about it.

“I never studied in Russia and did not even intend to go there. I was in Moscow once - on the set of New Year’s “Matchmakers”. And I didn’t like it there,” she admitted in an interview.

After 2015, Sofia left Ukraine, but did not renounce it. On the contrary, she began to speak exclusively in Ukrainian, fundamentally abandoning Russian. “Sometimes, when my mother calls and accidentally speaks Russian, I gently correct her: “Mom, dear one, be kind!” says the actress.

The war changed everything. Sofia first moved to Prague - she studied at an acting school there on a scholarship. A year later, fate brought her to Canada, to Toronto. There she still works as an assistant on film sets, helping actors, organizers, and exploring the world of cinema from the other side of the camera.

“Sometimes I miss filming, but now I’m interested in watching the process, and not being the center of attention,” admits Stetsenko.

In Canada, Sofia met a guy who, oddly enough, treats trees - he is an arborist. He is already learning Ukrainian in order to be able to communicate with the family of the woman he loves.

Sofia rarely shows her personal life. Her Instagram has been silent for months - the last post is dated August 2024. No high-profile interviews, no social photos. Just occasional shots of the sky, coffee and a portrait with a smile on her face, photos taken by someone who obviously knows she's happy.

Sofia does not chase fame - she simply lives, loves and does the work she loves.