Good Lifestyle

Mateshko was born in Gostomel, in an ordinary family, where no one could imagine that little Olya would one day become a popular actress. After school, she submitted documents to VGIK - and she was right. She studied hard, with that tenacity that later became part of her character. In 1969, she received a diploma and ended up at the Dovzhenko Film Studio. Her debut in the film “He and She” was quiet but confident: the directors immediately noticed the new actress...

The casting in Leonid Bykov’s film “Only Old Men Go to Battle” was truly fateful. They say that Mateshko entered the room, smiled - and it became clear: here she was, Zoya, a young pilot of night bombers. There was so much light and fragile determination in that smile that the commission simply had no questions. So Olga became part of a film that, decades later, continues to be watched by millions.

After the success of “Old Men,” she starred in many films, from adventure films to musical ones. The public also remembered her in such works as “D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers”, “The Lost Expedition”, “Golden River”. In the early 80s, she was entrusted with her first big leading role - and the actress, as always, did a brilliant job.

But if the actress’s creative life was bright, her personal life was full of challenges. While still studying, she met her future husband, Alexander Itygilov. They were young, they lacked money, experience, connections, but they had enough love and faith in the future. Soon the young family had a son. They lived modestly but happily until fate dealt a blow from which it was impossible to defend. Due to the Chernobyl disaster, Alexander received a lethal dose of radiation while filming near the plant. A few years later he was gone.

At that time, Olga found herself on the brink: there was almost no work, the pain of loss did not go away. Then she decided to go on a long business trip to the USA - and suddenly felt that she could breathe more freely there. She worked as a sound engineer, then taught, explored a new country without losing touch with the past.

The son lived in America for many years, became a director, and it was he who later brought his mother back to the set - this time in his own projects. However, Olga’s heart always yearned for home. Not long ago she returned to Kyiv. I found new happiness next to the violinist Sergei Ryabtsev. Today, the actress almost never appears in public, because she found the peace and happiness she deserved.