Svetlana Khodchenkova

Svetlana Viktorovna Khodchenkova (born 21 January 1983 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR) is a distinguished Russian actress whose career spans film, television, and theater, earning her the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation in 2018. From a young age she briefly worked for a modeling agency before committing to formal acting training, graduating in 2005 from the prestigious Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute under the mentorship of Mikhail Borisovich Borisov. Her breakout role came in Stanislav Govorukhin’s 2003 film Bless the Woman, a performance that secured her a nomination for the Nika Award for Best Actress and marked the beginning of a prolific on‑screen presence. Khodchenkova quickly demonstrated her versatility by portraying the clairvoyant Cassandra in the historical TV series Talisman of Love (2005) and a ballerina in Pavel Sanaev’s Kilometer Zero (2007). In 2008 she was honored with Best Actress at the Polish Film Festival for her work in Little Moscow, further cementing her reputation as a leading talent in Russian cinema. She achieved mainstream popularity with the box‑office successes Love in the Big City (2009) and its sequel Love in the Big City 2 (2010), and later appeared in Office Romance. Our Time (2011). Internationally, Khodchenkova gained recognition for her role as Irina in the critically acclaimed spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and as the antagonist Viper opposite Hugh Jackman in The Wolverine (2013). Continuing her ascent, she starred as Irina the Greek woman in the epic historical action film Viking (2016). Beyond screen work, she remains active on stage, performing in productions such as These Free Butterflies and Love Story with various independent theater projects. Throughout her career, Khodchenkova has balanced artistic ambition with personal milestones, including her marriage to fellow actor Vladimir Yaglych (2005‑2010) and a later brief engagement, while maintaining a private family life.