Russian cinema is undergoing an active generational change, with new names and faces appearing on the horizon that are worth following now.
Some of them are already shining in leading roles in major films and TV series, while others have yet to fully blossom. Here are 15 future stars of Russian cinema according to "After the Credits" and comments about their attitude to cinema from the list participants themselves.
Maria Matsel
Notable roles: "Vacation in October", "Sasha's Country"
A native of Minsk, she has been on stage and behind the camera since the age of 10, and by 2020 she could be seen in the acclaimed series "Dyatlov Pass". Her star shone in full force after the film "Sasha's Country", where Maria starred alongside the "Russian Timothée Chalamet" Mark Eidelstein. The film itself was a participant at the Berlinale, and after that, Matsel's career took off.
Now the girl with the hypnotic gaze is actively being invited to leading roles in major series and art-house films. Most often these are vivid types of rebels, dreamers, and intelligent girls. Directors are not shy about using the fact that the actress sings beautifully, which she clearly demonstrated in . And here is what Maria herself says about her attitude to cinema.
On October 26, "Vacation in October" is released, another attempt by Roman Mikhailov to combine dreams and reality on screen.
Open material– Why did you choose cinema?
Since childhood, I loved watching movies, and it always seemed to me that cinema is some kind of miracle and a portal through which you can get into another world. Who among us didn't want to be a wizard as a child, to work miracles?! This profession seemed to me the closest to a wizard, probably why I chose it. But why cinema chose me is a question I cannot yet answer.
– What do you love most about your profession?
The most important thing for me is people. That I can meet new people, get to know cool talented guys. Each project for me is new people who teach me something, and I hope I also teach them something.
Oleg Chugunov
Notable roles: "Major Grom: Plague Doctor", "Legacy"
Young, talented and hardworking Oleg Chugunov has been in cinema since the age of 9. He became known to the mass audience thanks to the box office horror "Yaga. Nightmare of the Dark Forest" and the first Russian comic book film .
"Major Grom: Plague Doctor" is a Russian comic book film that succeeded.
Open materialNow Chugunov has over 50 projects to his name, where he has tried on images of teenagers of various types, demonstrated vocals, and proven that he has a great and bright future in domestic cinema (and maybe not only in it). Oleg is eagerly invited both to blockbusters like "The Last Bogatyr" and to more intimate auteur cinema, like Roman Mikhailov's . It's time to add him to the list of names to watch.
"Legacy" is not just a movie, it is visual poetry that speaks the language of feelings and metaphors.
Open materialAngelina Strechina
Notable roles: "The Food Block", "Mr. Knockout"
One of the main beauties and hard workers of modern domestic cinema, Angelina Strechina has been actively acting in films and TV series since 2015. During this time, her filmography has been supplemented with such landmark projects as "Molodezhka", "House Arrest", "Trigger", and of course, "The Food Block".
Angelina grew up in a family of choreographers and graduated from ballet school, so she often dances on screen. However, she never fixates on one role and tries something new with each subsequent role. Therefore, she has both lyrical melodramas, costume series, and more modern projects. And it seems that this is only the beginning of a big career, where the main role is still ahead.
– Why did you choose cinema?
I didn't choose, no one gave me a choice. Luck, coincidences, people, diligence – and I'm in cinema. That's if we talk in the context of "theater or cinema", although now I'm both there and there.
– What do you love most about your profession?
Most of all, I love that moment when the scene is rehearsed, invented and thought out, and in the next take, magic happens. As if there was no text, no mise-en-scène was built, and you and your partners feel for the first time how the event happens here and now. And it's no longer you, but your character who is living some new turn in his life. It's amazing!
Valentina Lyapina
Notable roles: "Young Man", "Zhiza"
The rapidly growing demand for Valentina Lyapina suggests that in the coming years we will see her more and more often. But even now, the native of Moscow has over 50 projects (current and planned) to her name.
Due to her young age and corresponding appearance, the actress still gets mostly teenage roles. And the brightest of them Lyapina embodied in the youth series about the 90s era "Peace! Friendship! Gum!", the film about orphanage children "Zhiza", and the comedy "Young Man", where her co-stars were Danila Kozlovsky and Pavel Tabakov. If the girl manages to make a smooth transition from the role of a film teenager to more adult images, then we will witness the birth of a supernova star of domestic cinema.
Andrey Galchenko
Notable roles: "May I Address You"
We haven't seen Andrey Galchenko in cinema as often as most other list participants, but in 2023 he loudly announced himself in the project "May I Address You" from the streaming service "Ivi". And the application for future success turned out to be more than convincing.
In the series about a werewolf, Galchenko demonstrated a wide range of acting abilities: he deftly handles comedic scenes, is not afraid to be touching and vulnerable, and when necessary, looks quite appropriate in action episodes. Andrey's creative potential is also evidenced by how he treats his work.
– Why did you choose cinema?
I never thought I would ever act in movies. I grew up in the theater, watching what was happening from behind the scenes. This world became even more magical and attractive to me. I loved watching movies as a viewer, not understanding how it was done, what was behind the camera, and most importantly, how it applied to me. But after a while, deciding to try to look there, I realized how interesting it is.
All my childhood games, when you absolutely believe in everything that happens to you, can be anyone in absolutely real time and space, continued precisely thanks to that support in the form of realism that reinforces your imagination. This is what cinema can give you. Because in the theater, everything is built solely on the imagination of the artist, the viewer, and the atmosphere (also, in its own way, unique and unrepeatable). In one world, you go through the story from beginning to end live, in the other, your task is to go through part of it, but so that in the end it all adds up to a whole line.
– What do you love most about your profession?
Putting lines together, discovering new things, solving these puzzles, and then diving into it, coming back and solving again. It reminds me of the work of an investigator or an interviewer. And this is my favorite activity in the world.
Daria Vereshchagina
Notable roles: "Sex. Before and After", "We Only Dream of Sleep"
Alisa Selezneva and Red Fury – with such a list of upcoming roles, it's hard not to be among the 15 future stars of Russian cinema. And if you haven't heard of Daria Vereshchagina yet, it's time to learn about her.
A native of Minsk and a graduate of GITIS, she took up acting because of her love for Jim Carrey , and her first major projects began to be released in 2023. You can appreciate Vereshchagina's skill by watching the series by Daria Moroz . For the rest, we have yet to understand what gem the creators of "A Hundred Years Ahead" and the Bubble cinematic universe have found. And frankly, this process is intriguing!
On October 12, the series "Sex. Before and After" starts on Okko. Read about how Daria Moroz's debut project as a director turned out in our article.
Open materialDenis Prytkov
Notable roles: "Kapelnik", "Insomnia"
Professional dramatic theater and film actor Denis Prytkov has already worked with Gosha Kutsenko, Irina Starshenbaum, Alexander Ustyugov, Nikita Volkov and other successful and famous artists, from whom he gained experience to one day become a great performer himself.
Starting, as usual, with episodic roles, in 2022 Prytkov announced himself loudly by starring in the lead role in the series "Kapelnik". This show tells the story of a Moscow anesthesiologist who agrees to illegal work – sobering up celebrities who have overdone it with alcohol and drugs. To better immerse himself in the role, the actor studied medicine, but that's not even the most important thing. The charm with which Denis fills the frame, the naturalness with which he embodies his character's experiences, give the understanding that we are looking at a person with enormous potential. All that remains is to choose roles wisely.
Veronika Zhukova
Notable roles: "The Eve", "Seagulls"
Young St. Petersburg theater actress Veronika Zhukova is taking her first steps in her film career. But thanks to the charisma she possesses, how she can sing and piercingly look at the viewer through the screen, there is a feeling that very soon these steps will grow into something more, and we will see Zhukova in loud and certainly not stupid cinema.
From the current filmography of the actress, the indie drama stands out , where she not only played the role of the main character's odious friend but also sang the title song. And here is what Veronika herself says about cinema.
On November 10, the tightly knit, extremely harsh and naturalistic debut film by Alisa Erokhina "The Eve" is released. A film woven from clichés and wittily destroying the same clichés
Open material– Why did you choose cinema?
It seems to me that cinema chooses or does not choose you. And you can only wish to be with it, strive for it.
– What do you love most about your profession?
People. Of course, people. An endless and multifaceted flow of thoughts, creativity, different energies, experiences. Each new project is a small life. With its own prosperous or not so prosperous family. Each time from scratch. Whoever you are. You come to the set and are born again. Rebirth without death, such a paradox. I like to go through the mistakes of different people in work, enter situations, work them out without harm and destruction of my own personal life, knowing that perhaps this will help someone else.
Cinema, in general, is an amazing thing. Ruthless and beloved.
Artyom Koshman
Notable roles: "Black Spring", "Headshot"
People started talking seriously about Artyom Koshman after the release of the acclaimed series "Black Spring". The plot of the project tells the story of teenagers who found weapons and revived the tradition of duels. But this is far from the only bright project in the guy's filmography.
A fan of gangster cinema and an avid gamer, he has tried on the images of an esportsman and a troubled teenager, and also tried his hand at comedic roles (for example, in the series "Galya, We're Canceling"). It is this desire to test his strength in different genres and roles that makes Artyom's career potentially very interesting. The actor himself dreams of "playing to the point of heartbreak". And we would also be happy to watch that.
Polina Gukhman
Notable roles: "Frozen Ground", "You're Stupid Yourself"
2023 is the year of Polina Gukhman. A whole series of high-profile projects were released with her participation: from the series "Frozen Ground", where she played the daughter of the heroine Svetlana Khodchenkova, to the sequel of the film "14+", where she had the chance to play with her idol Gleb Kalyuzhny.
Having burst into our cinema at lightning speed, Gukhman has already managed to demonstrate not only natural charm and beauty, but also a large arsenal of acting capabilities. Despite the fact that she mainly plays teenagers (which is not surprising at 17), her characters differ from each other in temperament, behavior, spirit, plasticity. If Polina continues at the same pace, then in the next couple of years everyone who is even slightly interested in Russian cinema will know about her. In the meantime, she can safely be called one of the main teenagers in the country.
Danya Kiselyov
Notable roles: "May I Address You", "Closed Level"
Stately and charismatic Danya Kiselyov combines acting in theater and cinema, where he increasingly appears in leading roles. He particularly shone in the series "May I Address You", where he got the role of a kind of chameleon who deftly adapts to the situation or the person from whom he needs something.
In just a few years of his career, the actor has managed to work with Timur Bekmambetov and his favorite screenlife genre ("I'm Going to Play", the premiere of which took place in Canada), participate in projects such as "Raitsentr" and "Healthy Person", establish himself as a bright and confident young man, and cinema loves such people.
– Why did you choose cinema?
I didn't choose, to be honest. And to say "it chose me" is still too early. I just tried it, it spun me around, I fell in love, began to analyze the laws of the industry, myself and my nature, organicity, went to many auditions, made mistakes and corrected them. The healthiest, most conscious relationship in my life turned out: between me and cinema.
– What do you love most about your profession?
Most of all, I love the moment when the shooting day goes beyond the "12-hour working day", when real magic happens on the set of the project and everyone is doing the same thing. They burn, offer, live this project. This does not always happen, not on every film, but if a match of all film departments happens on set, you feel an incredible atmosphere of creating cinema, unity, which in terms of internal sensations can be called a creative flight.
Alexandra Drozdova
Notable roles: "Soldout", "Stream"
Alexandra Drozdova is another rising star from Minsk, whose career is already filled with interesting roles and notable projects. The artist's transition from theater to cinema is quite smooth, so in the coming years we will obviously see her more often on big and small screens.
One of Drozdova's biggest successes to date is the musical series "Soldout", which won the main prize at the "Pilot" festival. In it, she played the friend of the main character played by Gleb Kalyuzhny and, at the same time, his producer, who must by any means ensure a full house for the artist. In addition, Alexandra managed to try her hand at the horror "Dawn", play an esports player in "The Era of Bears", and participate in another reading of Sherlock Holmes' adventures, and in all cases it was organic and convincing.
Kristina Kucherenko
Notable roles: "Alfa Romeo", "Soldout"
Kristina Kucherenko is a bright and original actress. She is always different: she can be daring, sexy and confident, as in the series "Soldout", where she played the role of a rapper who at one point completely destroys Kalyuzhny's character; she can be a vulnerable embodiment of the fem movement, as in "Alfa Romeo", or even an empress ("The Great"). And this list, as well as the story about the range of Kucherenko's capabilities, can be continued for a very, very long time.
The Muscovite dreams of working with Gaspar Noé, and for interesting roles she is ready to part with long hair, make pink strands or decorate her body with temporary tattoos. And in cinema, she values the opportunity to transform into different people.
– Why did you choose cinema?
Rather, I didn't choose cinema, it chose me. As a child, I was lucky to participate in a film project that determined my future path. There I met my first agent. And after school, I already knew where I planned to go.
– What do you love most about your profession?
Most of all, I like the fact that I can be in someone else's skin a large number of times. Live someone else's life and try different proposed circumstances.
Anastasia Talyzina
Notable roles: "Centaur", "Year of Birth"
Rising star from Moscow Anastasia Talyzina, granddaughter of the famous Valentina Talyzina, made her film debut not so long ago (in 2018, the horror film "The Queen of Spades: Through the Looking Glass" with the actress was released), but then she began to gain such momentum that now she cannot be stopped (and no need!).
In 2023, two major and interesting films with Talyzina's participation were released at once – the thriller , where she kept company with Yura Borisov himself , and the tragicomedy "Year of Birth" by Mikhail Mestetsky , which also featured Borisov. And even though in each of them she was rather in supporting roles, her magnetism allows her to captivate viewers and make them, if not fall in love, then empathize with her heroines. We will follow the career of Anastasia Talyzina and expect that our forecast about her star status will come true 100%.
In wide release is the noir thriller "Centaur", in which Ilya Naishuller enthusiastically retells his favorite films.
Open materialMila Ershova
Notable roles: "Difficult Teenagers", "By Pike's Command"
Mila Ershova is a young theater and film actress from Moscow, rapidly gaining popularity and fans of her talents. From the video by Oleg Trofim to the 2023 box office hit "By Pike's Command" – Mila proves time and again how much the camera loves her, and how much she reciprocates.
One of Ershova's first big roles – the image of drug-addicted Yana from "Difficult Teenagers" – showed that the actress is ready for difficult challenges and is not afraid to be imperfect on screen. The artist can swim and fence, and for her role in she underwent real training in "LisaAlert" – this speaks to the girl's versatility and her thorough approach to work. Therefore, it will not be a big surprise when Mila Ershova's name stands alongside the biggest artists in the country.
"Volunteer's Playlist" is a fresh domestic series that deserves the viewer's attention. Why? Find out from our article.
Open material– Why did you choose cinema?
It seems there are many, many layers with an answer, on a conscious and unconscious level. The first and most obvious is that I sincerely like it, I rejoice like a child at all approvals, I am ready not to sleep, not to eat, just so that the schedules align and I can star in all the projects that are important and valuable to me. Filming really makes me very, very happy. Especially projects that I want to hold on to. In general, I try to only act in such projects.
Next is love for art, the desire to make the viewer fall in love with good cinema that could lead him to important thoughts, make him think about topics that, perhaps, would not have occurred to him otherwise. To help the viewer become a little better.
The next layer is something deep about me, my psychological traumas. About the importance of being seen, heard, approved, chosen.
I think there are many of these layers and you can dig for a long time.
– What do you love most about your profession?
The opportunity to live other lives, and in safe contact to work through my requests and problems. This is an amazing profession, the best.
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