Ukrainian actress and comedienne Irina Soponaru, who recently celebrated her 40th birthday, spoke candidly in an interview with TSN Glamour about her views on motherhood and future plans. The star admitted that she has long been thinking about adopting a child, but does not yet consider herself ready for such a decision. The conversation took place as part of the Styler project by RBC-Ukraine, where Soponaru shared not only her family plans but also how the war has changed her life priorities.
Youth plans that "collapsed"
According to Soponaru, in her youth she envisioned her life completely differently. The actress planned to get married at 22 and give birth to her first child by 25. However, reality turned out differently: she married British national Rhys Baynham at 37, and the couple has no children yet. "And now I'm 40, I'm already married, got married at 37, no children yet. So all these young plans of ours collapsed, at least for me," the artist admitted. At the same time, she emphasized that she does not consider moving abroad for the sake of having a child and continues to live in Kyiv, where she always returns after visiting relatives.
War as the main factor of unpreparedness
Soponaru directly linked her unpreparedness for pregnancy to the constant stress caused by the full-scale war. The actress stated that living in Kyiv "gives some illusion of normality" for her, and she is not yet ready to make a decision about motherhood under the pressure of circumstances. "I don't know, maybe something will change," she added, not ruling out that her views may change over time. Soponaru called the full-scale war the biggest shock in her life, which affected both professional opportunities and personal plans.
The path to motherhood through adoption
Since childhood, Irina dreamed of raising two children — influenced, according to her, by the experience of growing up with her sister. The actress has always considered the possibility of not only giving birth but also adopting a child. "I've always wanted to give birth to one, to adopt one. Especially now, during the war, when you see all these stories that just break your heart. And it seems to me that it would be right to adopt a child overall. But for now, I am not morally ready for this," Soponaru said. When asked if she is ready for adoption if she has no biological children, the artist answered in the affirmative.
Inspiration and regrets on the eve of the anniversary
As an example that inspires her to decide on adoption, Soponaru cited the family of TV presenter Timur Miroshnychenko and his wife Inna, who raise adopted children. "Examples like Timur Miroshnychenko, his wife, inspire me very much. Therefore, I think that everything can be dealt with. If there is a desire," the actress noted. When asked about regrets at 40, she replied that she doesn't like summing up personal results, but admitted: "Well, I probably regret not having a child earlier. Other than that, I don't regret anything." At the same time, Soponaru does not feel significant changes after the anniversary and notes that modern women have significantly more opportunities for self-care and an active lifestyle than previous generations.
