--- title: "From 'Kitchen' and 'Univer' to the Ukrainian stage: how the lives of actors who returned from Russia have changed" description: "Ukrainian actors Kateryna Kuznetsova, Aleksey Gorbunov, Anna Kuzina and others have, since 2022, cut ties with the Russian film industry and returned to working in Ukraine. Styler tells the story of their path." date: 2026-09-16T15:38:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-actors-returned-from-russia-to-ukraine tags: [ukrainian-actors, russian-cinema, kyiv, culture, return-to-ukraine, war] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # From 'Kitchen' and 'Univer' to the Ukrainian stage: how the lives of actors who returned from Russia have changed ![Actors who returned from Russia to the Ukrainian stage against the backdrop of Kyiv's golden domes and the Dnipro River](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/17/ukrainskie-aktery-vernulis-iz-rossii-v-ukrainu/ukrainskie-aktery-vernulis-iz-rossii-v-ukrainu-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - After the start of the full-scale invasion, a number of Ukrainian actors who had been working in Russia refused Russian projects and returned to working in Ukraine or in the diaspora. - Aleksey Gorbunov has refused Russian filming since 2014, and Aleksey Zubkov since 2019; after 2022, Zubkov took part in the defense of the Kyiv region. - Mila Syvatska received a 50-year ban on entering Russia in 2022 for criticizing the invasion and has been living in Spain since 2024. - After evacuating from Russia, Liubava Hreshnova engaged in volunteering and created the first Ukrainian-language charity performances in Europe. Kateryna Kuznetsova, Aleksey Gorbunov, Anna Kuzina, Mila Syvatska, Liubava Hreshnova and Aleksey Zubkov are names that for many years have been closely associated with the Russian film market. The series 'Kitchen', 'Univer', 'Grand', the 'The Last Warrior' franchise, and the films 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'Mebius' made them recognizable to a wide audience. However, after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, these artists decided to cut ties with the Russian industry and return to creative work at home. The outlet Styler has gathered the stories of several such actors and describes how this turning-point choice changed their careers and personal lives. ### From 'Kitchen' and 'Univer' to the Ukrainian stage Kateryna Kuznetsova was born and raised in Kyiv, but lived and worked in Russia for more than a decade, having moved there in the 2010s. She appeared in popular Russian projects, including the series 'Kitchen' and 'The Return of Mukhtar-2'. After the start of the full-scale invasion, the actress turned down new Russian projects, got rid of her property in Moscow and returned to working in Ukrainian productions. Kuznetsova herself has admitted that she regrets not having left Russia back in 2014, explaining that at the time she was focused on her career and did not fully realize the consequences of her choice. Anna Kuzina, also a native of Kyiv, became widely known for her role as Yana Semakina in the Russian series 'Univer'. For a long time she worked on Russian projects, but in the years before the full-scale war she mostly lived and built her career in Kyiv. After the war began, the actress left for France with her young son, while her husband stayed in Ukraine and volunteered in the army. In France, Kuzina worked in a cafe for a while, and then continued to build her professional life abroad. ### Volunteering and theater: Liubava Hreshnova's path Liubava Hreshnova was born in Kharkiv and began appearing in Ukrainian films from her first year at university. In 2012 she moved to Moscow, where she actively developed her career and for a long time was an in-demand actress on the Russian market. In the first days of the full-scale invasion, Hreshnova left Russia together with her husband, the actor Mykhailo Pshenychnyi, and her son. At first she worked as a volunteer at Warsaw station, and then actively collaborated with teams and foundations of Kharkiv volunteers. In April 2022, Hreshnova, together with her husband, independently created the first Ukrainian-language charity performances for children and adults in Europe. After that, her professional life changed: the artist began working on Ukrainian theater projects, touring Ukraine and abroad, and also appearing in films. ### Gorbunov and Zubkov: refusing Russian projects and taking part in the defense Aleksey Gorbunov was born in Kyiv in 1961, and his childhood was spent in the Rusanova district on the left bank of the capital. For many years he actively appeared in Russian films: among his works from this period are 'Sherlock Holmes', 'Mebius', 'Zaletchiki' and the series 'Leningrad-46'. After the start of Russia's aggression in 2014 in Donbas and the annexation of Crimea, Gorbunov announced his refusal to film in Russian projects and focused on working in Ukraine, in particular playing a role in the series 'Guard' about Ukrainian volunteers. In one of his interviews, the actor said that after the Maidan he fully realized that his place was in Ukraine. Aleksey Zubkov has for many years been a recognizable actor who was regularly invited to Russian films and series, which is why some viewers perceived him as a Russian artist. In fact, Zubkov was born in Kyiv, studied at the Kyiv Theater Institute and worked for many years at the Ivan Franko Theatre, never planning to move to Moscow permanently. Since 2019 he has refused to film in Russia, and after the start of the full-scale invasion he took part in the defense of the Kyiv region. In 2025, in one of his interviews, the actor said that he works in theater, appears in films and coordinates the work of a mobile fire group that shoots down 'Shaheds'. ### Mila Syvatska: entry ban and a new life in Spain Mila Syvatska was born and raised in Kyiv, but became known for her work in Russian projects. For several years she lived in Russia and appeared, in particular, in the series 'Grand' and the films of the 'The Last Warrior' franchise. In 2022, due to her public criticism of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, Syvatska was banned from entering Russian territory for 50 years. The actress has openly spoken about rethinking her past and has admitted that she previously put her career first and did not realize all the consequences of working in Russia. Since 2024 she has been living in Spain with her husband, where, according to the outlet, she is preparing to become a mother for the first time. ### Contradictory data The provided materials contain inconsistencies in the spelling of names and in details that should be taken into account when publishing. First, in the Styler text the same actress appears under two variants of her surname β€” 'Syvatska' and 'Sivatska' β€” and in the caption to the collage the name Aleksey Gorbunov is mistakenly given in the feminine form ('Gorbunova'). Second, the audience's perception of Aleksey Zubkov (as a Russian actor) conflicts with the factual data about his Kyiv origins and his work at the Ivan Franko Theatre. Finally, the detail that Mila Syvatska will 'in a few days' become a mother is tied to the time of publication of the material and as of the current date (September 2026) may already be outdated, so it should be updated when reprinting. Taken together, the stories of these artists show a common shift: after 2022, a number of Ukrainian actors whose careers were shaped on the Russian market consciously returned to working in Ukraine or in the diaspora, combining their creative work with volunteer and defense activities. At the same time, each of them evaluates their previous choice differently β€” from open regret to a rethinking of priorities β€” which makes their testimonies an important cross-section of the cultural and civic process. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Kuznetsova and Gorbunov: Ukrainian stars who returned from Russia and gave up their careers in Moscow](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/people/kuznetsova-ta-gorbunov-ukrayinski-zirki-ki-1789572738.html) - ЕдинствСнный прСдоставлСнный источник. ΠšΠ°Ρ€Ρ‚ΠΈΠ½Ρ‹ ΠΏΠ΅Ρ€Π΅Π΅Π·Π΄ΠΎΠ², ΠΎΡ‚ΠΊΠ°Π·Π° ΠΎΡ‚ российских ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΠ΅ΠΊΡ‚ΠΎΠ², волонтСрства ΠΈ Π·Π°ΠΏΡ€Π΅Ρ‚Π° въСзда для Π‘ΠΈΠ²Π°Ρ†ΠΊΠΎΠΉ ΠΈΠ·Π»ΠΎΠΆΠ΅Π½Ρ‹ ΠΏΠΎΡΠ»Π΅Π΄ΠΎΠ²Π°Ρ‚Π΅Π»ΡŒΠ½ΠΎ. ВыявлСны Π²Π½ΡƒΡ‚Ρ€Π΅Π½Π½ΠΈΠ΅ нСстыковки: Π΄Π²Π° Π²Π°Ρ€ΠΈΠ°Π½Ρ‚Π° Ρ„Π°ΠΌΠΈΠ»ΠΈΠΈ Π‘ΠΈΠ²Π°Ρ†ΠΊΠΎΠΉ/Π‘Ρ‹Π²Π°Ρ†ΠΊΠΎΠΉ, ΠΎΠΏΠ΅Ρ‡Π°Ρ‚ΠΊΠ° Β«Π“ΠΎΡ€Π±ΡƒΠ½ΠΎΠ²Π°Β» Π² подписи ΠΊ ΠΊΠΎΠ»Π»Π°ΠΆΡƒ, Π° Ρ‚Π°ΠΊΠΆΠ΅ привязанная ΠΊΠΎ Π²Ρ€Π΅ΠΌΠ΅Π½ΠΈ ΠΏΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΠΊΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ Π΄Π΅Ρ‚Π°Π»ΡŒ ΠΎ Ρ€ΠΎΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ Ρ€Π΅Π±Π΅Π½ΠΊΠ° Ρƒ Π‘ΠΈΠ²Π°Ρ†ΠΊΠΎΠΉ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why did Ukrainian actors give up their careers in Russia? **A:** According to Styler, after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, actors such as Kateryna Kuznetsova, Anna Kuzina and Liubava Hreshnova cut ties with the Russian film industry and returned to working in Ukraine or in the diaspora. Aleksey Gorbunov refused Russian projects as early as 2014, and Aleksey Zubkov since 2019. ### Q: What happened to Mila Syvatska in 2022? **A:** Due to her public criticism of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, Syvatska was banned from entering Russian territory for 50 years. Since 2024 she has been living in Spain with her husband. ### Q: Did these actors take part in the defense of Ukraine? **A:** Yes. After the start of the full-scale invasion, Aleksey Zubkov took part in the defense of the Kyiv region and, according to his 2025 statements, coordinated the work of a mobile fire group. Anna Kuzina was abroad during the war, while her husband stayed in Ukraine and volunteered in the army.