Maria Ulyanova on Role as Nagiyev's Daughter in Kitchen Sequel
The actress is now 31 years old.
If you«ve watched the series »Kitchen,« you»re likely familiar with its spin-off — «Kitchen: The War for the Hotel.» Dmitry Nagiyev«s daughter in this project was played by Maria Ulyanova. It was this role that brought the actress popularity.
The photo shows a young Maria.
«My very first day of filming started right away with scenes with the star — Dmitry Nagiyev. It was a difficult and nerve-wracking situation, but Dmitry turned out to be an excellent partner and helped me a lot. My Varya is a new character, and she had to be both feminine and sexy, and at the same time a bit of a tomboy with a slouch. I think it all worked out,» the girl said about working on «Kitchen» in one of her interviews.
Not giving up — is what Maria learned from her mother.
116.RU tells how the young actress got into the series.
Maria in the series «Major Grom».
Grew Up Without a Father
The series «Explosion» — Maria played one of the main heroines.
Maria Ulyanova was born in the capital of the republic on 16 March 1994; she is now 31. Maria was raised by her mother and grandmother, and she never saw her own father. Perhaps this is why she managed to embody her character so organically on screen.
Maria in the series «Phantom» — she plays the wife of the main character, investigator Shmelev.
«Over the years, I met other girls — just like me. And women who became mothers without a »second parent« around. Strong. Amazing. Heroic not because they wanted to be, but because they had no choice. My mother is one of them. She worked. Managed. Loved. Got tired. And got up again,» Maria wrote about her mother.
The series «Kitchen: The War for the Hotel».
From childhood, the girl was drawn to creativity: she studied dancing and ballet. After school, she decided to connect her life with acting and set off to conquer Moscow. There, Ulyanova entered GITIS (the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts) into the course of artistic director Alexei Borodin.
Maria«s character turned out to be alive and real.
«I came from Kazan, where the theatrical life was quieter, and theater seemed like something archaic. And here — it was as if windows were flung open,» she shared on her social media.
The series «Night After Graduation».
During her studies at the institute, she was often offered film roles, but after receiving her diploma, the industry«s interest noticeably waned. After graduation, a small lull set in in Ulyanova»s career. Maria chose between theater and cinema and in the end continued to audition for film roles anyway.
The series «SanyaFedya».
Later, when the actress had already become known, she enrolled at VGIK (the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after Gerasimov) to get additional directing education. In one interview, Maria admitted that for her graduation project based on Ivan Bunin«s story »In Paris« she would like to have Nagiyev. But she hasn»t finished her studies yet.
Maria with her husband Dmitry and son Sasha.
Roles and Popularity
Maria prefers not to talk about her personal life.
Her film debut was the role of a cashier in the short film «Major Grom.» Her second work was the film «Night After Graduation.» Subsequently, Ulyanova appeared on screen for a long time mainly in episodic roles.
The actress even runs marathons.
She played one of the lead roles for the first time in the crime drama «Explosion.» At the time of filming, Maria was a student, but the film itself was released later. In 2019, the actress starred in the series «Teachers» and «Phantom,» and from 2018 to 2020 she appeared in the project «SanyaFedya» alongside well-known actors from «Kitchen.»
Maria tries to keep a balance between work and personal life.
Real popularity came to Maria with the series «Kitchen: The War for the Hotel,» where she played Varya. In the plot, her character tries to build a relationship with a father who did not take part in her upbringing. Working with Nagiyev left the actress with exclusively positive impressions — she called him a true professional.
The actress often shares photos and videos from her daily life.
«I really love bright, borderline roles. When they ask me about a dream role, I always answer that I love roles of resistance, something on the edge, when it»s unclear if it«s a bad character or a good one, but so alive and real,» the actress said.
Maria travels a lot.
After «Kitchen,» Ulyanova was invited to the projects «Fitness-2,» «Walks with Death,» and «Siskin.» She approaches her roles with maximum responsibility: for example, for the image of a criminal in «Siskin,» Maria studied psychological literature to delve deeper into the heroine«s character.
In 2021, the actress starred in the comedy «Love During Non-Working Weeks,» and later appeared in Danila Kozlovsky«s film »Chernobyl.« In 2022, Ulyanova played a journalist in the mini-series »Ask Martha.«
That same year, she participated in the reality show «Fort Boyard» — a project she had dreamed of being in since childhood. Interestingly, Maria has almost no phobias and was ready to volunteer for many of the challenges.
Family and Personal Life
Maria is married; in 2022 she gave birth to a son, Sasha. Her husband — Dmitry Khristokyan — works as a software specialist and is four years older than Maria. Dmitry loves extreme sports: skydiving, surfing, water skiing.
The couple does not disclose the story of how they met. They first appeared together in public in November 2019 at the premiere of the series «Kitchen: The War for the Hotel.»
The actress gave birth in Turkey. She returned to shape quite quickly: according to her, thanks to eating right, exercising, and doing yoga during her pregnancy.
«I like how I look, I don»t put myself on diets or crash weight loss plans. That«s stress for the body, which you»ll have to pay for sooner or later. I just try to watch my health, eat small portions 4 times a day, only when I feel hungry, and don«t eat at night. I go to the gym every day. At least, I try not to skip a day. If I can»t, I work out at home for half an hour,« the actress said about her attitude to sports.
What Now?
Today, Maria Ulyanova continues to work in film, combining filming with motherhood. In 2024, she appeared in one of the lead roles in the melodrama «How to Save a Woman in Love.»
She is also filming in the series «Teacher of the Year,» which will be released in 2026. According to the script, the main character is the author of a successful blog. At the peak of popularity, a tragedy occurred, which left him in a wheelchair. This crushed him, but he didn«t give up and decided to get a job at an ordinary school. Who exactly Ulyanova will play in the film is not yet clear; it»s only known that her character«s name is Katya.
In addition, Maria works as a host and conducts events — holidays, weddings, and corporate parties. The cost is discussed upon request.
Maria also earns additional income from renting out an apartment on Patriarch«s Ponds in Moscow.
In her free time, Ulyanova runs small lifestyle blogs, where she shows herself in several roles at once — actress, mom, and hedonist (as written in her profile header). She has a personal blog and a separate one — a motherhood blog. In her personal one, she publishes her photos, shots with her child, talks about everyday life, and shares travel videos.
In her motherhood blog, Maria writes honestly about her anxieties and experiences. For example, from her posts, it«s known that she considers herself an anxious mom and only recently sent her son to kindergarten.
«Caution, I inspire motherhood,» is written in her social media.
Furthermore, the actress often writes short plays on topics that concern her, scripts, and shares them with her followers.
