Sofia from Bolshoy Kamen on Life After 'Pregnant at 16'

Sofia Fomicheva from Bolshoy Kamen, the heroine of the fourth season of the project «Pregnant at 16» (16+) on the Yu TV channel, gave birth on federal television at age 17 and became famous across the country. Now 18, she is married, raising her four-month-old son Timofey, and continues to look confidently to the future.

«Pregnant at 16» is a Russian documentary reality show about underage girls who face early pregnancy and motherhood. Each episode focuses on one story: the expectant mother, her family, relationship with the baby«s father, reactions from others, and challenges with studies, finances, and growing up.

The project shows how teenagers go through childbirth, everyday difficulties, and attempts to build a family, while aiming to draw attention to issues of sex education, reproductive health, and support for young parents.

Sofia«s story from Bolshoy Kamen left a vivid impression on viewers. It began with an unexpected pregnancy and virtually a hostile takeover of the future father»s apartment, continued with domestic conflicts amid constant financial struggles, and ended with an open finale that made the audience ponder the couple«s future. Viewers never found out if they stayed together or broke up, like many other participants in the show.

After the episode aired, the girl didn«t disappear: she continued to share her life on social media, built her own warm community, and became that rare example of a show participant who didn»t fade into the stream of internet events.

Today, Sofia is a young mother, a diligent college student, and an aspiring blogger who is building a family and gradually overcoming the difficulties of adult life with her husband Alexander. In an interview with VLADIVOSTOK1.RU, she talked about how her life changed after participating in the show, how the young mother lives today, and what was left behind the scenes.

— Let«s start with the most important question that worries all viewers of your episode. Are you and Sasha still together?

— Yes, we are together. You could say that everything that happened between us in the episode became the opposite.

— After the episode aired, in the comments you were most often called «pushy» and «aggressive.» And in real life, are you the same — keeping Sasha under your thumb?

— No one keeps him under their thumb! We talk, negotiate, adjust to each other, often against our own interests, yes. Isn«t it the same in other families?

Of course, if it«s necessary and no one else can handle it, I»m ready to take matters into my own hands. But it«s not always like that. In relationships, I try to be soft and understanding when needed, and in some situations, I can be firm and decisive. But I won»t let myself be wronged, that«s for sure, and I won»t allow anyone to push me around.

— Did you ever imagine that one day you«d end up on »Pregnant at 16«? Did you watch this program before pregnancy?

— Of course! I even have an old video — around age 13, my girlfriends and I filmed a parody of «Pregnant at 16» with me in the lead role. Back then, I really dreamed of being on this project. I watched every episode: at six in the evening — that«s it, I»m home, by the TV. I really liked it.

With Sasha, we also turned it on a couple of times, but he always fell asleep. And now, when our fourth season was airing, we watched every single episode together and discussed each one with great pleasure.

Of course, I was the initiator of our participation in the show. The thought that we needed to write to the program came almost immediately after I saw the cherished two lines on the test.

— How did Sasha react?

— He was categorically against it at first. He said: «They»ll fire me from work, it«s cringe, no way.» And I told him: «It»s nothing terrible, we«ll sort it all out.» He still didn«t believe that anyone would come to us from Moscow. We even made a bet. But when the film crew actually arrived and knocked on our apartment door, he was just stunned and said: »I«m shocked… Okay, let»s film.« And that»s how it all started.

— Did you tell your family and friends about the filming in advance, or was it a surprise for them?

— We weren«t allowed to tell anyone anything, but I still posted an announcement about the filming in my Telegram channel. Back then, I had about 600 subscribers, so you could say that all of Bolshoy Kamen knew about the episode from our city long before it aired.

We didn«t spring it on our parents as a surprise, but we didn»t ask for permission either. We presented it as a done deal: the show is happening, and we really need you in it. My mom, of course, didn«t want to be filmed. She said that she and my stepdad would be fired from the factory for this. But the producers talked to her and the management — in the end, she agreed, although she was against it until the last moment. I asked my grandma — she also refused, said she was very shy, stammers on camera, so she»d just babysit Timofey.

— In other seasons, many heroines had their girlfriends on camera. What about you?

— I wanted to bring everyone: Nika, Vasilisa, Sofa, Nadya… In the end, only Nadya actually appeared in the episode — at the discharge from the hospital. She didn«t want to be filmed at all, was shy, like my grandma. She came to pick me up from the hospital, didn»t even know there would be a camera. I said: «Want us to blur you out?» And she: «First show me how I look.»

Vasilisa also refused: said she wouldn«t participate in »such cringe.« Sofa wanted to, but she has work, family matters. Nika couldn»t make it either.

— Sasha«s friend — he literally became the star of the episode — agreed right away?

— Yes, we didn«t even have to persuade Misha. He immediately said: »Yes, of course.« He really helped us out. And he truly became a viewer favorite — everyone adores him. The moment where we»re talking on the stairs, and he «reprimands» me for stealing his friend, went viral on TikTok. They made a rap track out of it! We definitely didn«t expect that.

We wanted to watch the premiere on Yu together, all three of us, but he has work — a drilling rig. So the next day, Timofey and I went to him and recorded his reaction.

— How did he react?

— Oh, Misha just laughed at everything. We even rewatched some moments several times and couldn«t stop laughing.

— Did girls start writing to him in droves after the episode aired? He«s the local favorite now.

— I don«t know, to be honest. But even if they did — it»s all in vain. He«s happily married. He and his wife simply adore our Timofey. Misha can put him to sleep in five minutes! Now, when I»m in Vladivostok for exams, they come over to help Sasha. They come, play with Timofey, and sometimes even take him to their place so Sasha can rest.

— Where does Sasha work now?

— At the factory. He also does side jobs at a warehouse at Pyaterochka. He used to drive a taxi, but now he«s selling the car. We set ourselves the task — to save up money as soon as possible, do renovations, buy out the apartment, sell it, and move to a big private house. We already picked out a house, just need to save up the money.

Many people say: «See, the show changed Sasha.» But it«s not the show — he changed a lot after Timofey was born. There»s an expression «love you to the moon and back» — well, Sasha loves his son even more. He«s ready to do anything, take any steps, just for Timosha to be well.

— The contrast with the first minutes of the episode, where he said he didn«t want a child, is huge, of course.

— Honestly, Sasha is a great dad. He manages. My mom, his mom, grandma help him. Grandma can even call and say: «Sasha, want me to take Timofey for an hour so you can rest?»

— Weren«t you worried that he wouldn»t cope?

— At the beginning, yes, it was hard. At first, Sasha almost didn«t want to help: he was irritated by the crying, diapers — all of it. He was very afraid to hold his son, especially when he was very little. Worried he»d do something wrong.

Over time, everything changed, and I calmly went to study in Vladivostok, leaving our son with Sasha. Once we were talking on the phone, and suddenly Timofey started crying. Sasha immediately said: «That»s it, Sonya, my little son is crying, I«ll go calm him down, then we»ll continue the conversation.« Or another case: one morning my husband told me: »Woke up at six, fed him, and we fell asleep again until ten.«

He loves him so much — honestly, even more than me. He says so himself. I ask: «Who do you love more — me or Timofey?» And he: «Sonya, no offense, but our son — more.»

— How did you handle the role of a young mother? How do you manage to keep your nerves?

— Surprisingly, it wasn«t hard for me. Many say that for my age, I»m a very good mother. When Timofey was born, I couldn«t do anything — neither swaddle nor feed. But somehow it all came naturally: I calmly picked him up, calmly swaddled him, fed him.

As for nights — we got our son used to a routine so he falls asleep at nine in the evening and sleeps until seven in the morning, doesn«t ask for food at night. Sasha taught him to self-soothe, and I kept to the schedule. Now, though, teeth are starting to come in, and he»s waking up again.

— On social media, you openly say that you stopped breastfeeding quite early. Why did that happen? And was there hate because of it?

— Because of the filming, I stopped breastfeeding: from about one and a half months, we switched to formula. About a month after giving birth, Timofey wasn«t getting enough milk. We went to the pediatrician, she said to supplement with formula and advised which one. We bought a very good one that isn»t even available in our Bolshoy Kamen — we drive to a neighboring city for it.

I thought that if my son is on formula, there«s no point in struggling with breastfeeding. Milk kept leaking, it was irritating. I decided to stop. My mom was against it at first, said: »I breastfed you and your brother too, it«s important,» but then she agreed. Said the main thing is that the nutrition suits the child.

And we had another story: my mom brought red caviar to the maternity hospital, I ate some — and Timofey got a bright red rash all over his body. And it lasted a long time — almost two weeks. We didn«t understand what was happening until the pediatrician asked what I ate. When she heard about the caviar, she threw up her hands: »Sonya, but that«s red! On breastfeeding, you can»t have red, orange, or citrus.«

In the end, we fully switched to formula. And honestly, life became much easier: no need to get up at night — the child gets full during the day and sleeps well.

What haters are annoyed by isn«t that I don»t breastfeed, but that I make time for myself: getting manicures, eyelash extensions, going out with friends, hosting live streams. That I look the same as before giving birth. My loved ones believe that a rested and happy mother is the key to the child«s health and happiness, so I»m surrounded by love and care from all sides. And envy is a bad thing.

— Do you remember the moment when you found out you were pregnant?

— Of course, I remember! I had a delay of about a week. Took a test — two lines. Got scared, waited another week, took a second one — one line. I thought it was some hormonal imbalance and calmed down.

Then Sasha was on shift, and I went to a cafe with a girlfriend. She noticed I was craving fish — and I«m generally impossible to make eat fish. I was in shock myself: »Something«s not right…» She says: «Let»s buy a test, see what«s up.»

We bought a test, walked around, came to my place. I take it — and immediately two bright lines. I panic, tears: «What do I do now?» And then it all spun out — you saw everything in the episode.

— Who does Timofey look more like — you or Sasha?

— Like Sasha — 100%. When he was just born, he was so swollen and really looked like Sasha«s dad. Then he started to look like Sasha»s brother, but he wasn«t in the episode, he was on a trip then. And now he»s a spitting image of Sasha. Though my mom says the eye shape is mine.

— Are you planning more children?

— Yes, I want Adeline. I tell Sasha: «Let»s have them close in age.« He — »No, we won«t cope.» I say: «We will.» He — «In six years.» Well, okay, so when Timofey goes to kindergarten.

— What moment from the filming do you remember most?

— Of course, that argument about the second screening, when we found out the gender. The episode showed a softened version. Actually, we argued much more strongly. I wanted a girl, he — a boy. We really had a very harsh disagreement, even the cameraman was shocked.

Sasha went to the garage, and I went alone for the ultrasound, where they told me it would be a boy. Oh, what a hysterical fit I had! I dreamed so much of a daughter — since I was 14, I knew that if it«s a girl, I»d name her Adeline. I call my mom: «Mom! It»s over! Damn! A boy!« And she: »So what? He«ll be a strong boy.» I keep crying, call his mom, she says: «Okay, Sonya, I»ll come pick you up now, just don«t tell Sasha anything yet.»

We get home, Sasha is there. I just say: «We»re having a boy.« He immediately: »What do you mean?!« — and starts jumping for joy, spinning me in his arms, kissing me. He yelled: »I told you it would be a boy!«

— What was the biggest difficulty between you when you were pregnant?

— His habit of leaving. If we argued, even over a small thing, he could just take off and go — for a drive, to calm down. Then he«d come back and act normal. It drove me crazy. And it still does. He explains that he leaves to not escalate the conflict. But I can»t do that — I wouldn«t leave Timofey alone to go somewhere.

— Your wedding rings stirred up the viewers. Many are sure the TV channel bought them for you. Is that true?

— No, of course not! We bought them ourselves. And chose them ourselves. Got them on discount. Mine cost about 50,000 rubles (approximately $550 at current rates), Sasha«s — about 60,000 rubles (approximately $660). Yes, expensive, because they»re copies of Cartier. Mine has a diamond, Sasha«s doesn»t — it has those «minus signs» around, as he says.

Sasha«s mom was against the stone, said »the ring should be smooth so the marriage is smooth.« But I stood my ground: it»s our wedding, and we choose the rings ourselves.

Actually, we don«t wear them now. I bought the ring when I was pregnant — my fingers were swollen, and I got a bigger size. Now it slips off. Sasha»s also became too big for some reason, plus at work it«s forbidden to wear rings for safety reasons.

— How do you manage to keep the family together? Many thought you«d break up even before the episode aired.

— We really did want to get divorced. We had a very difficult period. Just… Sometimes he irritates me to madness. When I went to Vladivostok to study, it became easier — I started missing the two of them more. He misses me too — but it comes in waves for him.

Sometimes he misses me, sometimes he doesn«t, then he misses me again. Like recently, he calls: I hear the washing machine running. I ask: »Are you doing laundry?« And he: »Yes! See? You keep telling me I don«t do laundry. Did the laundry, vacuumed… Just need to buy a dishwasher and a multicooker — and no wife needed.» I told him to get the multicooker from under the sink and said that if that«s the case, then I don»t need a husband either. He immediately: «Okay, Sonya, I was joking.» That«s how we live.

— How do you see your family in five years?

— Definitely with Sasha. We«ll be living in a beautiful, cozy house. We»ll have two children. And I«m sure everything will be fine.

— Haven«t thought about moving to Vladivostok?

— We have. But the traffic jams here are such that it«s hard to live. I»m now living on Fonvizina Street, and under my windows there«s constant traffic on Nekrasovskaya — it»s really irritating. When I go to classes, I«m always late. So for now, we»re staying in Bolshoy Kamen.

— You run an active blog on Telegram. What do you usually tell your subscribers about? Maybe share life hacks, like how to apply for child benefits?

— Actually, I don«t write about benefits. I talk about my life, about motherhood, share thoughts, emotions, just myself. As for government allowances — that»s not for me, because I… don«t receive them. According to the state, we»re apparently too «rich» a family: I«m only 18, I study in college, Sasha is 25 and officially works — and such a family, it turns out, isn»t eligible for support.

To get at least some payment, my mom was registered for maternity leave. She gets the money and sends it to me, but honestly, the amounts are small.

— Do you feel like a star? More fans or haters?

— I wouldn«t say I»m a full-blown celebrity. I«ve formed a very warm and calm community — ordinary girls, pretty much like me: they watch »Pregnant at 16,« love to chat, ask for advice. They write to me anonymously, and I respond with voice messages, videos, photos, or texts.

Haters, of course, exist somewhere, but I just don«t keep them in sight: either delete or ignore. Actually, scammers create much more problems.

— Have you encountered fraud?

— Yes, once my entire channel was stolen. Back then, it had over 11.5 thousand subscribers. A girl wrote to me, introduced herself as a manager, offered collaboration, ads, barter, contracts — all nicely. I agreed, she asked for access, I didn«t even think… And then it turned out it was just a scheme.

She got owner rights, took the channel, started posting money giveaways, collected transfers, created a fake of me. I tried to sort it out, wanted to file a report, but found out she lives in the Czech Republic — where to write, through whom, completely unclear.

At some point, she offered to return the channel, but only if I participated in her fraudulent giveaways. I, naturally, refused. They even threatened to file a report against me, even though the money wasn«t sent to me.

I warned subscribers everywhere, told them it was a fake. She never returned the channel. Had to create a new one, and the girls helped: started spreading the word that I was hacked, bringing people back. Now I«m blogging again, but of course, that story was horrible.

I definitely don«t have managers. Don»t ask anyone to send money, don«t organize giveaways. My only real Telegram channel is private — sofa_vasilenko🤍. You need to submit a request to join. I approve everyone myself.

— And how do you feel about blogging now after all that? Didn«t think about quitting?

— To be honest, it was very upsetting, because I built my first channel from scratch, filmed myself, wrote myself, posted everything, shared my life, and then in one day — bam, and everything was stolen. But then I realized it«s also experience. I became much more cautious. Now I don»t give anyone any access, don«t confirm anything anywhere without Sasha.

— You said other «Pregnant at 16» participants help you. Do you communicate? What do you text about most often?

— Mostly, of course, about children, pregnancies, some advice, about relationships. Sometimes we discuss haters — how to respond, what«s better to delete, what to leave. Sometimes just chat, about who went where, what happened to whom. We have like our own little »mom« hangout, just from TV.

— Are there participants you«re especially close with?

— Yes, of course. Most of all — with Veronika from the first episode of my season, we«re in touch, often call. Then with Yulia, whose boyfriend has fertility issues. From Simferopol, Alina — she»s super. Also Vika, whose child isn«t from the guy who ended up in the episode. With Nadya — she»s that funny redhead.

— And with whom didn«t it work out?

— Well, Eva, whose boyfriend is in a pre-trial detention center — she«s very popular now, and probably because of that, she became all star-like, as if we»re not her equals. She has 100 thousand followers on TikTok — she doesn«t really want to communicate with us. Nastya too, who»s with Andrey — they«re very promoted now, communicate with Eva, but not much with us. But you know, I»m kind of calm about it. We«re all different, and everyone builds their life their own way.

— So there«s no competition among the participants?

— None at all. We don«t compete over who»s more popular. On the contrary, we try not to lose touch. It«s important for us to understand that we»re not alone in this experience. After all, each of us became a mother at a very early age, and only we ourselves know what that really means.