From TV Star to Figure Skater: Yekaterina Starshova's Path
The very Pogovka in Yekaterina Starshova is sometimes unrecognizable today
Yekaterina Starshova, famous for her role as Pogovka in the sitcom Papiny Dochki (Daddy«s Girls), made a sharp career turn: instead of the promised acting future, she chose figure skating. After scoring high on the Unified State Exam, she enrolled in the medical faculty at Moscow State University (MGU), but later dropped out and moved to the United Kingdom, where she now performs in ice shows around the world.
Apparently, if you obediently eat your porridge, you can become a TV star at a young age
A Chance Casting
A pair for figure skaters is often not only about working together
Starshova was born into a family of figure skaters and had been skating since she was three, but she never thought about an acting career. In 2007, a family acquaintance suggested she audition for a new TV series. The directors were looking for a girl to play the youngest sister and chose Katya from hundreds of applicants, seeing in her the perfect Pogovka.
«The fact that I ended up at the casting by chance is true. That happens to me in phases. And the older I get, the more I think that accidents are not accidental,» Starshova shared in an interview.
At five years old, Katya was approved for the role, and the series made her a superstar. The actress herself admitted that at the time she didn«t realize the scale of what was happening: »I was five. I think no one asked me... My only responsibility was to eat the porridge my grandmother made.«
Her grandmother helped her prepare for filming: she read out the lines because Katya couldn«t read yet. In the end, the girl memorized the text of all the characters: »It turned out that I memorized not even my own lines. And everyone on set, I think, loved me very much for that.«
«I Was Annoyed by That Role»
Despite her lack of experience, Starshova«s acting was natural, and her character became the sitcom»s trademark. At the peak of her popularity, the actress«s face appeared in ads for vitamins, chocolate, cosmetics, and toy stores.
Alongside filming, Katya studied at the aesthetics and beauty studio Katyusha, where she developed dance, vocal, and acting skills. «And I had all that there and it probably helped me a lot later when playing Pogovka... I think my responsibility... rather just appeared because I had a lot of things to do and had to be everywhere on time.»
Due to her busy schedule, the actress lacked time for a normal childhood. But financial matters were simple: «Money was handled by my parents. And if I needed something, they always bought it... I had everything I asked for.»
As she grew up, Starshova admitted that the role began to irritate her: «I was annoyed by my role. Especially as a teenager... First, people saw me as a different person, and the real me went unnoticed... Second, I didn»t feel involved, that it was my achievement... And I wanted to be associated with activities I chose for myself.«
Science Instead of Cinema
Starshova became interested in chemistry and biology back in school, striving to prove she could succeed outside the film industry. She decided to study to become a doctor but failed the additional exam at MGU. Then she chose the pharmaceutical faculty, dreaming of laboratory research and drug development.
«I wanted something more serious, strict, responsible... I initially wanted to study to be a doctor, but I had a difficult admission story. I did well on the exam, I had two hundreds in chemistry and biology on the Unified State Exam, but I did poorly on the additional entrance test at MGU,» she said.
However, after a few courses, routine lab work stopped bringing satisfaction. The girl withdrew her documents, honestly admitting to herself: «I just don»t want to go into this field, I«m bored, I want something more alive, more creative.»
Ice and Personal Life
Returning to the ice gave Starshova not only creative fulfillment but also romance. Her skating partner was figure skater Vasily, whom she dated for about six years. Now she prefers not to disclose details of her personal life.
In 2022, the actress moved to the United Kingdom, where she participates in ice shows around the world, including programs at hotels and on cruise ships.
In 2023, she briefly returned to Russia to appear in an episode of the sequel Papiny Dochki. Novye (Daddy«s Girls: New) as the grown-up Polina Vasnetsova. But she doesn»t plan a full return to cinema, feeling more natural on the ice. Starshova doesn«t regret her experience: »I think one shouldn«t try to build a personality from selective experience, but accept all of one»s experience as a whole... And Pogovka is part of me and part of my achievements.«
