Krasnoyarsk mom rejected Italian groom, has no regrets

Almost a year ago, the TV channel “Friday!” aired an episode of the show “Blind Wedding” featuring Krasnoyarsk makeup artist Anastasia Bondareva. The format sparked much discussion around the participant, but Anastasia honestly admits: for her, this story was never about screens or extra attention to herself.

She genuinely hoped to meet her man there — where she couldn«t find him in everyday life. And about how the filming went, what she thought during the blindfolded ceremony, and how hard the final rejection of the groom was for her, Anastasia told NGS24.RU correspondent Tatyana Zarva.

What the show is about and what was shown in the episode

“Blind Wedding” is a format in which two strangers enter into a fictitious marriage, move in together, and spend a whole week sharing a household, deciding at the end whether to stay together or part ways.

The groom for Anastasia was chosen by the organizers. He turned out to be 37-year-old businessman Raffaello Benedettini from Rome, who calls Russia his second homeland.

The ceremony took place with blindfolds — the groom and bride heard each other«s voices before seeing each other»s faces. The couple exchanged rings and a brief kiss, and the show«s host Roman Kagramanov announced that, in case of unforeseen situations, the spouses have a “red button” allowing them to dissolve the fictitious marriage at any moment.

Then came a week of cohabitation: a flight to Krasnoyarsk, meeting Anastasia«s children, a walk through the Central Market where Raffaello haggled with vendors and bought groceries, a trip to the banya, and a video call with the groom»s mother in Italy.

What Anastasia really wanted

A year later, Anastasia admitted that her decision to join the project was driven not by curiosity or a desire to be on screen, but by a very specific hope of meeting someone with whom she could build a life.

— I was really searching, and for me it was a real chance to meet my man, the man of my dreams. I went through casting for six months, a very long time, with many stages. And I went in with the goal: “What if it works out?” Well, what if I can«t meet my man in life, he»s just not out there, but there, he might suddenly appear, — she says.

Moreover, until the ceremony itself, the participant knew nothing about her future husband — she only described her desired image of a man in a questionnaire and hoped expectations would match reality.

— I didn«t know who they»d pick for me until the very moment we stood blindfolded at the ceremony. I hadn«t even heard his voice before that. They recorded us separately; they brought him in, and me in a blindfold, so we couldn»t see or hear each other. We truly met for the first time only at the ceremony, — Anastasia recounts.

She compares the pre-ceremony jitters to preparing for a real wedding: “You feel like you«re at a wedding — preparations, choosing a dress, I went for fittings, picked out a dress. Makeup, bridal preparations, hairstyle — all of it was very exciting.”

Anastasia has two children, and she prepared them in advance for the arrival of a “stepfather.” The boys took the idea of their mom«s new relationship positively, but the filming itself brought mixed feelings.

— I think they worried that their father would see it and maybe lecture them, — the heroine admitted.

After the episode aired, the children faced a real star commotion at school.

— The next day, they came to school as stars. All their classmates had watched it; somehow they found out the show was airing with them. Everyone asked: “Where«s your mom? Is she in Moscow or Italy? Why aren»t you in Italy?” Especially the girls, of course, admired: “Your mom is so beautiful,” — Anastasia recounts.

Liked him as a person, but not as a man

When the blindfold was removed, Anastasia«s expectations about the groom»s appearance were not met. She had hoped to see a taller man, and the fact that her chosen one was a foreigner initially surprised and excited her.

— I understand he«s a foreigner, it»s thrilling, — she admitted in an interview for the episode.

Raffaello, on the contrary, was charmed by the Krasnoyarsk woman from the first minutes and even switched to his native Italian, admiring her looks.

Despite the groom not matching her type, Anastasia decided not to judge by appearance and to get to know him as a person more deeply — after all, it was for this chance that she went on the project.

— It was interesting to get to know him as a person, not to judge by looks, but to get closer, — she explained. Over a week, the heroine admits, it«s impossible to fully know a person, but it»s quite possible to understand whether there«s sympathy and a desire to move forward.

By the end of the week, romantic feelings for Raffaello had not developed, although she liked him as a person. The fact that the groom got along well with her children also brought them closer.

— Still, as a person, he«s good, — says Anastasia. Nevertheless, at the final meeting with the host, she refused him, greatly upsetting the Italian.

He accused her of being mercenary, but later, off-camera, the couple managed to talk calmly and explain themselves.

— He was angry, saying: “You«re mercenary, you used me.” I explained to him: “If I wanted to use you, I»d have said the opposite: «Yes, let»s go to Italy, transfer the house to me,« but I honestly told you »No.« We had a week to get to know each other, at the end of which we were supposed to give our decision. And I gave mine — I voiced a decision that, of course, he didn»t like,” — Anastasia recalls.

Life after the show

After the episode aired, Anastasia«s life changed noticeably: a flood of messages hit her on social media — from potential suitors and long-forgotten acquaintances alike.

— A lot of men started writing that they have a salary of 300 thousand [rubles] — come on, let«s go, — the heroine recalls ironically.

Viewer opinions were divided: part of the audience supported Anastasia«s decision, part sided with the upset groom.

Despite the mixed reaction, Anastasia and Raffaello maintained friendly relations and still correspond.

A year after the episode aired, she still doesn«t regret her decision to join the project.

— It«s a really cool life experience, a cool adventure. It»s like living a whole life in that week. I«m flying, being filmed from all sides — I really felt like a star. By the way, I»m thinking: in a bit of time, I might try some casting again. I liked it; it«s a very interesting experience, — Anastasia admits.

She hasn«t given up her main goal of finding love.

Earlier, NGS24.RU reported on another heroine — a Krasnoyarsk native who tried to build a relationship with a Russian hockey champion. Whether she succeeded — read in this article.