Early years and family Avdotya Smirnova was born to actors
Natalya Rudnaya and
Andrei Smirnov. Her grandfather
Sergey Smirnov was a Soviet writer and historian. Smirnova has been interested in cinema since childhood. When her father forbade her to enter
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, she went to
MSU Philology Department. After three years she transferred to
GITIS, but didn’t finish her studies. In 1987 and 1988, Smirnova worked at
Mosfilm with
Sergei Solovyov, in the meantime performing in punk-rock band
Tupie and contributing to
Urlait samizdat magazine. At age 20, Smirnova married
Arkady Ippolitov and moved to
Leningrad with him. In 1995, she was invited to
Kommersant and emerged as a journalist, she contributed to
Afisha, Vogue,
Seans, and other magazines. For some time in the early 2000s she worked as a speechwriter for
Union of Right Forces and
Anatoly Chubais. Other movies written by Smirnova are
The Stroll (2003),
The Connection (2006),
Gloss (2007),
Fathers and Sons (2008),
9th of May: Personal Perspective. All films met mostly positive responses both by critics and the public.
Director The Connection, released in 2006, became Smirnova's first experience as a director. Her comedy drama
Two Days (2011) collected many awards but was much criticized for romanticizing the state officials as one of the protagonists and main hero in the movie was running for governor's post. In parallel with Smirnova's real life marriage to a top-ranking state official, critics perceived the film as an attempt to whitewash the image of the government employees. In 2012, she released
Kokoko, a movie co-written with
Anna Parmas and directed by Smirnova. The tragicomedy about a Russian museum worker brought its main actress
Anna Mikhalkova the Best Prize for acting at
Kinotavr 2012 and numerous accolades for Smirnova. In 2016, Smirnova became one of the directors of the
Peterburg: only by love cinema almanac, a so-called love letter in a movie form to the
cultural capital of Russia. In 2018, Smirnova released
The Story of a Single Purpose. The script is based on a true story that happened to 38-years old
Leo Tolstoy. In 2021, Smirnova released
Vertinsky—an 8-series film about prominent Russian
chansonnier Alexander Vertinsky. In May 2025, Smirnova staged the play Beyond the Light at the
Gesher Theatre in Tel Aviv. The production is based on a play written by Smirnova together with Stepnova. The premiere was a great success, after which the play toured several cities across Israel. Currently, tours in Europe and the United States are being prepared.
Personal life In 1990, Smirnova gave a birth to a son
Danila Ippolitov with her then-husband
Arkady Ippolitov. Danila had a career in
beach soccer that ended in 2015. He graduated from
Sergey Selyanov's course at the
Saint Petersburg State Institute of Film and Television and currently works as a producer. In 2012, Smirnova launched
Vikhod charity foundation in St Petersburg. The foundation helps people with
ASD in many aspects of their lives, it conducts educational, therapy, art and employment programmes. Since 2012, the foundation grew into a community with its own art studio, orchestra, training apartment of assisted living, etc. In 2012, Smirnova married Russian politician
Anatoly Chubais. In 2014, Smirnova signed an open letter of
KinoSouz in support of Ukraine during the
annexation of Crimea. In 2022, Smirnova signed an open letter to Vladimir Putin demanding to stop the
2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. In March 2022, she left Russia together with her husband Chubais, who resigned from the post of Special Presidential Envoy. == References ==