{{short description|Russian actress}} {{Infobox person | name = Alyona Babenko | image = Алёна Бабенко.jpg | caption = Babenko in 2024 | birth_name = Elena Olegovna Baranova | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|3|31|df=yes}} | birth_place = Kemerovo, RSFSR, USSR | other_names = Alyona | occupation = Actress | alma_mater = Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography | years_active = 1998–present | awards = | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Vitaliy Babenko|end=divorced}} * Eduard Suboch }} | children = 1 ''(with Vitaliy)'' }} '''Alyona Olegovna Babenko''' ({{nee|''' Elena Olegovna Baranova'''}}; {{langx|ru|Алёна Оле́говна Бабе́нко}}; born March 31, 1972) is a Russian film and theater actress, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (2013).<ref name="497-2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.kremlin.ru/acts/bank/37252|title=Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 20 мая 2013 года № 497|author=|work=Site of the President of Russia|date=2013-05-20|language=ru|accessdate=|archiveurl=}}</ref>
==Biography== Elena Baranova, known professionally as Alyona Babenko was born in Kemerovo, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia).
Mother — piano teacher, father Oleg Baranov — an engineer by training. In her childhood she studied in clubs and studios, went to a music school. She participated in festivals, performances and sang in the choir, in the vocal-instrumental ensemble. She dreamed of becoming a ballerina.<ref name="rg">[http://www.rg.ru/2005/07/15/babenko.html Двойная жизнь Алены Бабенко]</ref>
Was a fan of the French singer Edith Piaf.<ref name="rg"/>
Alyona graduated from school in 1988 and entered Tomsk State University in the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics. In her first year, Lena, by announcement, got into the Student Theater of Variety Miniatures. Amateur activities completely enticed her, and for the rest she practically did not have time. After the first course, she tried to enter the Moscow Art Theater to Oleg Tabakov, but failed. In her fifth year, Alena met Vitaly Babenko, a famous television director in Moscow. Alyona left the university and came to live in Moscow. Soon Alyona married Vitaly, and they had a son, Nikita. In Moscow, Alyona kept housekeeping, raised her son. In 2000, Alyona Babenko graduated from VGIK, the course was led by Anatoli Romashin.
Before finishing VGIK, Alyona made her debut in the TV series Kamenskaya, where she starred in several episodes. Best known for starring in Pavel Chukhrai's film ''A Driver for Vera'' (2004), who brought her the Russian film awards Nika<ref>[http://kino-nika.com/page91856.html Лауреаты премии «Ника» на официальном сайте]</ref> and Golden Eagle.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110717061826/http://www.kinoacademy.ru/laureate2004 Лауреаты премии «Золотой Орел» за 2004 год]</ref>
She appeared in the second and third season of the ice show contest ''Ice Age''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Башаров напился и подставил Навку, Тарасова грозила уйти с проекта. Чем запомнился 3-й «Ледниковый период» - 1 октября 2020 - Sport24 |url=https://sport24.ru/news/figureskating/2020-10-01-shou-lednikovyy-period-3-sezon-uchastniki-sudi-video-prokatov-tarasova-basharov-navka |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=sport24.ru |date=October 2020 |language=ru}}</ref>
In 2023 she became the host of the program ''Wait for Me'' on NTV.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-09-28 |title=Стало известно, кто заменил Татьяну Арнтгольц в передаче "Жди меня" |url=https://ria.ru/20230928/babenko-1899215647.html |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=РИА Новости |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Актриса Алена Бабенко сменила Татьяну Арнтгольц в программе «Жди меня» |url=https://www.rbc.ru/life/news/651523ee9a794703f1e7ce57 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=РБК Life}}</ref>
==Personal life== First husband — Vitaliy Babenko, a Russian director and actor (divorced), son Nikita was born in 1992. She has a grandson Teodor.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Я неправильная свекровь": Алена Бабенко рассказала о разводе сына |url=https://www.thevoicemag.ru/stars/news/04-07-2023/ya-nepravilnaya-svekrov-alena-babenko-rasskazala-o-razvode-syna/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=www.thevoicemag.ru |language=ru-RU}}</ref>
Second husband (since 2011) — Eduard Suboch, master of sports in ski jumping from a springboard, businessman.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-06 |title=Алена Бабенко рассказала о секретах долгого брака |url=https://www.vokrug.tv/article/show/16674954041/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=Вокруг.ТВ |language=en}}</ref>
== Public position == In 2014, she signed a collective appeal of cultural figures of the Russian Federation in support of the policy of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in Ukraine and in Crimea.<ref>[http://mkrf.ru/press-tsentr/novosti/ministerstvo/deyateli-kultury-rossii-v-podderzhku-pozitsii-prezidenta-po-ukraine-i-krymu Деятели культуры России — в поддержку позиции Президента по Украине и Крыму] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140311194202/mkrf.ru/press-tsentr/novosti/ministerstvo/deyateli-kultury-rossii-v-podderzhku-pozitsii-prezidenta-po-ukraine-i-krymu |date=2014-03-11 }} // Official website of the Ministry of Culture</ref>
On 21 February 2022, Babenko was awarded the Order of Friendship.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001202202210045?index=3&rangeSize=1 |title=Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 21 февраля 2022 года № 70 «О награждении государственными наградами Российской Федерации» |access-date=2022-02-22 |archive-date=2022-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221233425/http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001202202210045?index=3&rangeSize=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Selected filmography== * ''Kamenskaya'' as Katya (2000) * ''A Driver for Vera'' as Vera Serova (2004) * ''On Upper Maslovka'' as Nina (2006) * ''Andersen. Life Without Love'' as Henriette Wulff / Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (2006) * ''Indi'' as Arina (2007) * ''Jolly Fellows'' as Alvetochka, journalist (2009) * ''High Security Vacation'' as Tatyana Panteleeva (2009) * ''The Photographer'' as Kolya's mother (2014) * ''Flight Crew'' as Margarita (2016) * ''After You're Gone'' as Chiara's mother (2017) * ''Holiday'' as Margarita Voskresenskaya (2019) * ''Doctor Richter'' as Margarita Bestaeva (2019) * ''Vertinsky'' as Elena Pavlovna (2021)
==References== <references/>
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=1461130|name=Alyona Babenko}}
{{Nika Award for Discovery of the Year}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babenko, Alyona}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Russian film actresses Category:Russian stage actresses Category:Russian television actresses Category:Recipients of the Nika Award Category:Merited Artists of the Russian Federation Category:Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography alumni Category:20th-century Russian actresses Category:21st-century Russian actresses Category:People from Kemerovo