TV host, actress, and socialite Ksenia Sobchak – who some call the “Russian Paris Hilton” – is an unlikely challenger to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tight grip over Russian society.
But Sobchak, 36, whose father Anatoly Sobchak was the first elected mayor of St. Petersburg and one of the framers of Russia’s modern constitution, is a nationally recognized figure in the country, and she’s already made a name for herself among the country’s opposition.
She also attended to the National Prayer Breakfast with President Donald Trump in Washington on February 8 alongside other renowned Russian political figures.
Here’s how Sobchak went from pop culture darling to a straight-talking politician taking on Russia’s authoritarian president:
Ksenia Anatolyevna Sobchak was born into a revered Russian political family on November 5, 1981.
Source: New York Times
Her parents were Anatoly Sobchak and Lyudmila Narusova, both respected liberal St. Petersburg politicians. Ironically, her father was Putin's mentor, and helped him get his start in national politics.
Source: New York Times
Sobchak's childhood was spent attending the famous Heritage Museum art school. She also took ballet classes as the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.
Source: The Famous People
Sobchak studied at a variety of schools, including St. Petersburg State University and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, where she also received a master's degree in politics. During her studies, her father Anatoly passed away in 2000.
Source: The Famous People
She embarked on a career in acting and television soon after finishing her masters, and starred in her first film in 2004. The movie, called "Thieves and Prostitutes", was the true story of her childhood.
Source: IMDb
She also began hosting a variety of popular Russian reality TV shows, including one called Dom-2, which she hosted from 2004 until 2012.
Source: The Moscow Times
During her years building her presence on television, Sobchak's star kept rising. So too did her political inclinations — she began attending rallies in the late 2000s in response to fraud allegations in parliament.
Source: The Associated Press
"I'm Ksenia Sobchak, and I've got something to lose. But I'm here," she said at one rally.
Source: The Associated Press
Around this time, Sobchak also began dating prominent anti-Putin activist Ilya Yashin.
Source: New York Times
In 2012, Sobchak launched a new talk show that would cover important social and political topics. Sobchak interviewed prominent opposition figures on the first episode and had intended to interview Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny next.
Source: RIA.ru
But before she could interview Navalny, the show was abruptly cancelled due to "lack of interest."
Source: RIA.ru
In October 2017, Sobchak officially declared her candidacy for president in the 2018 race. After Navalny was banned from participating in the elections in December, Sobchak became one of the main opposition candidates challenging Putin.
Sources: Business Insider, Washington Post
Sobchak reportedly personally told Putin that she was running against him. Analysts have argued that her family's closeness to Putin has allowed her to get away with a lot more politically than others in the opposition camp.
Source: Vedomosti.ru
In February, Sobchak arrived in Washington and spoke with reporters about the upcoming Russian election in March at the National Press Club. She went on to attend the National Prayer Breakfast with Trump on February 8.
Source: Getty Images
Putin's reign appears untouchable, and he's expected to win his fourth term with ease. But with powerful allies, Sobchak is well positioned to mount an offensive against Russia's elite.
She definitely won't win, at least not this time around, but her prominent position in society makes her an icon for Russians opposed to Putin's authoritarianism.
