Mashenka 1991, dir. Tamara Pavlyuchenko
Anastasia Zavorotnyuk made a striking screen debut in Tamara Pavlyuchenko’s drama Mashenka, filmed in 1991. The movie adapts Vladimir Nabokov’s first novel of the same name and explores themes of Russian emigration in Berlin and the author’s early romance. The story’s characters would later reappear in Defence of Luzhin. On screen, Zavorotnyuk shared the lead with Anton Yakovlev, a theater director who became artistic director of the Moscow Drama Theater named after NV Gogol in 2022.
Arrival 2002, dir. Vladimir Lyubomudrov
Another major screen moment for the actress arrived with Arrival, a project initially shelved after filming in 1993 due to funding gaps. Zavorotnyuk, then an aspiring theater performer, carried the role as the film eventually completed in 2001. The narrative centers on a former secretary connected to the district committee who sponsors the restoration of a temple he once derided. A critic’s perspective noted the film under the working title The Heir [citation: Sergei Sinyakov, Iskusstvo Kino]. In the story, Zavorotnyuk portrays the daughter of the temple’s priest, drawing the attention of the heir who becomes enamored with her character.
My Fair Nanny 2004 – 2009, created by Peter Marc Jacobson and Fran Drescher
Among the actress’s most impactful roles is her lead in the sitcom My Fair Nanny. The show follows Vika Prutkovskaya, a native of Mariupol who takes a babysitting job in the home of a Moscow music producer, Maxim Shatalin, a widower with three children. Adapted for Russian television from the American series The Nanny, the project also nods to the musical My Fair Lady, a nod to classic cinema with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Zavorotnyuk became a defining presence on Russian TV in the 2000s, a cultural moment that helped anchor her public image beyond her earlier film work [citation: television history notes].
Doomsday Code 2007, dir. Vadim Shmelev
Doomsday Code ventured into high-octane action, a genre less common for Russian cinema but one that briefly broadened Zavorotnyuk’s popularity. The film did not recoup its production costs at the box office. In the plot, she plays an FSB officer who aims to stop a terrorist from detonating nuclear warheads stolen from an American submarine and hidden in major cities around the world. The antagonist is portrayed by Vincent Perez, and the thriller centers on thwarting a global catastrophe.
Gogol. The Nearest 2009, dir. Natalia Bondarchuk
In Gogol: The Nearest, Natalia Bondarchuk’s film, Zavorotnyuk appears as a maid named Alexandra Smirnova-Rosset in a portrayal tied to the final days of Nikolai Gogol. The narrative follows the writer’s struggle with faith and the idea of living as a Christian, a theme inspired by the painting The Appearance of Christ to the People. The director highlighted Zavorotnyuk as having a lead role in this segment, detailing her character as a figure loved by Gogol and admired by those around him. Her portrayal was described as emblematic of the era’s moral and intellectual tensions, with Gogol’s intuition depicted as unusually perceptive, recognizing genius in others [citation: production notes].
Love Affair at Work. These Days 2011, dir. Sarik Andreasyan
Sarik Andreasyan staged a bold remake of Eldar Ryazanov’s Office Romance. The cast included Vladimir Zelensky as the analytical lead Novoseltsev and Svetlana Khodchenkova as Kalugina. Zavorotnyuk took the role of Ryzhova, the loyal friend, but the director’s vision reinterpreted her character as a treacherous figure. The film’s audacious handling of the source material marked a reckoning moment for the actress within contemporary Russian cinema, revealing a willingness to take risks in evolving genre and tone [citation: film analysis reviews].
Mom’s 2012, dir. multiple directors including Tikhon Kornev and Sarik Andreasyan
The year after the Office Romance remake, Zavorotnyuk appeared in the ensemble comedy Almanac: Mother, created by Enjoy Movies. The collection of eight short stories centers on the theme of mothers being celebrated on International Women’s Day. Zavorotnyuk features prominently in the opening storyline as a television host who receives on-air congratulations from her son. The role was revisited in a later film, Mother 3, reinforcing her presence within the family comedy genre and her connection to this modern Russian cinematic moment [citation: industry publication roundups].