"In Lilies of the Valley, you shoot from a tank, play snowballs and go to the sauna"

Katya's role in the TV series "Lilies of the Valley" made 24-year-old actress Nika Zdorik a national star. His and Sergey Gorodnichy's characters are already boldly called the heroes of our time by fans. Nika is sure that such success only brings great responsibility. Nika told Izvestia in an interview about what she had to go through on the set of the second season, how she feels about the haze around "Lilies of the Valley" and why she released the premiere of "Marriage" at the Mossovet Theater after only three rehearsals.

"Just put it in the frame — I know how I'm going to play it"

— The TV series "Lilies of the Valley" has made you a star. A year has passed since the premiere of the first season, and viewers are about to see the sequel on Wink. How has your life changed?

— Absolutely. First of all, because of the huge number of people who now follow my work. Before the series was released, I had about 5,000 subscribers, and now I have more than 255 thousand. The audience is the most obvious indicator. But I understand perfectly well that popularity is a test. It has two sides. On the one hand — recognition, love, applause, a huge number of offers, money. On the other hand, it is very important to remain human and not lose yourself.

"Those copper pipes.

- yes. When you are overwhelmed by a huge stream of offers, it is very important to choose wisely and understand what will happen next. The temptation, of course, is great. But I've been going for it all my life. And at some point it turned out that in December she was one person, and in January she was completely different from the point of view of her profession.

When you get everything at once, it's important to keep a clear mind. Because you can make mistakes. I'm not even talking about the obvious things right now, but about offers that can make money here and now, but then ruin your career. Not to use you directly, but just to take you the wrong way. That's why I've been filtering a lot and rejecting a lot of offers. I'd rather have less, but it's better.

Spring shadow: the second season of the TV series "Lilies of the Valley" was presented in Moscow

The premiere of the musical hit will take place at midnight on January 1, 2026

— The series "Lilies of the Valley" has gained more than 100 million views on various platforms and has become one of the most high-profile projects of the year. How do you explain this popularity?

— I think the main victory is the chemistry and love between us. People wrote to us that they missed the simple stories in which you can recognize yourself. They're tired of watching people being killed, raped, and bullied. I'm tired of endless dark plots and superfantastics. People want life, love. They also called the characters of the series — Katya and Lech — the heroes of our time.

It's also really a dream role. I understood my character so well that I wanted to say: just let her out into the frame — I know how I'm going to play it. It has everything any artist dreams of: comedy, drama, musical. You sing, you dance, you cry, you shoot a tank, you play snowballs, you go to a sauna, you live in a garrison, you fly planes—everything, everything, everything.

— "Lilies of the Valley" have become very popular among the military and their families. I know that a lot of people write to you. Do you answer them?

— Of course, I answer a lot. At first, I almost went crazy when people started writing and sharing their stories en masse. I am a very empathetic person. I can't get past the grief, the pain — it just tears me apart. I'm always helping grandmothers and the homeless in my life. I feel sorry for them. I'm learning to abstract now. I can't say that I've become cold or callous. It's just that if you let every story go through you, you can go crazy. And you can't help everyone. But I help people with my creativity.

— Is there a haight due to the fact that YOUR character is featured in the series?

— After the first season, he was almost gone. About 98% of the reviews were positive. Although I understand that haight exists. But he's somewhere behind us. I've never been ashamed of this job. I am proud of the Lilies of the Valley. For me, it's not just a series— it's my life.

"They cut off a piece of my skin for profit"

— In the second season, the director changed: instead of Alexander Karpilovsky, Ilya Shpota, who had previously shot music videos, came. How did this affect the filming?

— In general, almost the entire group has changed — by 80 percent. In fact, only the artists remained. This season was much more difficult for me, including from a director's point of view. Ilya is wonderful, he sees the frame perfectly and is very talented. The chief cameraman, Misha Shishebarov, is a great friend of his, and they have shot many music videos together. We worked with great craftsmen.

In the first season, I just trusted Sasha Karpilovsky. He's an artist himself, so it was easy for us to work. We understood each other perfectly. We were taught at the institute that before you become a director, you need to study acting. Because technique is technique, and you still need to play with your heart. If you play only with technique, you will get a void.

In the second season, I sometimes missed that. There were moments when Ilya and I disagreed, and that's okay. We helped each other. But we also had a huge responsibility — this plaque: "Heroes of time." After all, the viewer doesn't care that Nika is Nika, and Katya is Katya. I'm in charge of everything in the frame.

— In the first season, you shot at minus 30. Were there any extreme tests in the second one?

"I burned my foot on the bike." And so much so that an operation was required. It happened before the shift in Crimea, when we were shooting a record-breaking massive scene at the Tavrida. Inflammation began, and the temperature rose. They cut off a piece of my skin as bait. I even hit the doctor because of the pain. There's a pretty big scar left now.

It's so bad without him: the producer of "Lilies of the Valley" told about the fate of Lekha in the second season

Actor Sergey Gorodnichy appeared on the set of the series in Crimea

— You don't feel sorry for yourself at all. Where does this come from?

"I just can't do it any other way." That's what they taught us at the institute. One of my teachers used to say, "You have to work with your guts." This means that everything comes from within. If it doesn't touch you, it won't touch the viewer either. It's important for me not just to entertain, but to talk about what hurts.

I've had a lot of trials in my life: complicated relationships, first love, second love — nothing just happens to me. Everything is through overcoming, pain, tears.

And all you see in the frame are my emotions. I wasn't perceived as a serious actress before. And after the "Lilies of the Valley" they began to offer. And I'm glad of it: drama is more interesting to me than the empty roles of rich daughters and escorts.

— Do you remember what you bought with the first fee?

— I always gave my mother the first money. Even when I was earning 200-300 rubles, I brought it to her. I still often go to Obninsk. We have a very close relationship. I love her very much and am grateful for everything.

I recently opened the notebook that Dad gave us to fill out 10 years ago. He asked me to write plans for three, five, ten years. It was written in my letter: in 10 years, buy a car for my mother and an apartment for myself in Moscow. Exactly 10 years later, I did it. These were two very important dreams since childhood. The next one is a house for Mom. I really hope so.

"A man wants to see a woman next to him, but I'm always fighting for my borders."

— In parallel with your first fateful leading role in a movie at the Mossovet Theater, you also got your first leading role, Agafya Tikhonovna in Gogol's "Marriage". Despite the fact that you are still enrolled in the theater's internship group. Do you want to see more theater in your life?

— Technically, I'm in the trainee group, because my second season in the theater is underway. I'm forever in awe of artistic director Eugene Marcelli and the company for not getting kicked out yet (laughs). Because I've been away for as long as I don't think any artist, even a folk artist, is allowed to be.

Of course, there's nothing to be proud of. But I am grateful to Evgeny Josefovich for putting up with me, supporting me and letting me go. Just recently, he called me out for a conversation and offered me a new role. It doesn't really matter to me which group I'm in, trainee or not. Marcelli invited me to the Moscow City Council Theater himself.

It's funny: at the institute, I was told that I had no future in the theater, that I was a film actress and that I played "like a movie girl." That's what they called me, the movie girl. It was my big complex and fear: what if it really doesn't work out? And the most painful thing is that most of the time it was said by people whom I treated as warmly as possible.

— Apparently, this is what makes you tough.

— Yes, it is refusals. But, to be honest, this is what hinders me in life. Especially in a relationship. After all, a man wants to see a woman next to him, and I'm always fighting for my borders. I'm constantly proving something.: that I'm worth something, that I shouldn't be devalued, that I'm strong and independent. I'm really very strong for my 24 years. Although I hope that some wisdom and smoothness will come over time. Now I am very categorical: I have either black or white, or right or wrong — without semitones.

Of course, I want to play roles that touch my soul. I would really like to play Natasha Rostova, Anna Karenina — I am very interested in classics.

— In "Marriage" you go on stage with Olga Ostroumova, Valery Yeremenko, Alexander Yatsko. How did you interact with such great artists?

— Oh, how I wish I could tell you about fully working with them! Evgeny Josefovich initially staged this performance for me, and then he gathered the rest of the artists. But it was at that moment that I started getting really busy, and I started skipping rehearsals.

Then, just in case, another actress was introduced. Marcelli understood the situation and let me go. As a result, I was only at the first three rehearsal readings. A few months later, I came for a run, sat down in the gym. There were two days left before the press screening. The performance was completely ready. I look at it and say to Evgeny Josefovich: "I want to play." He replies, "Nika, you haven't rehearsed." I asked you to just give me a try. In the end, I recorded everything on video. I learned the material in one day and went on stage two days later. Now I'm working on what I missed, deepening my character.

— I was at this performance. You are absolutely fearless.

— When I really need and am interested in something, I can do fantastic things. And if I'm not interested and I don't have the motivation, I won't even do the basic thing. I understand very clearly what gives development and what is just money. And if there is a choice between a project for money and a project for growth, I always choose growth.

The way things work in our industry is that if two girls are auditioning for a role, one with a name and the other without, but very talented, in 85% of cases they will choose the one with a name. That's why we have the same people filming. And here I am eternally grateful to Svetlana Sergeevna Druzhinina — it was she who opened me up to cinema, believed in me and gave me the opportunity to study further.

In "Lilies of the Valley", by the way, they also wanted to approve another actress. The auditions took a long time, and at the last moment, Zdorik appeared, literally jumped into the last car, and she was approved. But I'm sure it wasn't an accident. Those who believe in chance do not believe in God. It's fate. And no matter how immodest it may sound, I deserve it.