Yuliia Maiarchuk, the Ukrainian who became a star in Italy: “I didn’t think we were such a strong nation”
Міст кольорів#Culture#Bridge of Colours
The success story of Yuliia Maiarchuk, a Ukrainian woman who has lived in Italy for more than 25 years, is no Cinderella tale with kindly fairies. She was among the first waves of migrants to Europe. She is self-made, and she has become a star in Italy. Muse of the famous erotic film director Tinto Brass, a popular actress, mother of two daughters, a beauty and, above all, a Ukrainian patriot. And that is the most heartening part, because the Russians tried to claim her as one of their own in their media: “She’s ours, born in Soviet Nikolaev.” But from the very first days of the full-scale invasion she took a clear pro-Ukrainian stance. She even hired a Ukrainian-language teacher so that she would no longer have to speak Russian with her family – her mother and sisters, who live in Ukraine.
Millions of Ukrainians have now fled the war to Europe, but you, as I understand it, left for Italy many years ago to escape poverty?
I was 19. I was a young girl. I wanted excitement. I wanted to earn my own money, to be an independent woman. I worked as a barmaid, as a waitress, as a photo model. I met my husband. And love swept me off my feet completely. Back then there was nothing keeping me in Ukraine. So I wanted to build my life here.
I read that you met the famous director Tinto Brass in a café, when you were working as a waitress. And that he fell in love with you. At least, that’s how he told it in interviews.
No, that’s not how it happened (laughs). He always loved to make up something out of the ordinary. I already had experience as a TV presenter, and my photos were already with an agency, which put me forward for the auditions for his film (released in Russian as “Sladkiy son. Intimnye zapiski”). I had done some semi-nude photos. Nowadays that’s everywhere on Instagram and other social networks, but back then it wasn’t so common. I’ve always had a good figure, I had no hang-ups. And I was very go-getting. I’d walk into the agency and say: ‘You won’t find another girl like me.’ I probably couldn’t do that now. But I was young and bold. At the time there were very few people from Ukraine in Italy. So to Italians I seemed exotic.
Did you already speak Italian well enough by then to act in films and work as a presenter?
I think I was already speaking it after three months. Love is a great teacher. When you love someone, you want to talk. You want him to understand you. Of course, I didn’t speak perfectly, but that was part of my charm.
After working with Tinto Brass, did other offers follow straight away?
Yes, he made me popular. My career started to take off really well. For example, 2–3 months later I was cast in a TV series that ran for 7 years. Then I went straight on to work in the theatre.
Do you think the secret of your success lies in your exotic looks?
Maybe it was because I wanted it so badly. As a child I was always putting on shows, but I didn’t believe you could become an actress without anyone’s help. But in Italy, for some reason, I believed people would like me. And besides, I was very serious. I learned my lines really well, I behaved professionally. And that kind of serious attitude in a young girl was attractive. That helped me.
Could you give some advice to Ukrainians who have just come to Italy? How can they best integrate, if they plan to stay here?
Try to speak. Watch films in Italian, cartoons, talk to Italians. They’re very easy-going, very open. Especially now. They want to help. You need to make contact with them. I hardly knew anything when I started working. But I listened, understood directions, memorised things, my colleagues prompted me. You also have to distance yourself a little from the Ukrainian community. Yes, our community is very strong – so much so that outside it you feel like an outsider. But that feeling of being an outsider will later help you become one of them. There are lots of places to meet people – the gym, the bar and so on. The main thing is that we are all now in Italy, a country that wants to help. People here are very good. If you don’t want to be helped, you’ll stay within your own circle. A great many people who come to Italy stay in Ukraine in their heads.
How did your husband feel about your work?
We’ve been together for 27 years, and he has always respected it. There was no jealousy. We discussed all my roles. Probably the hardest choice was Tinto Brass. But Cristiano always respected and trusted me.
But I read in the press about other romances… With Gerard Butler, for example.
Well, that’s the paparazzi. I was at an international festival held on the island of Ischia. And Gerard Butler was there. We
got to know each other, and since I speak English fluently, we found it easy to talk. Yes, of course, he’s a handsome man. An easy-going, likeable person. There was the kind of rapport you get between people who find each other easy to talk to. We went out to dinner once, but… my husband was with us. So there was no romance.
Tell us about working on set with Willem Dafoe.
That was the film “Go Go Tales”. They needed the girls from the club to do something unusual. I asked an illusionist I know, Luca Volpe, to teach me a few tricks. And he did. I did magic tricks as part of my dance, and the director, Abel Ferrara, really liked it. Willem Dafoe is a great actor. It struck me that he also sang in that film. He seemed to me an easy-going, wonderful person. It was a very pleasant experience.
Have you had any offers from Ukraine?
People have written to me, but somehow nothing came of it. And yet I would love it. By the way, you look a bit like the First Lady. Maybe one day they’ll make a film about the war and you could play Olena Zelenska… That would be a great honour for me. Generally speaking, when it comes to Zelensky, I see a big heart, a great soul, great strength. People often ask me who my hero is. Well, he’s my hero.
Have you always felt Ukrainian?
I was Ukrainian before, but it wasn’t that important. It didn’t hurt so much. Before the invasion it was as if, for me, there was no difference. If someone called me Russian – well, no big deal. I know what life in Russia is like – I lived in the Arkhangelsk region for three years.
My father was a teacher and he went to work there. But now it’s impossible to stand somewhere in the middle. I’m 100 per cent Ukrainian. Well, all right, maybe a tiny bit Italian too. Because I’ve lived in Italy for a very long time.
How has your life changed since the invasion?
I can’t sleep properly any more. My day begins with the news from Ukraine and ends with the news from Ukraine. I want to understand what’s going on. Every time, I watch the news in hope. Maybe it’s our victory at last? Maybe Putin is finally dead? From the very first days I’ve tried to do whatever I can. Now I help with my own money every month. On top of that, a well-known Italian producer is preparing a stage show about the different sides of war – for Ukrainians, Russians, Palestinians and Israelis. I will tell the Ukrainian side, I’ll get across my view of the war, of how people are suffering. I hope that with this show we can make people understand that the war is still going on, that war is horrific. Because people here are tired; for them it’s far away. Mostly Italians want to have fun, they want lightness. It’s not that they’re on Russia’s side, but they’re for peace. And I say: what kind of peace? Peace can only be a just peace. Ukraine must win this war and receive reparations.
What will you do when Ukraine wins?
I’ll go straight to my mum. I was with her 5 months ago. But I want to go to Ukraine with my children. You know, I have no doubt that the war will end in our victory. I didn’t think Ukrainians were such a strong nation. Now I understand it. And the whole world understands it. The world stands with Ukraine. This happened to our country, but it makes us even stronger. I believe in our bright future. Very, very bright.
