She is a 22-year-old blond with sky-blue eyes – a young and promising actress, model, professional choreographer and teacher. As a model, she owes her fame to music videos filmed for Andrei Gubin’s song "Ona odna" (Only Her) and to the song "Sochi" by Belarus Brit-pop band Lyapis Trubetskoi. As an actress, she is known for playing supporting roles in the television series "Liniya zashchity" (Line of Defense) and the feature film "Pokhititeli tel" (Body Thieves). But it was the teenage talk show "Devichyi Slyozy" (Girl’s Tears), which has been broadcast on CTC television on weekdays at 6 p.m. for seven months that has made her a famous face. Although classes at Moscow schools ended on May 21, the talk show will continue to come out five days a week.

LifeStyle met Ksenia Belaya at the quiet Kofemania coffeehouse, located near Barrikadnaya metro. The multitalented actress told about her current and upcoming projects and plans, as well as a little bit about her life.

Ksenia, aren’t you tired of tears?

But these aren’t my tears. These are tears of the program’s guests who come on stage with their problems. I share their pain and help them to the extent that I can. Our administrators and programmers sometimes manage to find people and topics that make the audience think that the show is made up. For example, there was a girl who thought that her teacher at school had a crush on her, and then there was a group of girls who plotted to make their teacher fall in love with them so that he would give them good grades.

I must say I’ve never come across such situations in my life. I wouldn’t be able to stand it, much less bring my personal problems to a public forum for the whole country to watch. Imagine, once there was a guy on our program who won a girl in a game of cards at a party and then this girl became his girlfriend.

Have you ever disliked a guest on the show?

Yes, it’s happened. Tenants rented an apartment from a married couple and turned it into a whorehouse. The male landlord said he was satisfied with the situation because he received money. I asked that he be ordered to leave the room.

Nobody would doubt that today’s teenagers are more liberated in their behavior, but what’s the attitude of the parents toward your show?

Parents come in together with their children who are guests on the show. I think that the older generation should be listened to, but that young people should make decisions themselves. Today’s youth learns much more quickly, and parents must admit it.

My parents say "Devichyi Slyozy" is an excessively appealing program. But what is important for me is the image that I’m creating, and this image is positive.

Ksenia, do you cry yourself? When was the last time you cried?

Of course, I do. Why do you ask?! Like all people I’m capable of feeling emotions, including tears. The last time I cried was on New Year’s Day.

New Year’s Day? Did I hear you right?

Yes, New Year’s Day. I prepared for it so well, I bought everybody presents and I gave them out. But when the New Year arrived I burst into tears. The tears were not just tears of joy or tiredness, but also tears of sadness because the holiday was over. I like getting presents because it is nice to feel that people pay attention to you. But I like giving presents even more.

Aren’t you bombarded with presents from your admirers? Incidentally, are there more girls or guys among them?

There are more girls among my admirers. Do you know how many girls rush to my makeup room to ask for an autograph after each filming session? Crowds! When it happened the first time I was at a loss. I would not say I’m bombarded with presents, but I’m always getting flowers and stuffed animals.

Can you recall any funny episodes from "Devichyi Slyozy"?

It will be difficult, but I’ll try. There was a wife who wanted to get her husband cured of alcoholism so she poured cement into the bath when he was in it. It was very funny to see the cemented guy as they brought him into the studio in the bath. This really happened. And the heroine plotted it all to the very last detail, including arranging for him to be able to carry out his physiological needs.

You graduated from the Department of Choreography at the Russian Academy of Theater Art (GITIS), you run a choreographic studio of your own, you teach children aged 5-12, and you’re also a T.V. host, an actress and a model. What comes first and what is secondary?

It’s difficult to say. In fact, it’s all important to me. I can say for sure that I will not leave my students even if I’m offered a very interesting project, I mean in an artistic sense. I also like to do commercials. Not only because it pays well but also because it’s a kind of a theater, too. I had not seen myself as a T.V. host before I started, and when I first got the job I was very nervous and tried hard to arrange for somebody to go there instead of me.

In the beginning of our conversation you mentioned your boyfriend and said he is very proud of you for trying to realize your dreams in a different art form and succeed. Do you nourish any other ideas or do you think you will stop at what you have?

I want to try playing more serious roles. No, not to try, but to play them, to play serious roles! This is, without doubt, the goal of my life. I love to watch movies with Audrey Hepburn, Nicole Kidman, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. But I don’t like the word idol. I don’t imitate them thoughtlessly, but respect them because they are strong personalities. My art can be learned from life situations, including from relations with other people. I know because I’ve learned valuable lessons through such experiences.