Zhanna Vladimirovna Friske (née Kopylova; 8 July 1974, Moscow — 15 June 2015, Balashikha) was a Russian singer, TV presenter and actress. A former member of the girl group Blestyashchie (1996–2003), she was a multiple music award winner, a laureate of the “Song of the Year” festival, a recipient of the “Golden Gramophone” and several MUZ-TV Awards.
She became widely known not only as a pop singer, but also as an actress in the cult films “Night Watch” and “Day Watch”, where she played one of the most striking characters — the witch Alisa Donnikova.
Early years and family
Zhanna was born in Moscow to Vladimir Friske and Olga Kopylova. She was one of twins — her twin brother died shortly after birth due to a serious illness.
The surname “Friske” came from her father’s side, which has German roots. In Soviet documents he temporarily used the surname Kopylov, but later restored the original family name, which Zhanna also took.
From early childhood she was very artistic: she did gymnastics, acrobatics and dance, took part in school productions and loved the stage. She studied at School No. 406 in the Perovo district and was actively involved in the creative life of her class and the local community cultural centre.
After finishing school she tried to enrol at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University but failed the entrance exams. Not wanting to lose a year, she enrolled at Moscow State Social University (MosGU) to study cultural studies, later transferred to journalism, but did not complete her degree — by that time the stage had firmly become part of her life.
Blestyashchie: the rise to fame
In 1996, Zhanna joined the popular girl group Blestyashchie. At first she worked mainly on the creative side: staging, visual concepts and stage movement. Over time she became a full-fledged lead singer and one of the most recognisable members of the group.
During her years in the band, Blestyashchie released several albums and numerous music videos and became one of the key pop projects of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The following songs and videos became iconic:
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“Tsvety” (“Flowers”)
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“Oblaka” (“Clouds”)
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“Gde zhe ty, gde” (“Where Are You, Where”)
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“Ciao, bambina”
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“Belym snegom” (“With White Snow”)
Zhanna’s style — her flexibility, fluid movement, lightness and vivid charisma — made her one of the most beloved members of the group. Audiences nicknamed her “the dark-haired one from Blestyashchie” — striking, temperamental and full of life.
Transition to a solo career
Her first solo video, “Lechu v temnotu” (“Flying into the Dark”), was released while she was still in the group. But her truly independent path began in 2003, when Zhanna left Blestyashchie.
Just a year later she released the song “La-la-la”, which became a major radio hit and firmly established her as a bright solo artist.
In 2005, her only solo album “Zhanna” was released, featuring a whole series of successful tracks:
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“Gde-to letom” (“Somewhere in the Summer”)
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“A na more belyy pesok” (“And on the Sea, White Sand”)
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“Ya byla” (“I Was”)
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“Portofino”
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“Ty ryadom” (“You’re Near”)
Many songs from the album became her calling cards. Zhanna had a distinctive way of blending dance pop, romantic lyrics and sun-drenched visual imagery.
A special success was the duet “Malinki” with the group Diskoteka Avariya. The song became one of the main hits of the mid-2000s and earned Zhanna a “Golden Gramophone” and several MUZ-TV Awards.
Critics often called her duet with Tanya Tereshina, “Western”, an interesting and underrated work — in it, Zhanna revealed new facets of her vocal and acting abilities.
Acting career
The role of Alisa in the “Watch” films
Friske’s cinematic success is primarily associated with the role of Alisa Donnikova in Timur Bekmambetov’s films “Night Watch” and “Day Watch”.
Alisa is a witch: seductive and dangerous, vivid and unforgettable. The role perfectly matched Zhanna’s charisma. The character became cult and remains one of the most quoted and recognisable images in contemporary Russian cinema.
For her role in “Day Watch” she was nominated for an MTV Russia Movie Awards prize.
Other work
Zhanna also appeared in popular comedies, including a cameo role in the film “What Men Talk About”. She took part in TV projects, appeared in music videos and did voice-over work.
Television
Zhanna had a natural gift for communication, which made it easy for her to fit into the reality show format.
“The Last Hero”
Her participation in the survival reality show “The Last Hero” showed viewers another side of her personality — without glamour and staged images. She demonstrated resilience, discipline, a sense of humour and leadership qualities, which further increased her popularity.
“Holidays in Mexico”
From 2011 to 2012, Zhanna hosted the first two seasons of the scandalously popular MTV reality show “Holidays in Mexico”. This cemented her status as a media personality in demand not only in music, but also on television.
Personal life
Zhanna was in a relationship with producer Andrey Grozny, and later with actor Dmitry Dyuzhev. Her long-term partner afterwards was TV presenter Dmitry Shepelev.
In April 2013, their son Platon was born, whom Zhanna called the greatest miracle of her life.
Illness, struggle and passing
In the summer of 2013, Zhanna began to experience serious health problems. After medical examinations she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour.
She underwent lengthy treatment both abroad and in Russia, went through periods of improvement and remained incredibly strong until the very end.
On 15 June 2015, Zhanna passed away at the age of 40. She was laid to rest at the Nikolo-Arkhangelskoye Cemetery.
Legacy and remembrance
After her passing:
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previously unreleased recordings were published, including the compilation “Ya ryadom” (“I’m Near”);
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a charitable project in her name was established;
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former members of Blestyashchie dedicated several performances to her, as well as a posthumous award as a “Legend of Russian Pop Music”;
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a new version of “A na more belyy pesok” with Zhanna’s vocals was released.
Zhanna’s hits continue to be played, her videos are watched again and again, and her image remains one of the symbols of the golden pop era of the 2000s.
Interesting facts
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As a child, Zhanna dreamed of becoming an actress and a choreographer — and ultimately fulfilled both dreams.
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She was incredibly photogenic — almost every photoshoot with her turned out well from the very first take.
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She adored the sea, which is why many of her videos and photoshoots are connected with beaches, sunshine and a summer aesthetic.
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She had a photographic memory and could quickly memorise long texts and movement sequences.
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She improvised easily on stage — many of her dance routines were created spontaneously during filming.
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In everyday life she was much more modest than on stage: calm, smiling and very warm in communication.
Conclusion
Zhanna Friske became one of the brightest and most beloved figures of Russian popular culture in the early 21st century. She left a vivid mark in music, cinema and television, embodying a rare combination of talent, beauty, charisma and genuine warmth. Her work makes people smile, her songs evoke associations with summer, freedom and good moods, and Zhanna herself has become, for millions, a symbol of sincerity and kindness. Despite her early passing, her name lives on — in music, in memory and in the hearts of her fans.
