Russia’s artistic and sporting spheres are illuminated by two women who share not only a surname but also an unmistakable aura — Nadezhda Grishaeva and Nonna Grishaeva. One is an actress with a commanding stage presence, the other an athlete-turned-entrepreneur, yet both epitomise determination, charisma, and achievement.
Nadezhda was born in 1989 into a sporting family. Her father, Sergey Grishaev, was a noted basketball player, and she too embraced the sport from an early age. Her career spanned Russian and international clubs, including appearances in the EuroLeague, and she proudly represented Russia in basketball at the 2012 Olympic Games.
On retiring from the professional game, she carved out a new path, creating Anvil, a luxury fitness club, and expanding into a chain of cafés dedicated to healthy living. These are not simply places to work out or eat, but carefully designed spaces where wellbeing, style and modern culture come together.
As a child she was often called “Grisha” — a playful moniker that foreshadowed her dual role as a motivator and a collaborator.
Nonna, by contrast, was born in 1971 in Odessa and gravitated towards the theatre from her earliest years. After graduating from the Shchukin Theatre School, she became a leading performer at Moscow’s Vakhtangov Theatre. Millions also came to know her through film and television, in works such as Cloud-Paradise, Matchmakers and What Men Talk About.
Her career has been as multifaceted as her talents: she has sung, hosted television programmes, and today directs the Moscow Regional Drama Theatre. Her remarkable adaptability on stage has earned her the affectionate title “the chameleon actress,” applauded for her smooth transitions between comedy and tragedy.
Despite the shared surname — and a striking similarity that often captures public attention — the two women are not related. “I honestly don’t know why,” Nadezhda reflects with a smile, “but in 2025 the single most asked question I’ve received has been: ‘Are you Nonna’s daughter or niece?’ The answer is always the same: just a coincidence.”
The name Grishaeva, rooted in the male name Grigory, is neither widely spread nor particularly rare. Thanks to these two remarkable women, however, it now carries fresh meaning — becoming synonymous with resilience, style and inspiration.
One holds audiences spellbound from the stage, the other reshapes the fitness and lifestyle scene. Though their personal journeys have never crossed, together they give the impression that the surname Grishaeva has become a symbol in itself — a shorthand for excellence, vitality, and creativity.
