- Masha Kirilenko
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Masha Lopatov "Marina" Kirilenko (Russian: Маша Лопатова "Марина" Кириленко) (born 1979)[1][2] is a Russian pop singer, wife of Russian basketball player Andrei Kirilenko, and the daughter of the famous CSKA and Russian National Team basketball player Andrei Lopatov.
Lopatov grew up in Moscow and first worked as a model in London.[2] She then owned a sports and entertainment marketing company and managed Russian pop group Boy Band.[3] In 2002, Masha recorded and distributed her own album. The music video for "Sugary", which featured a cameo by Andrei Kirilenko, reached number one on MTV Russia.[4]
The couple moved to Cottonwood Heights, Utah later in 2001 when Andrei, who had been drafted by the NBA's Utah Jazz in 1999, joined the team.[4] They have two sons: Fedya (born 2002)[4] and Stepan (born March 6, 2007).[5] ESPN The Magazine reported in 2006 that Masha allows Andrei to have sex with another woman once per year and quoted her: "Male athletes in this country are extremely attractive. They get chased by women. It's hard to resist. It's the way men are by nature." .[2] In 2011, Andrei and Masha became American citizens.[6]
In the USA, Masha and Andrei started a charitable organization, Kirilenko's Kids, to help underprivileged children both locally and in Russia. Masha opened a clothing store, Fleur de Lis, in 2007.[3]
References
- ^ "Sports Beat", Sports Illustrated 98 (3), January 27, 2003, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1143061/index.htm
- ^ a b c Nielsen, Chad (March 13, 2006). "Perfect fit". ESPN The Magazine. http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3704410. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ a b Jarvik, Elaine (April 17, 2007). "Masha Kirilenko opens store in Gateway today". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/660212572/Masha-Kirilenko-opens-store-in-Gateway-today.html. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ a b c Phillips, Valerie (29 March 2005). "From Russia with love — Masha Kirilenko's recipe for feeding an athlete". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/600122167/From-Russia-with-love--Masha-Kirilenkos-recipe-for-feeding-an-athlete.html. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
- ^ "Andrei Kirilenko". NBA. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/andrei_kirilenko/bio.html. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ Sorensen, Mike (January 11, 2011). "Utah Jazz: Andrei Kirilenko becomes U.S. citizen". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/700099733/Utah-Jazz-Andrei-Kirilenko-becomes-US-citizen.html. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
Categories:- Living people
- Naturalized citizens of the United States
- People from Moscow
- Russian emigrants to the United States
- Russian female models
- Russian female singers
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