Matvey Lykov

Matvey Lykov was born on April 8, 1987, in Leningrad, the son of actor Alexander Lykov. From childhood, he was drawn to languages, eventually becoming fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, and French. Matvey's first education was as a linguistics teacher: he graduated from the Herzen State Pedagogical University of the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg and even worked briefly, including teaching Spanish to schoolchildren.

A turning point came with a trip to the United States on a Work & Travel program. Due to a bureaucratic error, Matvey was unable to find qualified employment and worked part-time as a courier and cleaner for a while. One day, he walked into a New York modeling agency—and that decision changed his life. By 2007, he had made his runway debut at New York Fashion Week, and by the end of 2008, he had entered the top 50 most popular male models in the world. A year later, he was in the top 10, and then signed an exclusive contract with the fashion house Gucci.

Meanwhile, Matvey continued to explore his potential: he studied at the International School of Cinema and Television in Paris and tried his hand at directing and cinematography. He was introduced to film by a music video for the French artist Woodkid, in which he played the lead role. There, Timur Bekmambetov noticed him and invited him to star in the film "He's a Dragon," in which Lykov played the role of Arman. Later, his filmography included such projects as "Major Grom: The Game" and "Krasnaya Polyana."

In Paris, Matvey met Jessica Steneros, a fashion designer of Peruvian and Swedish descent, originally from Spain. They bonded over shared creative interests and a love of languages: Matvey seemed to have prepared for their meeting in advance, studying Spanish in depth. They married in 2013, a seaside wedding.