Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1977-01-01
- Born Place: Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Ukraine]
Also Known As:
Elena Kravets, Jelena Krawez, Yelena Kravets, Ielena Kravets
Olena Kravets
Olena Yuriivna Kravets, born on January 1, 1977, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, is a highly celebrated actress, producer, and television host who became a household name as the only female performer in the core cast of the iconic comedy collective Kvartal 95 Studio. Originally trained in finance and economics at the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics, her career pivot began in the late 1990s through her involvement in KVN (a popular comedy competition), which eventually led her to join Kvartal 95 in 1998. Over two decades, she became a central figure in Ukrainian pop culture, best known for her sharp comedic timing, her impersonations (notably of politician Yulia Tymoshenko), and her role as Olga Mischenko in the global hit satirical series Servant of the People alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Beyond comedy, she has produced documentary films, such as Legend. Lyudmila Gurchenko, and was named one of the most beautiful women in Ukraine by Viva! magazine. In the 2023 animated epic Mavka: The Forest Song, Kravets delivered a standout performance as the primary antagonist, Kylina. Her character is a master of deception—a cunning and vain woman who poses as the rightful heiress of a sawmill to manipulate the local villagers, all while secretly plotting to seize the Source of Life to secure eternal youth. This role showcased Kravets's range, moving away from her typical comedic persona to voice a sophisticated and ruthless villain. In late 2022, after 25 years with Kvartal 95, she stepped away from the studio to focus on personal health and independent projects, including her own talk show Quiet Night with Kravets. On a personal note, she has been married to producer Serhii Kravets since 2002, and they have three children: a daughter, Mariia, and twins Ivan and Kateryna. As of 2025, she remains an active cultural figure, balancing her media career with humanitarian efforts and her specialized clothing line for expectant mothers, "OneSize by Lena Kravets."
