Charming Irina Pudova became the girl who helped many viewers of Russian television to visit distant foreign places in absentia and learn the culture of various peoples. At one time, she had experience working in one of the most popular television programs on the Rossiya channel, called “Around the World.”
During her work as a TV presenter, Irina Pudova, whose photo can be seen in our article, managed to travel to more than 50 countries. Thousands of Russian viewers fell in love with her for her interesting programs.
Irina Pudova: biography
This delightful girl was born in 1982 in Khanty-Mansiysk. Initially, she received her education at a music school, graduating very successfully in piano. But in the future, Irina Pudova did not begin to build her musical career, which, as she stated in one of her interviews, she has never regretted.
Then she received professional journalistic education at the State Moscow Social University. After graduation, Ira managed to work at RBC, TVC, the Capital channel and was the presenter of the Muz-TV channel. It was at her last place of work that Ira became very popular and recognizable. Quite often she received invitations to host various events, which at one time helped her earn quite a bit of extra money.
Childhood and youth
Irina Pudova was born in the summer, July 1, 1982, in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk. As a child, Irina attended school, then decided to continue her education, receiving a creative specialty.
Irina Pudova
The girl graduated from a music school with a degree in piano, but did not want to continue her professional career. Ira set off to conquer the capital, dreaming of enrolling in the journalism department of Moscow State University. However, the girl failed to pass the exams.
Later in an interview, Pudova admitted that she simply did not have enough perseverance, she had to push, and the dream would come true. Then, in the “2000s,” Ira did not lose heart and easily entered another metropolitan university - the State Moscow Social University. After studying for the required time in journalism, Pudova got a job as a TV presenter.
"Around the world"
For 2 years, from 2006 to 2008, she hosted the Around the World program. For many, such a job could be the ultimate dream, because not everyone manages to arrange their lives in such a way that they can not only fly around the world for free, but also receive a salary for it. And Irina Pudova really loved this work madly; on the set she always gave her best to the maximum of her abilities. Like any public person, the presenter had both loyal fans and people who criticized her (most often for some arrogance and inappropriate attitude towards colleagues). But watching “Around the World” with Irina as the presenter was definitely interesting for everyone. Her decision to leave this program and say goodbye to the channel became truly incomprehensible to many.
Irina Pudova now
In September 2021, the second season of the “This Morning” program started on the Zvezda TV channel. Irina Pudova came to the post of host of the project. The girl’s colleagues were Alexander Karlov, Roman Fishkin, Alexey Kiyan, Roman Shchukin, Kirill Ladtsig and Irina Ivanitskaya. The experts’ work is structured in a “quartet” format: when three men and one woman talk on the site. This allows you to support any topic and take into account differences in gender and age perception.
TV journalist Irina Pudova
In November, the journalist became the host of the “Life is a Miracle” program broadcast on the “Concept” creative channel.
In March 2021, the Love Syndrome charity foundation, in partnership with the creative agency RedKeds, created a federal social campaign #WE ARE SPECIAL. The purpose of this program is to show that not only people with Down syndrome have special needs. If we cannot do something, it is only because we are human.
Celebrities also joined the action, including Irina Pudova, Tutta Larsen, Evelina Bledans, Lyubov Tolkalina, Anna Semenovich and others.
Unexpected decision
It would seem that the girl’s career was going quite well, but suddenly the TV presenter decided to change her job on a popular channel to broadcasting in a less well-known digital format. Now she is doing the same thing as before, only she shows her viewers life not abroad, but in her native Russian cities.
Irina Pudova became the host of a program telling about interesting places in Russia. Now she works on the Russian Travel Guide channel and does not regret at all that she left her previous place, because she believes that the future lies in digital television.
Journalist and Moscow State University
An interesting fact is that at Moscow State University Irina Pudova (a TV presenter whom many aspiring journalists follow as an example) was not admitted to the Faculty of Journalism. The girl blamed herself for this mistake for a long time and believed that it was she who did not work hard enough to pass all the exams and become a student at one of the most prestigious universities.
Ironically, just a few years later, Irina Pudova received from such an inaccessible university an offer that only a select few are awarded - to teach students at Moscow State University. It turned out that Ira became the only professional journalist and TV presenter in Russia who understands such an exciting, but at the same time complex television industry as Travel. Together with her colleague, A. Ponkratov, she taught her own special course at Moscow State University for almost a year, which was popular among students.
Personal life of a TV presenter
Irina Pudova, whose height, weight is only 160 cm and 44 kg, gives the impression of a very fragile and petite girl.
It would seem that the presenter, who spends all her time constantly traveling, theoretically cannot have enough time for life outside of work. But Ira, with her personal life, refutes such an erroneous opinion. She does not disclose the name of her chosen one, but says that she and her husband have been living for more than one year. He is a PR specialist by profession, and for some time the couple even managed to work together, which brought them closer.
At the moment, they have an almost ideal relationship, and, according to Pudova, the periodic separation of the spouses not only does not interfere, but even benefits them, because they always have the opportunity to miss each other.
Other achievements besides television broadcasts
At the moment, Irina Pudova and her husband are raising a daughter. It would seem that after giving birth, the young mother should have gone on maternity leave for at least some time, but such a stereotype also does not apply to this woman. With the birth of her child, her life did not become less active, because the TV presenter believes that the more varied the life of the parents, the more versatile their child will grow up. After all, for little children at the moment when their personality is being formed, it is very important to see that their mom and dad are self-realized people. She believes that only those who are sincerely interested in something will be able to instill in their child optimism and interest in life.
The couple also managed to develop and successfully launch their own family start-up - they are publishing a magazine for travelers. The peculiarity of this publication is that it is mainly distributed through travel agencies and contains brief, but sometimes vital information for a person who finds himself in a foreign country and does not have access to the Internet.
Despite the fact that the spouses have repeatedly received offers to purchase this project, they do not want to sell it, since money is not the main thing for them. As Irina herself says, the main key to success is love for one’s business, and she and her husband really enjoy working on this magazine.
Irina Pudova: Reveal yourself to yourself
Millions of people learned about this or that city or country from the words of Irina Pudova, in the recent past the TV presenter of the “Around the World” program on the “Russia” channel.
Her travel list includes more than fifty countries around the world. Today she is the host of the Russian Travel Guide TV channel, which produces and broadcasts films exclusively about traveling around Russia. Why Irina swapped trips abroad for business trips around her native country, what her real priorities are in her work, and not only in it, she told in an exclusive interview with the magazine “Vacation in Russia”. -Irina, you are the host of a travel TV channel. Your job is to travel to all sorts of interesting places, and you also get paid for it. Probably many would like to be in your place...
– Indeed, my work is outstanding. But if, for example, you are on business trips for four months a year, then probably not everyone would agree to such a “wandering” life.
– With such intensity of travel, don’t all countries and villages seem alike to you?
– My colleague Andrei Pankratov and I recently wrote a book about our travels. We haven’t sold it anywhere yet, no one has published it. In fact, everything was so mixed up in such a colorful lump that sometimes we couldn’t immediately remember where everything was. And this is very bad. You should definitely leave some impressions for yourself. Despite the fact that we come there primarily to give impressions. We receive them and give them back immediately. Not having time to keep...
– Is work a way to earn bread, or could you come up with something else for bread?
– I don’t know, to be honest. People don’t go into journalism, at least the kind I do, for the money. The salary, in general, is not bad, but it’s not some kind of super money. People go into business or politics for money. Therefore, I never considered my work as a way to make money. There are situations when you do something because you can’t help but do it.
You know, when you have a lot of thoughts, when you want to say something so much that you just can’t help but say it.
– Do you want to tell people something? Show the world with your own eyes?
- Yes Yes. For some reason, it seems to me that what I say into the camera may be interesting to someone, or it will help someone. Perhaps you have noticed that in Russia, like in Albania, people smile little? It seems clear, in our north, our nature is like this...
– Do you want to change the mentality of Russians?
- This is different. Here is a man sitting in front of the TV, watching the news, which burdens him even more. And I watched our program about Cuba and just smiled: oh, really Cubans - they are just like me, the same cool guys. Why shouldn't I go there? The same applies to films about Russia.
They write to me from some completely distant corners, they write a lot from Europe, even from America. Many people express their gratitude, which is very nice. There are many Russians who live abroad and watch our channels.
They say how great it is, we haven’t been to Russia for so long.
– By the way, if it’s not a secret, why did you switch to work from the Rossiya TV channel to the seemingly less prestigious, recently opened digital TV channel Russian Travel Guide? They took and changed Barcelona and Havana to Vologda and Sochi? After all, the channel makes films only about Russia.
– Recently there was a “Big Digit” award, where they awarded people who are involved in digital television. And there were professionals from major federal channels, looking at everything that was happening there. According to them, they themselves saw that digital television has now grown and is confidently raising its head. Of course, one cannot say that there is equal competition here yet, but, nevertheless, it seems to me that digital is the future. This is inevitable, now everyone will switch to it. For example, at one of the last largest tourism exhibitions in Russia we had the largest stand - so absolutely unreal, two-story, with its own communications. The federal channels present there had much more modest stands. This may also indicate the demand for digital TV channels.
But most importantly, Russian Travel Guide has an absolutely amazing creative team. Fanatics work here. Now we have several production companies - in Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, Moscow. The first office to open was in St. Petersburg. In terms of the level of work, the St. Petersburg guys are very sincere. Although, of course, I also love Moscow teams, because usually Moscow TV crews work very clearly, quickly, and harmoniously.
Plus, they are very professional people.
The Bridge Media media holding, in addition to RTG TV, owns several more TV channels: Rusong TV, Вridge TV, Dance TV, and the new World Travel Guide project. That is, we will also film travel around the world. In fact, the team is really captivating. This is generally a precedent for Russian television when so much private money is spent on Travel. Because Travel in itself is an expensive pleasure.
– Moreover, Russian Travel...
– And Russian Travel is even more expensive, even more difficult. And no matter how obvious the commercial return is, I agree.
But the founders who organized it, I think, will certainly get theirs over time. There are enormous prospects here.
– The main thing is, do you enjoy what you do?
– You certainly get pleasure when everything works out. When you feel satisfied with your work. Because we are all workaholics in a good sense, other people don’t stay here. Today, for example, we worked until ten in the evening. But we don’t count how much time we spend on set.
We do our best to do everything to the maximum. And when there is a result, there is a return, and even more so there is some kind of recognition, you feel that you are doing it for a reason, that you are not working in emptiness, that people sincerely respond. It’s especially nice when children between seven and twelve years old, teenagers, write to you. A lot of people ask for an autograph. Although it seems to me that there are no stars on digital television, such stars in our usual stupid understanding.
But the people who work with me are as if they live in another world, they don’t walk on these streets.
– Do you have a journalistic education?
- Yes. Moscow State Social University. I didn’t get into Moscow State University at the time. I don’t know why, I still had to achieve it.
Before that, I graduated from a music school, majoring in piano. I didn’t go higher, and thank God.
And from Moscow State University, no matter how funny it may seem, five years ago they turned to me and said: we really want you to teach here, in our country no one teaches Travel, especially television Travel. Let us give you a special course. That is, they didn’t take me to study, but to teach, please! For a year, Andrey Pankratov, my colleague from Around the World, and I taught this special course. We were given large audiences.
Moreover, what’s interesting is that young people used to come up and say: we want to travel. And now they say: we want to work in Travel.
They understand that this is work. They understand that this is not just a vacation - they came, sunbathed... Travel is a way of life.
– The presenter probably needs to also be an actor, since he has to talk a lot on camera. Have you thought about acting in films?
- Don't know. I think to each his own. Everyone must do their job. And do it professionally.
Moreover, such a responsible matter, when some kind of information comes from you, which people listen to, perhaps somehow take it upon themselves and, perhaps, will follow what you say. Therefore, a non-professional or a person who has not studied this is unlikely to be able to work as a presenter in front of the camera. The same thing applies if you consider yourself to be an actor. I didn’t study this and I can’t say that I couldn’t, although I’ve never tried.
– Actors, as a rule, are more famous, they have more fans...
“And that’s absolutely not how I perceive the acting profession.” It seems to me that this is some kind of regular work, some new thing, maybe revealing yourself to yourself.
– Before you stand in front of the camera, do you also learn the role or speak impromptu into the microphone?
– Just as in cinema there is a screenwriter, so in our country there is also an author who writes a rough script, who says: I would like to hear about this here. Before you appeared in the picture, the channel’s working group had already arrived at this place, the director and editor were already on point. Sometimes even a director of photography goes out for two weeks before filming to see how it will look on camera, whether it’s worth going there, how much time and resources to allocate, and so on.
Very serious preparation before each business trip. As a presenter, all I can do is come: oh, the script, let’s read it. Look, add some of your own feelings, rework the text and submit it! At Russian Travel Guide, the presenters are kept in line, in a good way. They don’t let us disperse too much or organize any amateur activities. Because the channel has a clear format. Of course, each presenter has his own pitch.
Naturally, a person will present the same information in different ways.
There is certainly a personal component here. True, we are allowed to really roam only in interviews. Here we can do anything.
Because people have some emotions, some quick things.
But the outline, stand-ups, behind-the-scenes stories - this is all written out in advance and quite clearly.
– Before you start filming, do you manage to walk through the places where you are reporting, feel their atmosphere, or immediately, as they say, go into battle?
– Rather, impressions are obtained as the action progresses. It’s not like we come and spend two hours visiting points. When I came to a country for work, and then flew there just to relax, I saw two different countries. At work, you always look at everything through a lens.
You look at a point not like a landmark, you figure out: oh, you can stand there, write down there, but I like this fish market. All.
Unlike the previous place of work, in our film crew everyone does their own thing. This is very attractive because you can develop in your niche, improve, remake. This is a big deal, no messing around here. If you don't like it, reinstall it.
We go to the point, rewrite, redo - great! This allows you to keep yourself in good shape.
– Did you have the feeling that when you really give yourself to the maximum, then luck, and in the journalistic craft this is an unexpected plot twist, a rare type and the like, sometimes comes as if ordered?
– According to my understanding, if you send internal requests, if you really want something, you need something, then it comes. I believe that thought is material. But any thought, including a negative one, is material. Why do Hindus say: don’t spoil karma, don’t do harm to others? That is why. I don't think I'm catching any signs of fate. If the ring fell into the trash bin, I will not draw any conclusion. But, nevertheless, meetings, events - all this largely comes from the desires of the person himself, from the requests that he sends.
– Where does the desire to do one thing and not another come from? From parents, upbringing, higher intelligence?
- I have no idea. Perhaps you need to be born with this kind of fire in your chest...
– What other pleasures are there in life, apart from work?
– In recent months, my main pleasure has been my little daughter, she is only eight months old.
– So you left her and went on a business trip to Vologda, where we found you now?
- Do not say that. I have my own theory about this.
At least many of my friends share it. The more interesting a child’s parents are, the more interesting the life they lead, the more useful it is for him. Because it is people who lead a lifestyle that is interesting to them who grow up developed, interesting, non-trivial, unusual good children. Unless, of course, the parents have a need for something that overrides everything else. If the absence of something makes you unhappy, then you need it to be present.
For me, this is my job. I can't live without her. Why does a child need an unhappy mother? Parents should be happy. And if the parents are happy, then the child will be happy.
– Fedya Bondarchuk once said that he took his child to filming so that he would not physically forget his father...
– This definitely needs to be done.
When a child sees a satisfied parent, self-actualizing, who is happy at the moment, it gives positive energy, it is transferred to the child. If you look at photographs of people who are realized and their children together, they look very harmonious. Sometimes our celebrities are photographed - pay attention to how happy their children are. In general, people have everything written on their faces; with age, the basic emotions that a person experiences most often appear on their faces. And such people’s children are different - you can see it in their faces, in their eyes.
– Will “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – have interesting children?
- Undoubtedly. They already have interesting children. Because at the very least they will lead quite an interesting and varied life. Secondly, the baggage that parents have, if we are talking about the same energy. All the same, they pass on some amount of accumulated knowledge to their children. They convey some kind of life position, and the life position of a strong person who works a lot, has achieved a lot, is very significant, this is also very important. Especially if we are talking about a couple of such a level that is significant throughout the world.
– They often say that nowadays you can’t be sure of anything. But apparently, you are a confident person... Do you sometimes have to doubt yourself?
“You definitely can’t doubt your actions.”
– What about what can happen independently of you?
– I prefer to be sure.
And if something goes wrong, you have to act according to the circumstances. Because to be initially unsure of something, in general, it seems to me, initially gives a minus of a hundred points.
If there is a very good connection between two people, then sooner or later it will turn into something even better, another good person will appear. Sooner or later this will happen. I don’t have much of a plan in my life, but it often turns out the way I want.
– What gives you the strength to get up every morning, brush your teeth, and do the same movements for the hundred thousandth time?
– This is an interesting question. When I have an interesting meeting that I have to attend, then I brush my teeth with pleasure.
By the way, returning to work, if today I go on a business trip, then the mood is amazing. I love preparing for a business trip. In some country (I think it was in South America), a shaman tells me: in a past life you were a traveler. That is why your whole life will be on the road, no matter how you build it now and no matter what profession you choose. Because in your past life you traveled, moved around, but you weren’t enough. I still want to. He also said something about the 11th life - they adhere to this theory.
- Did you tell by hand?
-They are animists. He killed a chicken.
It was Brujo. There are Brujos and Curanderos. Brujos are evil cleavers, and Curanderos are good. Brujo told me fortune, an evil sorcerer. Yes, it was in Peru.
– What kind of substances are good and evil? Are they nearby?
- Same. The difference is in approaches and perceptions. Because any evil is good for someone, any good is evil for someone. As we say, every coin has a flip side.
– What about thoughts?
– We are the masters of our thoughts. A person, of course, cannot control the entire range of his thoughts. If he is negative by nature or has a negative mood, he cannot be in complete control. He may look completely happy at this moment, but inside he will be different.
But I was most likely lucky. I have an “unhealthy” kind of healthy optimism. Here, probably, my merit is not so great. Still, it really comes from the parents. I have two older brothers. One deals with computer security, the second is a lawyer.
- You look like?
- Absolutely not. I do not know why.
– And in character – like your father, mother, great-grandmother?
- Don't know. We are all somewhat different. It seems to me that every person becomes himself over the years. Because while we are growing, we are under pressure from all sides, we cannot calm down. And by the age of thirty we become who we really are.
If, of course, a person acts correctly, if he moves in the right direction, does what he wants. I think that I am now exactly what I really am. Because it is precisely these features, positive thinking, that attract some good things. This has been happening to me for ten years, I don’t know why. Probably while everything was settling down in my head.
– What will the next ten years be like? They say that your profession, the things you do, need to be changed from time to time. There are, however, happy exceptions - the same famous traveler and TV presenter Kozhukhov...
- I totally agree. By the way, regarding Mikhail Kozhukhov. Perhaps he just needs changes.
He himself, as far as I know, tried many times to get away from his lifestyle. It doesn't let him go yet. He has already become a producer himself, he has his own company. However, he doesn't leave. Yes, a person must change something in his life, he must move away... And I have some thoughts on this matter. For example, my husband and I started publishing the magazine “Tourist Passport”.
We have this family hobby.
My husband and I always come up with projects, so-called startups.
– Who is your husband’s profession?
- PR person. So, we are constantly projecting. We sit and think that there is not enough television recruitment agency on the market. We create an agency, draw up paperwork... We have been working with this agency for three months. So, we think: damn, tired, boring. We launched it and are selling it. We don't sell at high prices. The magazine is one of the few projects that we have completed.
– Two creative people in a family aren’t too many for one apartment?
– The main thing is that there are no conflicts. If two creative people argue, then that’s it, tough!.. No, we, as a rule, go in parallel. Thank God, we have different areas of activity and we don’t have such a thing that we sit every evening in the kitchen, looking eye to eye. Then it gets boring.
Here is our magazine “Tourist Passport”.
We have already received several offers to purchase it. But we keep it, we want to keep it for ourselves. We have patented the form of magazine release. Its main idea is up-to-date information in your pocket. When a person does not have access to the Internet, he turns to print media. It is very difficult for him to find information on site in other languages.
And the tourist receives this magazine at the agency along with the ticket and passport. There is a wealth of information there, everything is clearly structured, everything is very convenient.
True, with the birth of my daughter, I began to make amazing discoveries for myself. For example, I come to the feeling that work, the field of activity, is still not an end in itself. I look at some of my friends who have large families, and I think it’s so great!
– Does love come at first sight or at the fifteenth?
– Not since the fifteenth or even the hundredth. How can you love a person if you haven't gotten to know him yet? You may fall in love, but it is temporary. But you love a person for something, for a number of his qualities. And you should at least recognize the qualities. At least recognize yourself in them. My husband and I worked together for a while and it worked out well. In general, it seems to me that if people can work together, then they can live together...
OVR-HELP
Irina Pudova Born in Khanty-Mansiysk on July 1, 1982. Graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State Social University. She worked on the TV channels RBC, “Stolitsa”, TVC, Muz-TV (in the programs “Tuning” and “Engine”).
Since 2006, she has been the host of the TV program “Around the World” on the “Russia” channel. Since 2009, presenter on the Russian travel channel, Russian Travel Guide.
Member of the Public Council of the organization “Young Guard of United Russia”. Married, has a daughter. He publishes his own magazine for tourists, hosts radio programs, and writes a book about travel.
