Sergei Semak's wife - photo, personal life, biography, children

The love story of the famous Russian football player Sergei Semak and his wife Anna is like a fairy tale with its own poignant plot, filled with overcoming difficulties on the path to happiness. Although Sergei Semak’s wife does not complain about fate, believing that difficulties only strengthen feelings. Writers are surprised why Anna has few followers on her Instagram blog, because the wife of a football player has obvious writing talent. The woman loves to share her thoughts with fans. Anna is a writer, blogger and mother of 7 children. How did they manage to come to an ideal union?

Not the first marriages

Sergei Semak and his wife were not alone in their personal lives until they met each other. Having survived a second divorce from her tyrant and sadist husband, Anna met Sergei. By this time, her daughter Maya, left over from her first marriage, was growing up. Semak was married to his first wife Svetlana, they raised a son. The woman’s Instagram is filled with vivid memories from her life, about her life in Tver, about the three jobs she was forced to work at. An acquaintance that radically changed her life took place in a St. Petersburg restaurant. Anna worked as a hostess. She was confused by the presence of a ring on his finger. Sergei was persistent and actively began to look after her. Gradually, Sergei Semak and his wife began dating in the future. An unpleasant love triangle has developed. Anna suffered, they parted endlessly. The situation lasted 3 years.

"The doctor said I would die." Semak's wife named the reason for the separation from the Zenit coach

Anna Semak, the wife of Zenit head coach Sergei Semak, gave an interview in which she explained why she and her husband were forced to separate.

Sergei Semak’s wife – photo

Now their biographies are connected, 17 years old Sergei Semak and his wife are absolutely happy. Anna spent almost the entire period in a state of pregnancy. There are 7 children in the family, one of them is an adopted daughter. Anna always dreamed of giving a new life to at least one child from the orphanage. Sergei Semak has a developed sense of hyper-responsibility; at first Semak was afraid of how much they could give to this child.

Over time, Semak Sergei Bogdanovich became the father of a girl, Tanya, with some health problems, surrounding her with sincere care, love, and warmth. The family lives by special traditions. In the evenings, gathering for family dinner, they ask each other for forgiveness. The tradition of going to bed with a clear conscience has been established for a long time. Sergei and his wife adhere to a joint ritual - they drink tea at night together with special antique glass holders. This is part of human relationships, the ability to build them harmoniously, in tune with the call of the hearts. Anna is not from that mass crowd of football players’ wives, “hanging out” at parties, who cannot imagine life without discussing fashion trends and surroundings.

The couple has a high relationship. Sergei and Anna Semak are going to write a book together dedicated to Sergei’s merits. Anna grew up in the family of a priest and she has different ideas about marriage, about the role of a wife in the life of her beloved man. On the Internet you can see photos of Sergei Semak’s wife with their children, where they radiate true happiness. The wife of the head coach of Zenit is sure that there is real chemistry, love and passion between them.

Perhaps interesting: wife of Andrei Karaulov, wife of Nikita Gusev.

Anna Semak about happy motherhood, her seven children and life in good shape

Anna Semak, the wife of the head coach of the Zenit football club, does not look like a heroic mother of seven children and a grandmother for several months - she looks barely 30, she has tattoos on her arms, she is fit and cheerful. “Like GI Jane, I always have to be on top of my game,” she says. — Regular exercise, proper nutrition and self-care are vital. If I’m not in good shape, I won’t be able to cope.”

She has to cope constantly - in 2021, Anna published the book “Intimacy”, and in 2020 she plans to write five more stories for children about serious social problems: attitudes towards the homeless and people with disabilities, boundaries in relationships, vegetarianism, plastic pollution. “Writing has been my job and passion since childhood. Every day I set aside two to three hours for this and don’t wait for inspiration.”

Anna is wearing: Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello blouse; earrings Celine by Hedi Slimane

She also manages to make documentaries, owns one restaurant in Bali and two vegan establishments in St. Petersburg (GrÜn and Anna's Secret Garden) and is engaged in organic farming. But all her time every day after 17:00 belongs to the children. “We always have dinner together, watch a movie, I sort out all their problems one by one, discuss hobbies, and try to lie down with each one before bed. An emotional connection with a child seems to me much more important than household responsibilities.”

She missed this as a child. Anna grew up in a patriarchal, religious family, under constant control. And even her mother chose the profession for her: the girl went to study at the Faculty of Philology, although she dreamed of becoming an oceanologist. But soon education faded into the background: at the age of 18, Anna became pregnant. “I dreamed of motherhood from the age of six, and at 14 I asked: “Mom, when can you get married with a certificate and have a child?” I barely waited until I came of age and was incredibly happy with the news of pregnancy: I sent text messages to my entire address book from my push-button phone. I guess I already felt that this was my calling.”

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But a quiet life on maternity leave did not work out: a few days after Maya’s birth, Anna’s first husband was sent to prison, and all her savings were stolen during a search. The young mother had to work four jobs, wondering how to feed her child. “My daughter supported me most of all then: she pulled me, motivated me, helped me get out of depression and get back on my feet.”

Anna assures that motherhood helped her survive adversity throughout her life: “Pregnancy protects against nervous shocks, this is how nature works. Defense mechanisms are triggered - and this became my drug, I wanted to be in this state all the time. The level of stress in my life is through the roof, but it doesn't throw me off track. Any person who finds himself in our family in the evening will go crazy within an hour - even just from the sound.”

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In a large family, also with four dogs, one cannot do without rules: children should not be insolent to their elders, they respect other people’s boundaries. Anna teaches them to help, sometimes artificially creating situations in which they support each other. “Only a creative person can be the mother of a large family: one organization is not enough, you need to come up with ways of interaction that will help children be happy. When you are a pilot of such a transatlantic Boeing, you are forced to change your strategy all the time.”

But Anna faced the most difficult task in 2021, adopting a girl Tanya with a rare serious disease - caudal regression syndrome; her lower body is underdeveloped. “Foster parenting is hard volunteer work,” Anna is sure. - This is not easy and not romantic: you must be prepared that the child will do everything to spite you, test your boundaries, may hate you and shout out terrible threats. But at the same time, you must understand that, if something happens, you will never return it.”

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The child’s adaptation from the orphanage was difficult: with hysterics and blackmail. “I tried to control her, predict her reactions, watch her every move, but it only got worse. Completely exhausted, I went to a renowned psychologist and said that I was at a dead end. He replied: “As long as you try to be stronger, she will not become your friend.” Then I began to show my vulnerability - and it worked, we established close, tender contact.” Anna applied the same method in raising her other children: “I realized that motherhood is, first of all, trust and friendship.”

Only a creative person can be the mother of a large family. You, as a transatlantic Boeing pilot, are forced to change strategies all the time.

She gave up excessive control and forbade herself from statements like “until you clean up, I won’t give you candy.” “Yes, these phrases are familiar, we have all heard them, but they destroy the child’s psyche and show him that manipulation is normal. This is where abusers and liars come from. What is important here is sincerity, constructive dialogue, and talking about your feelings.” Trust without surveillance has helped children open up: now even a teenage son tells his mother in detail about his first love.

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The experience with Tanya did not frighten Anna: now she and Sergei are planning to adopt two more children from Guinea-Bissau. “I believe that the world has no geographical boundaries, and it hurts me to see racism. I want to show by example that people are equal, that skin color does not make someone worse. In addition, in Russia, children in orphanages, although they need parents, do not sleep on the ground, and have the opportunity to eat and study. But in Africa they have nothing; there the death of a child is perceived as something ordinary. I want to help those who have never eaten their fill, slept in a real bed, or expected to live to see ten. Now my resources are enough for two healthy children. I believe I have to do this."

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To persuade her husband to take on this adventure, Anna had to resort to a trick: first she stated that she would like to return from Africa with four kids at once. “And Sergei is a hyper-responsible person. Every news about pregnancy caused him enormous stress, he was very worried, doubted whether we could cope.” But he couldn’t simply refuse his wife: the couple recently got married for the second time, and now each is trying to be attentive to the needs of the other. “I said that we could handle it, that we would become professional parents, maybe even start a home school. All this only frightened Sergei even more. For a week he sighed and was sad, and when the tension reached its peak, I said: “Let’s take just two?” He breathed out a sigh of relief: “Hurray! Let's".

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Now Anna dreams of using all her parenting talents in raising her granddaughter. She calls the pregnancy of her eldest daughter Maya a miracle: she really wanted to nurse the baby again, but she understood that another birth would be too serious a test for her body. “The only thing that makes me a little offended,” she smiles, “is that in our country the word “grandmother” is associated with old age. I think in my case grandma is much better suited.”

Two days after our conversation, Anna flew to Bali with three children: the rest said that they had too much to do and stayed to study in St. Petersburg. Anna is looking for alternative parenting methods and believes that surfing is an important part of it. “I would really like my parents to tell me as a child: “Let’s go to Indonesia to surf, well, this school!” It seems to me that after this I would be even more happy to return to lessons.”

From left to right. On Tanya: T-shirt, Simonetta. Van is wearing: Aletta polo; Billionaire jeans. On Varvara: Stella McCartney cardigan; Chloe T-shirt; Gucci skirt. Anna is wearing: James Pierce T-shirt; Off-White jeans. On Savva: Il Gufo pullover; Aletta trousers. Semyon is wearing: Ralph Lauren polo; Dsquared2 jeans. On Illaria: Stella McCartney dress, Polo Ralph Lauren cotton T-shirt.

Photo: Denis Gulyaev. Style: Hanna Khmeleva. Hairstyles: Yulia Khudozhnikova. Makeup: Olga Petrova. Stylist assistant: Anastasia Aksakova. Hairdresser's assistant: Alexandra Rodionova. Producer: Magda Kupreishvili. Producer assistant: Danil Belobraga

Anna Semak: “Some Zenit fans started cursing me”

The director of the fashion store F-people concept store, Irina Kharasova, celebrated her birthday in a non-trivial way - on the eve of the holiday, her longtime friend Anna Semak visited the store Photo: Amir Safin

“I HAD A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE—NO EDITOR COULD EDIT ME”

The director of the fashion store F-people concept store, Irina Kharasova, once again celebrated her birthday in a non-trivial way this week - if last year she arranged a meeting in the boutique with the famous etiquette teacher Tatyana Polyakova , then this time on the eve of the holiday the store visited her longtime friend Anna Semak . Apparently, they became close when her husband Sergei Semak captained Rubin Kazan. As a result, Kharasova turned out to be one of the few guests at the high-profile re-wedding of the football-blogger couple, posing with Svetlana Bondarchuk and celebrity makeup artist Serdar Kambarov in the interiors of a villa on Lake Como.
Semak presented her book “Closerness” - 100 copies brought to Kazan were instantly sold out, with some guests taking two or four copies at once on the eve of the New Year holidays. The autobiographical publication about “significant meetings and events” from the life of the writer, in the spirit of her elder comrades Tolstoy and Gorky, is divided into three parts: “Childhood”, “Youth” and “Maturity”. At the presentation, she complained that she did not have a moderator, and this role was taken on by another friend of the blogger, head of the creative agency Evolution Arina Sudakova , who asked when she started writing.

“When I was 6 years old, I wrote a poem,” said Semak and immediately quoted it. - “A brave border guard was driving from the sea, and a dog was in front of him. Let the thunderclap get to the guy, let the thirst of the young get to him, he won’t complain to people that life is not easy.” It is kept by my parents. I wrote my first book at the age of 8, it was called “He and She.” Later, Marc Levy stole the title from me.” By the way, Anna’s popular Instagram annas_secret_garden (517 thousand subscribers) was named after the garden in which the book was born. “In our private house we had our own secret garden, where I ran away in the morning and from where I returned late in the evening. I have always said that I did not go to kindergarten, but grew up in my secret garden, where my first dreams of becoming a writer were born. And there I wrote my first book,” she shared.

Later, the girl entered the philology department (apparently at Tver State University) thanks to her victory in the city essay competition, and after graduating she wrote articles for the men's magazine XXL. “I wrote there under a pseudonym for two years. The writer Marina Stepnova was my first editor, and she guided me very gently and correctly. Later I had a special privilege - no editor could edit me. Always, when I came to work somewhere, I had a condition: not a single word should be corrected,” Semak emphasized. Following her rule, BUSINESS Online also did not change anything in the writer’s direct speech.

Semak presented her book “Closeness” - an autobiographical publication about “significant meetings and events” from the life of the writer Photo: Amir Safin

“I HONESTLY TELL EVERYONE: I AM NOT IN A RESOURCE, I NEED TO LEAVE URGENTLY”

Next, Anna told an interesting detail - while living in Kazan, she wrote for 8 years for the magazine “Courage”. “I had my own column, and I had a place to diverge, because on Instagram you can write no more than 2 thousand characters, but there I have 5 thousand. The column was published once a month, people were waiting for it. My article was always accompanied by a cool illustration by my friend Eli Gordeeva - we had such joint creativity,” noted Semak. Then she wrote for Internet portals. She got Instagram after a trip to New York, where she met TV presenter Irena Ponaroshku .

“I walk into the lobby of the Metropolitan Opera, I have a shock of honey-colored hair fluttering and a red velvet skirt that matches the color of the flooring, I’m wearing high heels... And I kept imagining how I would finally realize my dream and how spectacularly, with a glass of champagne, I would parade in lounge, watching Puccini’s opera “La Bohème.” And the day before, Irena and I and our vegan brothers visited a dubious restaurant and tried a lot of things that shouldn’t have been mixed. And then, at the entrance to the Metropolitan Opera, I felt strange urges. Plus the horns in Times Square are incessant, the smells of food, from the sewer... In general, there was a collapse at the Metropolitan Opera. And after that I wrote a story and sent it to Irena. She says: “Why don’t you have Instagram?” I answer: “Listen, for my husband the words “death” and “Instagram” mean the same thing.” Irena said: “I promise that you will start Instagram and you will have 100 thousand subscribers in a year,” said Semak. Thus, personal embarrassment in the world opera hall became the reason for the appearance of her blog. For a long time, Anna was afraid to admit to creating an account to her husband, a rather non-public person. Stories and photographs were banned for him until 2021, and only recently did he relax and shoot content for the social network himself.

The writer shared that before Instagram, she physically devoted herself to children for 10 years - she was pregnant for 5 years and breastfeeding for 5 years. “All sorts of haters often write to me: “What kind of mother, she travels constantly, you can’t do that!” I just came up with the ideal formula for myself - I feel when I’m at zero and I’m no longer a mother, not a wife, not a friend, but an angry animal in a cage, and , when I understand that my presence in the house is no longer effective, I honestly inform everyone: I am not a resource, I need to leave urgently. I tried it for a day at first - good, great, but not enough. Then I realized that it’s better to fully charge the batteries, and I come back full and can give my children much more than if I’m in the state of an animal in a cage,” says the blogger and adds that lately he often comes to Kazan: they own their country house they were never sold at the request of their daughter Varvara , who was born in the capital of Tatarstan.

“THE BEST SCHOOL FOR MY SON IS SURFING!”

Anna also shared the secrets of her raising children. Her having many children was partly influenced by the words of a priest, a friend of her father. In his youth, he forced the girl to “forcibly confess” and said that she would “be saved by bearing children.” “I remembered this when I already had five children. I had a shock - a fateful phrase that determined my whole life,” said Semak. According to her, when she leaves, the father remains with the children, replacing five mothers. “We don’t even have a nanny who comes every day. My friends often bring their children to us because my husband is the best nanny. I have never met a better father in my life. When I leave, the children become closer to him. He takes everyone with him to the football base, the children play sports there, make friends with football players, and gain experience of adult life,” said the writer. The housekeeping issues in their house are handled by a Filipina who has been living with them for 6 years.

Speaking about teaching children, the blogger admitted that she considers surfing to be the best school for her son. “The whole school despises me. My kids go private and I have a few rules - I never participate in parent chats (I think many moms will understand). At one time I had 7 of them! And in the morning these pictures of cats, good morning... And it all comes down to the fact that a child can put a note in his diary with information that he needs to bring 500 rubles. And this eternal spam, a waste of your own and other people’s time... I don’t think it’s necessary to clog up your phone with millions of messages. I don't go to meetings because I don't have enough hours in the day to do my own thing. My children changed about 20 schools due to constant moving. And out of all the institutions, only twice did I attend a meeting where the information was presented in a abstract manner, the teacher was prepared in advance. Because the meeting is some kind of benefit performance for the teacher, a stream of consciousness. And it may not always resonate with ours. At some point I decided that I couldn’t waste time, sit for four hours and listen to something that could fit into short, important information,” she said and emphasized that she was outside of this system, which represents “stupid adherence to rules invented by other people."

Anna does not punish her children, because “punishment” comes from the word “execution.” “The traditional scheme of ‘I’ll deprive you of your iPhone’ is terribly destructive, in fact, it’s called manipulation,” she said. Moreover, Semak limited access for children to the popular social networks TikTok and Like, because men started writing to her 10-year-old daughter there. “The network is such a bait for pedophiles. I explained to the children that they cannot post everything on social networks. Still, you need to be careful,” the writer emphasized.

She did not send her children to kindergarten, because “the system averages the child’s talents.” Instead of early development, the blogger suggests paying attention to the behavior of parents. “I believe that you need to behave decently. It’s trite - don’t swear in front of a child, he understands everything. Don't quarrel with his father. The child is absolutely aware of everything and takes it personally,” notes Anna. In her opinion, if parents know how to achieve their goals, they are polite and kind, sincere and unhypocritical, then their children will be absolutely the same. “I read from one of the holy fathers that twin girls were enslaved. As a result, one of them ended up with a nun, and the second with a prostitute. A nun raised a nun, and a prostitute raised a prostitute. Decent people have decent children. If alcoholics grow up to have good children, then this is usually some kind of divine providence,” she believes.

According to Anna, when she leaves, her father, Sergei Semak, remains with the children, who replaces five mothers Photo: BUSINESS Online

“I KNEW FROM CHILDHOOD THAT I WOULD HAVE A BLACK-SKINED BABY”

One of the blogger’s fans asked her question, very nervous and embarrassed. Indeed, there is something hypnotic in Semak’s image and behavior - perhaps this explains the army of her fans, so many of whom gathered in the small room of the Kazan store that some had to watch what was happening from the stairs and floors above (however, their stay there was brightened up by snacks and champagne). The question concerned the trip (which also worried Zenit fans) of the Semak family to Africa. As it turned out, Anna was inspired to go there after the film “The Salt of the Earth” by Brazilian photographer Sebastian Salgado , where he showed the real life of the inhabitants of the continent.

“We will go with my husband, my friend Maria Lotte and the director (of the film that Semak will create - editor's note ). I always knew that I would end up in Africa - I have a very subtle intuition, I foresee some events in my life. Moreover, I always knew from childhood that I would have a dark-skinned baby. I immediately warned my husband as soon as we started dating: “You know, I will have a dark-skinned child.” He, of course, was shocked: “What do you mean?!” I say: “With you or not, I just know that this is my destiny.” I feel". Just as I knew that there would be an adopted child - I had no doubts about this since childhood,” shared Semak.

She began her search for a dark-skinned child through a friend who is married to a Nigerian. “I jokingly ask her: “Natasha, does anyone in the Nigerian community accidentally give up their child?” Otherwise, I feel like it’s my destiny, but for some reason the child doesn’t come to me,” said the writer. A friend pointed her to the creator of the Vanity boutique, Mila Anufrieva , who is now helping children in Africa. “I cried all night reading her stories,” the blogger admits. “The next day I called Mila. Naturally, it turned out that this was my man. She told me fantastic stories, and I realized that it was no coincidence that everything turned out this way.”

“For me, as a person of the world, there are no geographical boundaries. I believe that if we all live on the same planet, then we are all brothers. I can’t wrap my head around what kind of division this is.” Photo: Amir Safin

According to the wife of the Zenit coach, her husband somehow easily agreed to the trip, but there was a terrible commotion in the club. “When I wrote the post, it immediately reached the management: “Sergei Bogdanovich, weigh the risks.” Some Zenit fans started cursing me, writing: “Go anywhere, but leave our coach alone.” Not without temptations in good deeds, so I believe that this trip will change our lives,” says Anna. She also mentioned reproaches that she is helping not the residents of Russia, but the inhabitants of another continent. “I always explain here that, firstly, we help, and secondly, for me, as a person of the world, there are no geographical boundaries or conventions. I believe that if we all live on the same planet, then we are all brothers. I can’t wrap my head around what kind of division this is. If in India I see a dying cat on the road, will I really say: “We have so many cats in Russia, this is her karma, let her die here,” the writer noted. It’s interesting that the first black player at Zenit, Colombian defensive midfielder Vilmar Barrios , appeared just under Semak. Previously, the club followed a strange tradition of not signing such players.

The blogger also spoke about her future series of children’s books “in the spirit of Exupery’s The Little Prince,” exposing deep social problems, and advised reading Tanya Tank’s “Fear, I’m with you” about narcissism. “Now every second person is a narcissist, every first one is a little bit of an abuser,” the writer noted. She also talked about love in the spirit of many psychological sites and books: “People fall in love with what they have a strong hunger for. If a person has not received tactility from her parents, for example a girl from her father, then she will look for a warm, tactile man. Further development of the scenario depends on the spirituality of both partners. I am an Orthodox person, but in Buddhism there is such an interesting observation: if you meet a person and your knees are shaking, this is not love. Healthy relationships are about acceptance and partnership. “Dad” and “daughter”, “mother” and “son” - pure neuroticism.” After such words, I felt a little whiff of Mikhail Labkovsky , although Semak herself does not really like the popular psychologist.

The meeting ended with an autograph session and selfies with readers. All the snacks were eaten, the champagne was drunk, and the books were sorted. One of Kharasova’s friends, saying goodbye to her, oh

Parents and children

One of the most experienced and famous football players in the country, Sergei Semak, now playing for FC Zenit, is known not only for his professional achievements, but also for his rare love of children. Judging by a recent entry on the personal page of his wife, Anna, the family will soon have a sixth child. And the couple do not plan to stop there.

Sergei Semak is only thirty-five, but, unlike many flighty colleagues, he managed to have many more children than wives - the football player was married only twice.

In the photo: Sergei Semak with his eldest son Ilya

First marriage

Sergei met his first wife, Svetlana Demidova, in a cafe near his house when he was 17 years old, and courted her for a whole year. This marriage, which lasted more than ten years, gave Sergei a son, Ilya, who, by the way, announced during the divorce that he wanted to live not with his mother, but with his father. Sergei has four brothers, and in an interview he admits that he always dreamed of a large family. That is why, when he found out that his mistress, Anna, was pregnant, he categorically opposed the abortion, and then left Svetlana. However, he maintained a good relationship with his ex-wife, divided the property not according to the court, but according to conscience, and years after the divorce, Svetlana continued to live with Sergei’s brothers in the same big house.

Second marriage

Anna Semak “outstripped” Sergei in the number of marriages - the famous football player became the third husband of the editor-in-chief of the Kazan glossy magazine. After the sons Semyon and Ivan, Anna gave birth to Sergei’s daughter Varvara. There is a funny football story connected with Varvara. The baby was born on the day of a successful game between Semak’s home team, Rubin, and the Spanish Barcelona. The Champions League match ended in a draw, and the media reported that the happy father, in honor of the epoch-making event, named the girl... Barcelona! To this day, not everyone knows that it was a joke.

In the photo: Sergei with his second wife Anna

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“Sergey was at a training camp in the Emirates, took time off and flew home earlier,” says Anna Semak, “he said: “I felt that you would give birth soon.” The next day we went to the hairdresser together, and contractions started right in the chair. Without him it would have been very difficult for me, but when I saw Seryozha at the door in a doctor’s costume, I started laughing hysterically. He then sat at the equipment, counted contractions, and ran around according to all my requests. Then he accepted the child and treated him. When it was all over, the nurses told him: “We haven’t had such men here before.”

Sergei is proud of his participation in childbirth and believes that it was very important for him to gain this experience. And it serves as a living refutation of the myth that a man who has been through childbirth loses interest in his family. On the contrary, Semak’s entire large family lives very friendly. In addition to their three common children, Anna and Sergei are raising Maya, Anna’s daughter from her first marriage, whom Sergei always considers among his own children, without singling them out in any way. And, of course, Ilya, the son from his first marriage, always comes to visit with pleasure. And recently Anna wrote on a page on one of the social networks that she would give her husband a sixth child.

Strict but kind father

When Sergei Semak is asked what kind of father he is, he finds it difficult to answer - he is both strict and kind at the same time. “When I had one child, I still didn’t quite understand how important strictness is in upbringing, now I understand it very well,” Sergei admits, “Sometimes I am unfair, but for the most part, I am still a good father. Sometimes it can be difficult with growing children who flirt and go too far.

Also: In search of his missing son, a farmer found seven other people's children

There are certain actions that, in my opinion, should not be done. Up to a certain age, say, up to four or five years, almost everything can be allowed. When we still lived in Moscow, we had a large wall in our kitchen. We allowed the children to paint on it. We have a photograph of Semyon standing against the background of this wall like Salvador Dali. Now, of course, there are completely different requirements for him, but it almost never comes to the belt.”

Adoptive father

Anna Semak admits that she wanted to have many children next to Sergei. At first they talked about two, then about three, and then she realized that where there are three, there are already five, so at least two more are needed. Anna and Sergey are planning to adopt a child in the future; once they stopped literally half a step away from this. Anna saw a Vietnamese boy in the orphanage and began collecting documents. Sergei hesitated at first, then agreed. But other guardians, the family of a priest from Novosibirsk, managed to take the child. To participate in the fate of her beloved baby, Anna became his godmother.

The most exemplary famous mothers and fathers
Elena Chirkova

The rich family of Sergei Semak. The football player has 8 children

Sergei Semak made a brilliant football career, and then became an equally brilliant coach. But his sporting successes are not the only thing he can be proud of.

In addition, Sergei Bogdanovich is a father of many children, and one of his daughters is adopted.

The sporting achievements of Sergei Semak are known to everyone; he is rightfully considered one of the most successful players in the entire history of Russian football.

But, along with this, the man also managed to arrange a happy family nest, although this did not work out the first time.

Sergei's second wife Anna was part of a love triangle for several years. The footballer actively courted her, achieved reciprocity, but did not dare to divorce his first wife, since there was a son growing up in the family.

Children

Like all women, I am susceptible to burnout.
Sometimes I can be tough with children if they behave differently. Sometimes I want to be rude to my husband when I don’t find the resource in myself to answer as a lady should. But it normal! You need to give your emotions an outlet, but know when to stop, without falling into a state of passion. We are very ossified in the stereotypes of past years. Unfortunately, the modern parent devotes little time to thinking about himself, about the spiritual path - and often mistakes other people's thoughts for his own.

You need to be a surfer in your relationship with children. Be a friend, but respect boundaries. Knock on the room every time before entering. I'm your parent, but I respect your space.

Photo from Anna Semak's Instagram

In raising children, you must establish such contact that the child, looking into your eyes, already understands what you want from him.

When I went to my first meeting with my future adopted daughter, I agreed with myself that I would listen to my heart. And if I feel even the slightest resistance, I will not force myself. If I feel that it is not mine, I will retreat. Fortunately, this did not happen.

It seems to me that a lot of our children are scattered around the world. You just need to be in the right place in time and not be afraid to take this step.

Relationship

I can raise my tone, yes. But I consider excessively emotional behavior, such as breaking dishes, yelling and insulting people, unacceptable. Man is a rational being and can fully control himself.

We have a warm, friendly atmosphere in our family; we are, first and foremost, comrades. Every evening with my husband, instead of scrolling through an Instagram feed the size of a toilet roll, we try to read books or discuss important topics.

I consider like-mindedness to be the strongest aspect of our marriage. We discuss work, educational problems, spiritual topics, politics, plans for the future.

Love is a seed from which, if properly cared for, can grow into a huge branchy baobab tree.

House

When you have such a large farm, the question of priorities arises. You roughly understand where you should go now so that everything goes as usual. I can sense when I need to plug in here or patch up there. This comes with experience.

I love cooking, building and organizing space. During Lent I prepare food for the monastery; I love this time. I like to come up with new dishes and experiment without using ready-made recipes.

Adhering to a strict plant-based diet, I try to infect others with my useful experience. I promote a culture of healthy eating through my restaurant in the Sevkabel Port space in St. Petersburg. But I don’t recruit anyone! I'm a vegan, not an extremist.

At a certain age, a woman must learn to accept herself for who she is, but this does not mean that you can relax and torment your household with your outright vices. Accept your appearance, cute weaknesses - yes.

A woman who does not seek to reshape nature, who is confident in what she is doing, carries herself with dignity, like a five-decker ship on the Pacific Ocean.

Job

I have my own little writing corner on the grounds of my house, where I go to work every morning and devote as much time as I can physically to the task.

When you come to an agreement with yourself, you begin to hear yourself, your work becomes much more effective. You understand what you are capable of, you are aware of all your strengths and weaknesses.

There is no need to set Olympic goals. Take small steps, it will be easier for you to enjoy the result and move forward a little more.

Development

My self-love manifests itself in taking care of my spiritual and physical health. You admit your weakness, rely on God and His providence.

Lord, yes, I am weak, I can’t do anything without Your help. Yes, I have many shortcomings, help me defeat the old man inside me. Lord, thank you for the intelligence that You have endowed me with. Thank you for the strong body that You have given me. Thank you for every day you live and the opportunities that You open for me.

Important

I get so deeply depressed that I can cry in front of my husband and complain that I’m very tired. It’s not scary to show your vulnerability to a loved one; it’s worse to be a victim, achieving some of your goals through this state. Neither my husband nor I allow this to happen in our relationship. Like any living person, I have moments when I reach the extreme point. But I remember that I have many children, and I am responsible for them - I gather my strength, breathe and return to my duties, resetting the counters.

We went through different stages - we were beginners, defending holy ideals almost with our fists, but, fortunately, not for long. A distinctive feature of a neophyte is to save everyone and accept martyrdom. This period ends as soon as we face our passions, weaknesses and understand that on our own, without God, we are nothing.

What helped me during self-identification was that I don’t like hypocrisy. In church, for example, I wear a skirt and a headscarf, but when I leave, I hide all the attributes of a pious lady and go to a restaurant completely different. I hated that these two images did not match. Tattoos, hairstyles, clothes (if we are not talking about a vulgar image that confuses people) - all this is not as important as a burning, merciful, sensitive heart. I think that the Lord first of all pays attention to what kind of person you are, and not to how the scarf is tied or the length of your skirt.

There was a period with my eldest son when he told me that he needed time to sort out his faith on his own. I realized that I needed to let the child go and talk not with my son about God, but with God about my son. At some point there was a warming, he asked to celebrate his birthday in the monastery, because he wanted peace, silence, a good male choir instead of children's screams.

Personal

I grew up in an Orthodox family. My dad often repeats that no matter how much grace a person receives, he, like a leaky vessel, constantly wastes this grace, being left with nothing.

I went through a period of rebellion as a teenager when I realized that believing in God was inconvenient. Friends invite you to discos, everyone around you wears trendy things, exposes your belly and legs, and listens to modern music. And at home there is always fasting, moral teaching and continuous taboos. I felt dissonance: why was that world so bright and inviting, but here so harsh and inhospitable? And at some point I took the path of least resistance.

When I existed outside the Church, I remember that I did not tolerate blasphemy. While in company, having heard blasphemous statements, especially addressed to the Mother of God, I always said that I would get up and leave if this did not stop.

On the eve of my final school exams, I decided to go to church. At that time we lived in Tver. The only church in my hometown that has never closed is the White Trinity. She approached the Crucifixion, where she had prayed since her early years, and tearfully asked God to finish school with dignity and go to university.

And at every exam, miracles happened: I came across exactly the right ticket - the only one out of fifty that I learned.

Footballers' wives: "Mrs. Sheva" and Mrs. Semak

Euro-Football.Ru continues to take a closer look at the wives of football players as part of its column of the same name.

This time we will take a break from overseas beauties and take a closer look at our local, domestic, so to speak, production. The Slavic auto industry may not be able to compete with the Western one, but our girls are certainly no worse. True, in this article it will not be possible to refrain from a comparative analysis.

Let's start with Sergei Semak's wife, Anna. They have been married relatively recently - since 2008. Before this, both had experience of unsuccessful family relationships (Anna has two ex-husbands), both have children from their first marriages: Sergei had a son, Ilya, Anna had a daughter, Maya. But the couple has four “jointly acquired” children: sons Semyon, Ivan and a very young boy, born in April of this year. Sergei does not mention his name, saying that he does not want to do this until the child is baptized. In addition, the couple had a daughter, Varvara, on November 4, 2009. The guys joked that they named the child “Barcelona”, but, fortunately, it turned out to be a joke. Total: six children! Semak, of course, is a great guy and deserves respect for such “effort,” but please note that Anna is raising the children! And at the same time she continues to remain a charming woman.

But behind almost every happiness lies a little tragedy. We don’t know what Anya’s previous marriages were like and why they broke up, but Sergei was previously quite successfully married. Semak met his first wife, Svetlana, when he was eighteen years old. He met in a cafe - he liked the girl, he was not immediately able to get consent to further meetings, but then he managed to “win” his girlfriend. The couple got married in 1995 and lived happily for quite a long time. However, it turned out this way. That in the end Svetlana could not stand the test of her husband’s fame - scenes of jealousy became more frequent, which sooner or later any respectable family man gets tired of. Semak was mentally tired at home, and at that very moment Anna appeared in his life. Then events developed according to the usual schedule for such matters - Anya gradually moved from the status of a “heartfelt friend” to the status of a beloved and only wife. Sergei parted with Svetlana on good terms, they managed to maintain normal human relations - after all, they still have a son. Although the ex-wife periodically gives scandalous interviews to various “colored” media, mainly accusing Anna of taking Sergei away from the family. And in many other bad matters too - we will not mention the “entire range” of grievances of an abandoned woman - we are, nevertheless, a resource of a different kind.

By the way, Semak could have had more children. Anna really wanted to adopt a Vietnamese child, but Sergei thought this idea was too extravagant: “No euphoria!” The head of the family put an end to it. As a result, Anya became the godmother of a child who was sheltered by the family of a priest from Novosibirsk. In everyday life, free from visiting stadiums (Sergei, by the way, does not welcome the appearance of his wife in the stands), Anya writes, for example, fairy tales, and the most famous of them is “Koryuzlitsa”. He is also trying himself in another genre - the book “The subscriber does not answer or is temporarily unavailable” was published in ONE copy - a gift to Sergei Bogdanovich, so to speak. It seems that the married couple are quite happy both alone with each other and when surrounded by a large number of children. They are happy in their inner circle with all the established traditions that have become familiar to them - like the obligatory evening tea party.

It seems that Semak’s peer, Ukrainian striker Andrei Shevchenko, is quite happily married. He met his wife, American model Kristen Pazik, at a party in 2002 after another show of his good friend Giorgio Armani. Both Kristen and Andrei periodically appeared on the catwalk, so it was only a matter of time before they met. On July 14, 2004, their wedding took place in Washington. It is interesting that initially Andrey did not speak well “in the language of Shakespeare” (as well as in Ukrainian and Italian), but he was always distinguished by an indefatigable desire to improve and work on himself. So, in the end, he mastered English and taught his wife to speak a little Russian. The couple has two grown-up boys: Jordan (2004) and Christian (2006). Silvio Berlusconi himself really wanted to become the godfather of the first-born of the Shevchenko couple, but this did not happen - the Catholic Church does not allow a divorced person to be a godfather... And Don Silvio is not just divorced, he is “divorced squarely,” so to speak.

They talk a lot about the fact that in their family “the woman wears the pants,” and Andrei is henpecked. Shevchenko, hearing such questions, smiles condescendingly and claims that he and Kristen make all important decisions at the family council. This was the case when Sheva moved to Chelsea. He met Roman Abramovich in a restaurant, the men started talking, and then became friends. Perhaps it was at that moment that Roman Arkadyevich “got the idea” of luring the star forward to his club. Kristen liked this idea, especially since Milan, compared to London, in her eyes was boring and provincial. One way or another, Shevchenko moved to the “blue” camp in 2006. From that moment on, as is commonly believed, his career began to decline. But in London it was good for both Kristen and the children. The wife, in turn, three years later agreed to move to Kyiv, where Andrei plays for his home club Dynamo.

Kristen continues to work as a fashion model - Roman Abramovich’s wife Irina helped her with her work in London, and there were also sympathetic people in Kyiv. She and her sons travel several times a month along the route New York - London - Kyiv, Andrey also often travels to visit his wife and children. From time to time, rumors arise about the couple's imminent divorce, but then Andrei and Kristen appear together, outwardly completely happy and contented, and the hype subsides. She loves and honors his parents, promises to take her husband’s surname after finishing her modeling career, and for now, in addition, she is involved in charity work. That is, “every happy couple is equally happy.”

Special correspondent Valery Kovalevich

SVETLANA SEMAKE: I HAVE ONLY ONE FRIEND

Probably every person dreams of finding his destiny on earth. After all, meeting her promises him not only lasting happiness, but also long-awaited peace of mind. Sergei Semak apparently found both in one of the capital’s cafes. In any case, when I asked one of the most press-reclusive Russian football players to introduce me to his wife, the CSKA leader calmly replied: “This question is not for me. There Sveta is sitting at the table. Make an appointment with her if you want to do an interview...” That’s what I did.

THE WEDDING WAS PLAYED A MONTH AFTER THE WEDDING - Svetlana, did you know anything about the football player Semak before you met him? - No, Sergei was only 18 years old then. Besides, I wasn’t interested in football at all. It’s just that in December 1994, two companies were sitting in a small cafe near the Kantemirovskaya metro station. In one I am with my friends, in the other - Sergei and friends. I won’t lie, I immediately singled him out from the rest. And he looked at me very carefully. And it all ended that evening with Sergei, leaving the cafe, giving me a bouquet of flowers and a note in which he stated that our chance meeting was great luck for us. I mentally absolutely agreed with him. My mother, when I brought those flowers home, just said: “Oh, another admirer...” I was surprised: why another? I didn’t take others seriously. — When was the next time you met?

- Not right away.
As it turned out later, Sergei and I were then living in the same house next to “Kantemirovskaya”! I am with my parents, and he rented an apartment there. But soon after our first meeting, he went on vacation to his native Lugansk. His parents live there, and he celebrated the New Year with them. And we met again only on Orthodox Christmas. By that time, I managed to find his friends in the same cafe, and they confirmed my first impressions, assuring me that Sergei was the guy worth waiting for. — Probably in the winter, in the first months of dating, it was difficult for you to find places for dates?
— In the summer, of course, there are more options for entertainment.
But we didn’t look for them. We just felt good everywhere alone. Once, I remember, in the terrible January frost, we just wandered the streets for a long time. Sergei constantly asked if I was cold. She answered that I was warm, although it was freezing, of course. And only when my eyelashes were covered with frost, Sergei realized that it was time to accompany me home. — Did you start thinking about the wedding quickly?
“At first we didn’t do any calculations.
It was already very easy for us to be with each other. I felt like I had met my destiny. And later I became convinced that I was not mistaken. Sergey is an amazingly kind and attentive person. And we got married in December 1995. And they got married a month before. - Why did you wait a whole month after the wedding?
— I believe that the church ceremony and the wedding in our modern Russian understanding should be separated in time.
After the wedding, it’s probably not worth going straight to the restaurant. Although we had a lot of fun at the wedding later. — Were Sergei’s teammates there?
- Yes, sure. The whole team, led by its coach Alexander Tarkhanov, gathered in the restaurant. He then congratulated us very warmly. By the way, Sergei still has good, human relations with him. My husband's parents also came to the wedding. I wasn't familiar with them before. They presented us with a Ukrainian wedding loaf decorated with viburnum berries. It is believed that it brings happiness.

MOTHER FORMS THE RUSSIA TEAM - Was it difficult for you to get used to the fact that your husband is forced to spend a lot of time outside the home? - Yes, I still can’t come to terms with it. And at first it was very difficult. Sergei once gave me a wonderful talking bear. You touch him, and he says: “I love you.” So the first time after the wedding, when Sergei was leaving for training camp, I constantly fell asleep with this teddy bear. — Have you managed to become a football fan yourself?

“Of course, I’m very worried about my husband.
But now I almost never go to the stadium. Three or four years ago I regularly watched matches with CSKA. I wanted to get to know football better. But I know that Sergei doesn’t really like it when I watch him play from the stands. Moreover, after the birth of my son, there is not enough time to go to the match. But my parents became real CSKA fans. Previously, they were more interested in hockey, and not very actively. Now they try not to miss a single home football match with the participation of the army team. And my mother even composes her own version of the Russian national team. Sergei is usually listed in it as a striker. — Does he share his football problems with you?
- Not always.
I am not privy to the details of intra-team life. But I feel Sergei’s mood perfectly. When he calls after the match, I understand from the intonation how CSKA played. He himself is very worried about the team's defeats. It can be very difficult to console him. It is important for him to understand the reasons for failures himself. — During the protracted crisis of the team, Sergei practically did not communicate with journalists...
— Yes, but not because he harbored some kind of resentment. After defeats, even at home he can sit in a chair for hours without talking to anyone. It’s good that CSKA has finally gotten out of the crisis. Now the atmosphere in the team, in my opinion, has improved significantly.

SERGEY SURPRISES WITH CULINARY TALENT - Is running a family household difficult for you? “It doesn’t burden me too much.” Moreover, Sergei, for example, is not very picky when it comes to food. At the same time, he himself sometimes surprises me with his culinary abilities. If he has free time, he goes to the stove on his own initiative. He cooks wonderful soups and stews vegetables in the oven. - Does it happen that you quarrel?

- Anything can happen, of course.
But we can't stay angry at each other for long. And, if necessary, I myself take the first step towards it - I don’t think that this is a man’s prerogative. — Were you really looking forward to the birth of your child?
— Ilya was born two years after our wedding.
And we waited impatiently for the moment when he would be born. Frankly speaking, I hoped that I would have a girl, but I was also very happy about my son. I treat him like a mother hen: I try to have him always next to me. I almost never leave him with my parents. Although we also have a nanny. Now Sergei and I are already thinking about having a second child, I’m already psychologically ready for this. And in the more distant future, he wants to have at least four children. He absolutely adores them. — Before the birth of your son, did you manage to get an education?
— No, I studied at Natalia Nesterova University for two years at the Faculty of Economics.
And then she left there to work at customs. They still call me back there. Now, of course, I’m thinking about continuing my education. — Doesn’t Sergei’s popularity, including among young CSKA fans, irritate you?
- No, I treat her completely calmly.
Obviously, first of all, because Sergei never gave me reasons for jealousy. — How did you feel about the fact that he starred in a famous television advertisement?
- Positive.
Although the filming brought Sergei a lot of excitement. He was very worried about how everything would turn out in the end. True, then I was pleased with what I saw. And recently he flew to England for advertising filming. Everything suited him there too. — Are you ready to go abroad if Sergei signs a contract with a Western club?
- I think about eighty percent. Of course, leaving is always difficult - parents and other close people remain in their homeland. I like a lot about the relationships between people in the West. Envy is too common in our country; people do not often wish good things to their neighbors. And by and large we have very few friends here. I have only one friend who can always understand me. She and I have been friends since first grade. In general, I don’t strive to expand my circle of acquaintances.