Russian actress Maria Shalaeva, who openly spoke out against the special military operation and left Russia with her children, has revealed that she’s now working as a taxi driver in Paris.
Sharing the news on Instagram, the 44-year-old admitted it wasn’t easy to talk about:
“Now for some real life. It’s difficult… even a little awkward. Almost feels like something to be ashamed of. But today was my very first day working as a taxi driver. That’s it. And you know what? I’m just as nervous as I was on my very first day on a film set.”
Her followers quickly rallied around her with words of support:
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“We’ll get through this! I’m collecting glasses in a London bar.”
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“It’s great you didn’t just sit and wait for something to happen. Work is work — there’s no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ jobs.”
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“Nothing shameful about it. Honest work is always worthy.”
Shalaeva’s journey has been anything but ordinary. In 2022, shortly after the start of the conflict, she left Russia with her 17-year-old son, Nestor, following their detention at a protest rally. Her 15-year-old daughter, Evdokia, later joined them.
Since moving to France, Maria hasn’t just been driving — she’s been reinventing herself. She learned French, appeared on stage in Paris alongside writer Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, and even took part in film shoots earlier this year. In an interview with Ksenia Sobchak, she explained that she doesn’t see emigration as a trauma:
“It feels like we live on a planet, not within strict, drawn borders.”
Maria’s story is a reminder that starting over abroad often means embracing unexpected paths — and that dignity lies in any honest work, whether it’s acting under the spotlight or driving the streets of Paris.