Russian Movie in Space Part 4

 Elizaveta Zaretskaya - ready for an acting job in orbit!

When we last visited “The Challenge” project, several weeks ago, the window for women to submit their applications was still open. It was closed on 31st December, just as Russia entered the long New Year and Orthodox Christmas holiday. If the organisers follow their original schedule they should spend January identifying and calling around 30 candidates to the next stage. As part of the efforts to encourage interest, anyone interested in entering was asked to use the hashtag #хочувкосмос, on social media posts, videos etc. Some women have done this, but our impression is that the number is quite small – probably under 100. That said, perhaps not everyone, and especially professional actresses want to advertise their plans, in this way. Time will tell.

In addition, since our piece on this topic, their has been a little more opposition to the project, in the political sphere, so the organisers still have some hurdles to overcome, if they are to get their actress into Space, in none months.

Meanwhile, we’ve been talking to another adventurous young woman who is ready to rise to the challenges. Elizaveta Zaretskaya is 31. She is a talented singer, musician and song-writer, with her own fitness business, and taste for adventure. She has a significant presence on social media, with a very active, and vibrant, Instagram account, which has 32,000 followers.

 What did Liza think, when she first saw the project advertised, in October? “

“Honestly, the first thing that popped into my mind was ‘Why the hell not?’. We only get one shot at life and there is nothing more amazing to do with that shot than going into space. And when such opportunity presented itself, I knew that I had to give it my all. I also thought, ‘Who else can do it, if not me?’. My life has been filled with challenges that I’ve faced and overcame and it seem fitting that the film will be called ‘The Challenge.’ To me, it’s a challenge that I cannot back down from. I have dreamed of going into space all of my life.”

Our interviews for the Space Sleuthing Blog have shown that this project especially appeals to young women who have already enjoyed extreme sports, and who are not fazed by taking calculated risks, and Liza fits this profile.

“All of my life I have been very active and I have an abundance of experience in skydiving. I have over 100 jumps, more than 300 hours in high tier wind tunnel. I have mastered free fly and dynamic free fly, which encompasses various complex acrobatic maneuvers in the air. Additionally, I am an avid motorcycle rider, with years of experience, as well as a surfer and skier. Ultimately, I am very adaptive and accustomed to extreme and high-risk environments.”

The initial requirements of the ‘Challenge’ set out fairly strict physical and fitness requirements. First and foremost, the successful candidate will need to meet the strict physical and psychological dimensions required to be a cosmonaut. In this project, these will be more important than acting skills or experience. How is Liza tackling these specifications?

“I am taking this competition very seriously and therefore made the decision to get ahead in this regard. I have worked as a coach for years and now run my own stretching school, in which I assist my students in getting more agile and flexible for their athletic needs. I have also already started preparations for this spaceflight. I have daily running, swimming and weight routines that I follow. On top of my experiences outlined above, I began training the same day as I found out about the competition. I have 2-3 sessions a day which include swimming, running as well as endurance and cardio training. All of these are guided by professional trainers.”

But, what about the performing, acting and artistic side of the project?

“I write and perform my own songs and music. I am a capable musician and singer. In 2019, I held my first concert to perform my album in Moscow, to which over 200 people showed up. Later, I had the pleasure to perform live in front of over a thousand people at a business congress. I have experience as an author, composer and performer. Public speaking is another area in which I have a generous amount of expertise. I had the pleasure to deliver presentations as a motivational speaker, as well as a businesswoman at various business forums at Citrix 24 congress. Regarding acting, I have my own blog on Instagram that I update daily for tens of thousands of people. Naturally I must possess charisma and make every post and live event entertaining to maintain an audience of this size.”

So, how does Liza sum up her overall passion and motivation to participate, in “The Challenge”? How does she feel about sitting on top of a rocket, waiting to be fired into Space?

“I consider this project to be wild and a little bit mad. But it’s precisely things like this that captivate me. I love doing extraordinary things, defying expectations and doing what most people only dream of. Going to space is exactly that. It is the craziest, extraordinary and, dare I say, coolest thing I could ever do in my life.”

“The things that would incite fear in most people, awakens a wild fascination in me. I always yearn to test myself in extreme conditions. There is no more satisfying feeling then knowing that I was able to face the challenge and overcome it where others would turn away. I imagine that when I would approach the rocket, I would feel pride, anticipation, most importantly, joy. The joy of knowing that this is happening. That I am onboard a spaceship and am about to reach the stars!”

As we said earlier, the next few weeks should move this project to the next stage. Here at the Space Sleuthing Blog, we wish Liza, and our earlier interviewees, Svetlana Savina  and Anastasia Barannik success in reaching the final thirty candidates, and would love to see one of them, eventually make it into Space!