Svetlana Zhiltsova, Soviet broadcaster and TV presenter. Biography

Svetlana Alekseevna Zhiltsova was born in 1936 in Moscow. She was the only child in the family. Since school, Svetlana was fond of literature, studied in the artistic word circle of the capital's Palace of Pioneers. Among the subjects, English was especially easy for her. This largely determined the further choice of Svetlana Zhiltsova's profession.

Education and early career

After school Zhiltsova entered the pedagogical faculty of the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages named after Maurice Thorez. In her fourth year, she won a competition for the role of an announcer-translator in a Soviet-Canadian film about pop stars, which became her television pass.

Svetlana combined daytime studies with evening work as an announcer, reading the programs of the programs. The live broadcast debut happened by accident: two hours before the broadcast of the children's sports festival in Luzhniki, TV presenter Valentina Leontieva fell ill, and Zhiltsov was urgently replaced. The broadcast was successful, and from that moment on, Svetlana Zhiltsova's career on Central Television took off.

Children's and youth programs

Zhiltsova hosted almost all the popular children's shows of the 1960s and 1970s: "Good night, kids!", "Funny notes", "Alarm Clock", "Pioneer". Her sincerity and ability to have fun with children made her a favorite of young viewers. Later, youth quizzes and music shows appeared in the repertoire — "Morning Mail", "Music Kiosk", "According to your letters", "Ogonek".

Svetlana's mentors were Olga Vysotskaya, an All-Union radio announcer, and Igor Kirillov.

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KVN and music shows

From 1961 until its closure in 1972, Zhiltsova was a co-host of KVN, first with Albert Axelrod, then with Alexander Maslyakov. After the revival of KVN, she returned in the first season as an honorary member of the jury. Her kindness, sense of humor and ability to communicate with the participants made her a real favorite of the audience.

From 1976 to 1979, the TV presenter hosted the Song of the Year festival, and also worked at the Blue Light.

Retirement from broadcasting and subsequent activities

In 1993, Zhiltsova retired from the screen and took up teaching at the National Higher School of Television, passing on her experience to young journalists and presenters. Later, she gave up teaching and led a non-public lifestyle, rarely agreeing to participate in talk shows and interviews.

Titles and awards

In 1978, Svetlana Zhiltsova was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. In 2011, she was awarded the Order of Honor for her contribution to the development of Russian television and many years of work on the air.

Personal life

Svetlana Zhiltsova met her future husband, Candidate of Technical Sciences Vladimir Serebrennikov, in the company of friends. After a brief courtship, the couple got married, and in 1962 their son Ivan was born. The couple lived together for 58 years. After the death of her husband, who passed away in 2019, the TV presenter was supported by her son and granddaughters Katya and Lisa, to whom she devoted most of her time.

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Last years and death

In recent years, Svetlana Zhiltsova has led a secluded life, taking care of her family and a country garden.

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the TV presenter died at the age of 89. According to Ivan Zhiltsov's son, the cause of death was a long-term illness.