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| “ | Do that, and you'll lose everything. Any money you may have--although I doubt you have much--will be gone. Do you have a house? Do you have a car? All gone. Your life and the lives of your family and friends, everything will be destroyed. | „ |
| ~ Galina threatens Anora. |
Galina Zakharova is the main antagonist of the Oscar-winning 2024 romantic comedy drama Anora.
A Russian oligarch, she is the wife of the fashion tycoon Nikolai Zakharov and the mother of the wayward socialite Ivan "Vanya" Zakharov. After learning of her son eloping with the stripper Anora "Ani" Mikheeva in Las Vegas, she and her husband travel to the United States to oversee the annulment of the marriage. While her husband appears humbler and passive, Galina is gaudy, haughty and aggressive, cruelly utilizing her influence to get her way. As such, she is both feared and despised by her employees - and own family.
Galina is portrayed by Russian actress Darya Ekamasova.
Background[]
Prior to the events of Anora, Galina had been married to Nikolai, the head of a powerful Russian fashion empire, for a long period of time. As oligarchs, the couple came to wield tremendous financial and political power on an international scale. They established homes around the globe, including one in New York City. Galina birthed Vanya, who proved to be a spoiled child whose wayward hijinks became a recurring nuisance. Galina and Nikolai would direct several of their employees, including Vanya's godfather Toros, to monitor him while they remained in Russian and he stayed in New York.
Anora[]
Galina and Nikolai receive word that Ivanya has married a stripper in the United States. They immediately send their enforcers, Igor and Garnik, to confirm the rumor. When the enforcers receive confirmation, they call Toros and unlawfully detain Vanya & Anora while he is en route. When Toros arrives and photographs the marriage certificate, he contacts Galina, who cries into the phone. The parents immediately charter a private flight for New York while directing their enforcers to oversee the annulment of the marriage. This is complicated by the fact that Vanya flees from their mansion - and the marriage was in Nevada and not New York.
Galina arrives in New York with Nikolai. Upon seeing Vanya, she scolds him for turning the family into a "national disgrace". She fiercely rebukes Anora's invitation to treat as family, declaring that the marriage is illegitimate - and that her Russian is terrible. She flies into a rage when Toros informs her that the marriage was in another state, prompting her to character an immediate flight to Las Vegas. As the group makes their way onto the plane and Vanya concedes to his mother's wishes, Anora rejects Galina's orders and declares that she will sue her and Vanya for half their net worth. Galina coldly threatens to use her power to take away everything Anora holds dear, including her family, friends and worldly possessions. Recognizing the legitimacy of the threat, Anora relents and boards the plane.
As the plane is in transit, Galina joins her husband in ridiculing Vanya and declaring that he will join the family business in Russia. Once in Vegas, the group goes to get the marriage annulled. After Vanya & Anora sign the annulment form and Galina photographs it, Igor suggests that Vanya apologize to his now-ex-wife, cowing Toros and provoking Galina to sharply rebuke. Anora lambasts Vanya, calling him a "pussy" to Galina, to Nikolai's amusement. When Galina retorts that Anora is a "disgusting hooker", Anora gets the last word in by saying that Vanya "hates [her] so much that he married one to piss [her] off". As Galina stews in resentment, Nikolai laughs hysterically.
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