Katya Yakovleva

Ekaterina Sergeevna "Katya" Yakovleva (born 23 February 1991; Russian: Екатерина Сергеевна "Катя" Яковлева) is a Russian singer-songwriter, model, actress, and a member of the European girl-group Velvet Fabrication.

Early Life
Ekaterina Sergeevna Yakovleva was born on February 23, 1991 in Petrozavodsk, Russia at the end of the Soviet Union. Her mother, Eleni, is from Greece and was a singer in the 1980s. Her father is a Russian music producer. Yakovleva started singing professionally at age 5, when she was cast as the main character in a children's musical show which aired in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine from 1996-2004. After the show ended she began a career as a teen singer in Russia, earning two number-one songs, "Кто?" and "Виолетта." When asked about her childhood, she stated, "I don't think I really had one, I never attended actual school and was working full-time since I was 5. I don't think that's very healthy but at the time it was what I wanted. Probably the biggest regret of my life." She took a break from performing to attend National Research University – Higher School of Economics in Moscow. She graduated as apart of the Class of 2013.

2013-present: Velvet Fabrication
Yakovleva was announced as a member of the group along with the others in March 2013, as the "Ex-Soviet European" of the group. She is currently writing and recording with the others for their debut album.

Personal Life
After graduating from college, Yakovleva moved to Paris, France, stating, "I wanted to go somewhere where no one knew who I was, I was desperate to escape my life of fame in Russia, as weird as that seems, just to be normal." She also revealed that she believed she suffered from depression during her childhood and teenage years, but moving out of the country "cured" it. She currently spends her time between Paris, France and London, England, only returning to Russia to visit family on rare occasions.

Trivia

 * She was raised both Russian and Greek Orthodox, but currently belongs to no religion.
 * She can speak fluent Russian, Greek, English, and French.
 * She has a degree in mathematics.