MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Russia will hold its presidential elections on Sunday, March 18. Eight candidates are running for the highest office in the Russian Federation. Among them is TV personality and socialite Ksenia Sobchak (nominated by Civil Initiative).

Sobchak was born on November 5, 1981 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Her father Anatoly Sobchak (1937-2000) served as St. Petersburg mayor in 1991-1996. Her mother Lyudmila Narusova is a member of the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament).

Sobchak studied at St. Petersburg State University (Department of International Relations). In 2001 she moved to Moscow and enrolled in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

Sobchak became famous in 2004, as a host of the reality show Dom-2 at the TNT channel. She left the show in 2012. She also took part in many TV projects in Russia, Ukraine and Georgia.

She was editor-in-chief of women’s magazine SNC and the Russian edition of L’Officiel.

Sobchak turned to politics in December 2011, after the elections to the State Duma, and took part in a number of protest rallies.

Sobchak was hosting programs on the TV channels Dozhd (Rain), RBC, Pyatnitsa (Friday), TV-3 and others.

She is the author of several books and acted in a number of movies and TV series.

According to Forbes Magazine, in 2017 Sobchak is the 10th highest paid celebrity in Russia.

Sobchak announced her plans to run for the Russian presidency on October 18, 2017. The Civil Initiative party later supported her nomination.

The Russian Central Election Commission registered his candidacy on February 8, 2018.

Sobchak is married to Maxim Vitorgan, a Russian actor and TV director. Their son Platon was born in 2016.