This woman is doing her thing: Russian-born Oksana Kolenitchenko, 34, is taking the next step with her husband and two children (Arielle, 5, and Milan, 7). moved to Las Vegas. after two years of the pandemic. The new center of his life is to be established there. In the interview, the singer reveals exactly what is behind this decision, in which he also lets it be known that everything in his life is not always sunshine and roses. But in the upcoming episode, a second wedding promise on Mykonos with husband Daniel is supposed to replace the dark times and celebrate their love. For the first time, his father will be by his side after years of fighting. However, this tenth wedding anniversary has more surprises in store than the “Goodbye Germany” icon would like. You can see it all on Friday, September 2 at 8:15 pm on VOX, because that’s where the family gives exclusive insights into “Oksana’s world”.
WESER-KURIER: If you had to describe your marriage to Daniel in three words, what would they be?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: I have to think about that for a moment. Unity, loyalty and definitely explosive (laughs).
WESER-KURIER: At what point explosive? Does your marriage often break up?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: You must know that there is a big difference between me and my husband: Daniel is very pessimistic. I, on the other hand, always see the positive. He always says he’s a realist, but I see him more as a skeptic. But I think that’s exactly why we always find a middle ground that makes us both happy.
WESER-KURIER: So is it a particular challenge to have your husband by your side as a business partner?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: Yes, it is certainly a challenge, but we complement each other very well. Although we are two alpha animals with our opinions, we always reach a common denominator in the end. Even if it pops a lot, I feel that popping has a good production. It’s always better after than before.
“We just bought a nightclub while we were on vacation”
WESER-KURIER: You moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas with your family. Although you already have a place in LA, you are looking for something new in Las Vegas. Did you succeed?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: Unfortunately not yet. Due to the pandemic and the uncertainty, we are still a little hesitant. Back in LA, we all ran it all a bit – and just bought a nightclub while we were on vacation. We didn’t even have visas. We learned from that. While rookie mistakes are okay, we won’t force it this time. If the right time, the right place and the right partner as an investor come together, then we will hit. Or the right place will find us.
WESER-KURIER: The passion of Las Vegas – how do you experience this extravagant city now that you are at home?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: Funnily enough, the complete opposite. I am in the room now, sitting on the sofa and looking at my garden. I live on a golf course, it’s green and wonderfully quiet. I found an absolute paradise. It is child friendly, lots of parks and lots of nature. Las Vegas is an incredibly diverse city. With the glitter and glamour, it is like a kind of parallel world.
WESER-KURIER: Does that mean for you: Family in the country and business on the Strip?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: Yes, everything associated with Las Vegas can be found within a seven-minute drive. This is ideal for evening for two or just for our business. Having both is the greatest luxury for us. This life is not only a private pleasure, but mainly a business pleasure. It doesn’t get any better than doing it as a restaurateur in Vegas.
WESER-KURIER: Is that what made you decide to move to Las Vegas?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: It’s a mixture of many things. Life in LA has changed a lot because of the pandemic. It became very criminal. We and really all of our friends were either robbed in LA or the car was broken into. It’s just a dangerous city. To guarantee the safety of our children, we had to leave.
WESER-KURIER: It sounds like something concrete happened?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: A story was very important. I was taking my kids to karate and we found two homeless people, naked, pumped full of drugs on the stairs of the karate hall. My two children were completely surprised and of course they did not understand why these poor people are homeless. My mother’s heart was broken. How should I explain this to the little ones? We just didn’t feel safe anymore. Las Vegas was therefore the best solution. We live here in a gated community with security services. We have the opportunity here for the first time to ride bikes with our children. It’s the little things in life that add up to great luxury – something as simple as riding a bike.
“My biggest motivation is to be an inspiration to others”
WESER-KURIER: To a certain extent, your children will grow up as public figures…
Oksana Kolenitchenko: Yes, and I think that’s good. I think it is very lucky for my children that they live here in Las Vegas and not in Germany, where we are often recognized. It’s just important to me that my children see how mom and dad work. In comparison, I see it this way: the baker’s son also grows up in the bakery. Our children, culinary children, know that we have a restaurant and are accompanied by a camera crew on our career. We may risk a little more than others, but in the end we are just mom and dad trying to live as best they can. Children are an important part of it.
WESER-KURIER: How are your children doing with it?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: Very well. They are not actors, they don’t have to make decisions, they don’t have to do anything they don’t want to. For them it is normal. Cameras are part of our daily lives. We have been working with the same team for seven years. Our implementer has known our little ones since they were born. We are not a Hollywood production. We don’t play anything. Nothing you see on TV plays. There is no script. We wake up in the morning and the only difference with other families is that there is always a camera. We are a normal family. We have our problems, we have our challenges and our adventures.
WESER-KURIER: What exactly motivated you to lead this adventurous life in front of the camera?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: My biggest motivation is actually to be an inspiration to others. I am an immigrant, I am Russian and I am proud of my life path so far. I used to look for role models who inspired me, who showed me that anything is possible. I noticed that the only person who supports me the most, but also challenges me the most, is myself. So why shouldn’t I be able to do that for others too?
WESER-KURIER: How do you find your way in this ambivalent world of admiration and ridicule – also on social media?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: I really like being in the public eye. Also, I have no problem with criticism. There will always be people who cannot understand the way I am going. But I believe that my communication on social media and on TV can reach people who question their lives and can take something away from my show. I want them to see that we were down, sick, but always got up and never gave up. I hope I can reach that particular woman. We are in the process of positioning ourselves as the stronger sex.
WESER-KURIER: What does your family say about the fact that you continue to be established as a “personality” on “Goodbye Germany”?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: Everyone is very proud. Overall, we are all very happy with this career. Of course, there is still a big question mark about whether people want to see it. I hope we can inspire the viewers. But if someone watched our show and dared to do something in life, then I have already achieved something. Something like this inspires me again.
“Bad times are just a part of life.”
WESER-KURIER: Did you actually watch the program yourself?
Oksana Kolenitchenko (smiles): Basically, I have to say that I like watching my show, I find it entertaining. However, during production I see the material to check the content. And by that I mean times where you might see a pair of slippers or my kids might see a shirt. That shouldn’t be. But of course I have to smile when I see how they see us on TV. It is important to me that we remain authentic. And as long as this, I don’t care what I look like and what my voice sounds like.
WESER-KURIER: In the next episode you make the following statement: “Without ‘less’ there is no ‘more'”. – What do you mean by that?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: Bad times are just a part of life. They make you appreciate the good times even more. Life is not always just sunshine. Good things can come out of rain. You have to find the negative moments to find the sun.
WESER-KURIER: You have had to struggle with a number of problems in your life. After a bee sting, you suffer an allergic shock, your body only reacts worse to antibiotics, and you finally develop chronic fatigue syndrome.
Oksana Kolenitchenko: In the past two years, I have been thinking a lot about my health. In this context too, I have the feeling that nothing happens without a reason. In the meantime I am almost grateful for this ordeal because I have developed a completely different awareness of my body, my life and my children as well. Alternative healing methods gave me strength again when western medicine could not. I am a powerful woman who looks forward with positive energy. I work every day to become even better. I’m now in a phase where I actually don’t have fatigue syndrome anymore. My business, my family, Instagram, the days of shooting – that’s a lot. Maybe not everyone would be able to do that. Personally, however, I have set my own standards that make me happy.
Second wedding on Mykonos: “One misfortune followed another”
WESER-KURIER: Even though you’re running on gas in Las Vegas, do you miss the city of Berlin?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: I wouldn’t say it like that, no. I associate a city primarily with friends and family, which I already miss a lot. But I love how very positive Americans are. I don’t want to show it negatively, but the Germans are a bit more special. My children simply have a wonderful social life here.
WESER-KURIER: The next episode is about, among other things, the reasons behind your second marriage. Why exactly did it take place on Mykonos?
Oksana Kolenitchenko: We have been to many places in our lives. But we have never been to an island like Mykonos. There is something mystical, magical about this island. I knew right away when I saw the place for the first time that I wanted to get married there again. My expectations were far exceeded. The energy we had with the guests that day was magical. Just happy faces, all our loved ones in a heap. So much went wrong, the flowers continued to fall, we waited hours for our food. One misfortune followed the next. We will see that in the end. But everyone spread more joy. I just hope that the viewers will have a lot of fun with the episode. My message is: You should do what makes you happy in your life – no matter what other people say about it!