Anna Kasterova is a Russian journalist and television presenter, widely known as the wife, and now reportedly the ex-wife, of Pittsburgh Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin.
Long before her marriage brought her international attention, Anna built a genuine, decade-long career in Russian television news.
Her relationship with Malkin famously began with an unassuming direct message that opened with the formal line, “Anya, hello! My name is Evgeni Malkin,” which she initially ignored.
The couple married in 2016 after roughly a year of dating, but reports beginning in late 2024 indicated that the marriage had quietly ended.
A warm public reunion at their son’s birthday party in June 2026 later raised new questions about where things currently stand between them.
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Anna Kasterova Biography
She was born on September 21, 1984, in Zelenograd, an administrative district of Moscow, Russia.
Her parents were still students when they married and had Anna, so much of her early upbringing was handled by her grandmother and grandfather, who raised her in a large, close-knit household alongside her parents.
When Anna Kasterova was 15, her family grew with the birth of her younger brother, Alexander. From a young age, Anna’s family instilled in her a strong sense of generosity.
She has recalled that, as a child, whenever school celebrations involved handing out candy, she would consistently bring some home to share with her grandparents rather than keep it for herself.
Academically, Anna was a strong student, consistently earning top marks and participating in school academic Olympiads while also pursuing drawing and embroidery as hobbies outside her studies.
Anna completed her secondary education in the Moscow region before enrolling at Moscow City Pedagogical University, where she earned a degree and formal qualification as a teacher of psychology, an academic credential distinct from the broadcast journalism career she would later build.
Career
Anna Kasterova began her television career at 22, joining the editorial board of the program Moscow: Instructions for Use on Russia’s TNT network in 2006.
After roughly a year working behind the camera, she moved into presenting, transitioning to a channel managed by VGTRK, Russia’s state broadcaster, where she began her on-air career as a correspondent.
One of her earliest and most memorable assignments came at 23, when she was unexpectedly assigned to interview Naina Yeltsina, the widow of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, after none of the network’s senior correspondents were available.
Despite significant nerves, the interview was well received, and Anna has described it as an early formative moment of professional pride.
At 26, Anna became a host of the news program Vesti, and a couple of years later, she moved on to host the sports program Bolshoi Sport (“Big Sport”), covering a range of disciplines from tennis and Formula 1 to diving.
She later hosted programs including News.ru, News. en.Friday, CT. Evening, and CT Weekend across several major networks, including Rossiya-2, Rossiya-24, NTV, and Match TV, building a substantial and well-respected career spanning more than a decade in Russian broadcast journalism.
Anna has also spoken publicly about her personal boundaries within the industry, stating that despite receiving offers, she has declined to participate in revealing or explicit photoshoots because she considers herself a role model for her television audience, including younger viewers.
Evgeni Malkin
Anna Kasterova and Evgeni Malkin’s relationship began after Malkin reportedly saw her on television and was immediately drawn to her.
He sent her a direct message that opened with a strikingly formal introduction: “Anya, hello! My name is Evgeni Malkin.”
Anna initially ignored the message, but Malkin persisted, and the two gradually began exchanging messages more frequently as a genuine connection formed, despite Malkin being based in Pittsburgh for his NHL career while Anna continued working in Russia.
Malkin made an especially memorable gesture to mark their first anniversary together, arranging with renowned Russian animal trainer Edgar Zapashny to bring a live tiger into Anna’s home as a surprise, a nod to an affectionate nickname Anna had given him early in their relationship.
About a year into dating, Malkin asked Anna to relocate to the United States, though she hesitated for some time because she was reluctant to leave a career she loved.
It was only after her employer, Rossiya-2, shut down that Anna felt free to make the move, packing up her life in Russia to join Malkin permanently.
In 2011, unconfirmed rumors briefly circulated suggesting that Anna was romantically involved with Timur Solovyov, a television host on MTV Russia and Muz-TV, after the two were photographed together in informal settings. The rumor was never substantiated and appears to have had no bearing on her relationship with Malkin.
Marriage
Evgeni Malkin and Anna married in 2016, with some Russian reports indicating that the timing was partly practical, as Anna needed a long-term visa to remain in the United States with Malkin.
Their son was born on May 31, 2016, just weeks after the couple formally registered their marriage.
The family settled in Sewickley, an affluent Pittsburgh suburb, in a mansion Malkin had purchased in 2008 for approximately $1.5 million.
Beginning in 2020, Anna decided to split her time between Russia and the United States rather than live in America full-time.
2024 Divorce Reports
Beginning in December 2024, fans and Russian media noticed that Anna and Evgeni had unfollowed one another on social media, and photos of the two together were removed from Anna’s account, along with any reference to her being the wife of an NHL star in her public profile.
Anna was also notably absent from the celebration of Malkin’s 500th career NHL goal, an event she neither attended nor publicly commented on.
Around the same time, Anna reportedly returned to Moscow with their son. In May 2025, Russian sports journalist Zukhra Urazbakhtina, who has close relationships with several NHL players’ wives, publicly stated that Malkin and Kasterova had divorced after eight years of marriage.
Urazbakhtina further alleged that the marriage involved abuse on Malkin’s part, though she did not consistently specify whether she was referring to emotional or physical abuse.
Neither Anna nor Evgeni has personally confirmed the divorce or publicly addressed these allegations as of this writing, so these claims should be understood as third-party allegations rather than confirmed statements from either party.
Following the divorce reports, Anna Kasterova reappeared publicly in mid-2025, sharing that she had traveled to Tibet and completed a climb of Mount Kailash.
She captioned a related social media post, “Wake up,” in English, a message some interpreted as reflecting a new chapter in her life following the reported split.
In June 2026, roughly a year after the divorce became public, Anna and Evgeni were photographed warmly celebrating their son’s 10th birthday together, dancing with him at the party in a way that struck many fans and Russian media outlets as notably affectionate for a divorced couple.
The moment sparked widespread speculation online about whether the two might have reconciled.
However, as of this writing, neither Anna nor Evgeni has made any public statement confirming a reunion, and the photos alone should not be taken as definitive proof of a renewed relationship.