Matvey Safonov

Personal life

Safonov was born in Stavropol. His father, Yevgeny Safonov, was a basketball player and later worked as a youth coach at Lokomotiv Kuban, while his mother, Lidiya, was not involved in professional sport. His family lived in several cities, including Maykop and Volgograd, before settling in Krasnodar by the time Safonov attended kindergarten and school.

As a child, Safonov initially practised swimming, taekwondo, and basketball, also showing aptitude in mathematics and chess. Aged 12, he participated in the Mathematical Kangaroo competition, placing second in his school. He joined a football section while at school and was placed in goal during his first trial. In the seventh grade, he entered the FC Krasnodar academy and moved into its boarding school system. In 2017, he enrolled at Kuban State University, where he studied pedagogy, psychology and communication, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 2021.

From 2020 to 2021, he was married to Anastasia Kazachek, with whom he had been in a relationship since 2014. In June 2021, the couple had a daughter, Maya. Following the child's birth, the couple separated. In 2024, the court ordered Safonov to pay alimony equal to a quarter of his income and repay his debt.

Since the beginning of 2022, he has been in a relationship with stand-up comedian Marina Kondratyuk. They got married in March 2025.