Yyliya Balabanova was born in the Far North. She studied at school in Kolyma and got her university diploma in Saint-Petersburg. With her first profession of journalist, she worked as correspondent and telecaster of a TV channel. Then she graduated from the High School for Film Directors and Scriptwriters, Documentary Film Director dept. In 2017 she made her debut film “Great scenery”. In 2018 at Kolyma she made her second documentary “What is happiness?”