She is known for her portrayal of Catherine the Great in the television series Ekaterina.

Aleksandrova was born Marina Andreevna Pupenina on 29 August 1982[1] in the Hungarian town of Kiskunmajsa.

Her father, Andrei Pupenin, served in the Soviet Army, stationed in Hungary.

In 1987, they settled in what was then Leningrad, where Aleksandrova's mother worked as a professor at Herzen University.

Aleksandrova graduated from high school with specialisations in mathematics and music (harp) in 1996.