Interview with Kristina Ferarri

Kristina Ferarri is a Serbian artist whose life story is as intense and layered as her artistic expression. Born and raised in a small town in eastern Serbia, Kristina left her family home at just sixteen and later found both freedom and challenge in Belgrade, a city that gave her the space to pursue her dreams and begin her gender transition. Her journey into the spotlight started through dance, where she built a strong presence as a striptease performer, using the stage as a place of self discovery, survival, and creative expression. Beyond dance, Kristina embodies a multifaceted artistic soul shaped by music, performance, fashion, and a deep emotional awareness of the world around her. As a transgender woman navigating Serbian society, she speaks openly about pain, patience, faith, love, and resilience, while also reflecting on activism, representation, and the slow but visible changes in social consciousness.

 

Grounded in personal experience and inspired by cultural icons, music legends, and transgender pioneers, Kristina’s voice is both intimate and political, vulnerable and defiant, making her story one that resonates far beyond borders or labels. At the same time, Kristina is deeply self reflective and unafraid to question her own choices, missed opportunities, and emotional scars. Her honesty about loneliness, fear, and spiritual searching gives her story a rare emotional depth. She approaches femininity on her own terms, turning style and sensuality into statements of autonomy and self respect. Through media presence and personal activism, she supports other transgender people in practical, real life ways rather than abstract slogans. Kristina’s creativity continues to evolve through music and visual projects, even when inspiration feels distant. This interview offers a raw and thoughtful look into the mind and heart of a woman who refuses to stop believing in love, transformation, and the power of staying true to oneself.

 

Monika: It is both a pleasure and an honor to welcome Kristina Ferarri, a Serbian artist, model, dancer, and television personality. Kristina, thank you for joining me today.

Kristina: Hi there!

Monika: For readers who may be discovering you for the first time, how would you describe your journey so far and the path that led you to who you are today?

Kristina: What is there to say that the world does not already know? (smiles) I was born and raised in a small town in the east of the country. I left my family home at the age of sixteen and moved to my grandmother’s house. Now, more or less, I have been living alone for a decade in the Serbian capital, Belgrade. This city offered me stability and more opportunities to fulfill my dreams and begin the transition of my life. That is how I found myself working as a striptease dancer at the age of twenty-one. This was the beginning of my journey.

 

Behind the scenes of the "Echo" video.

 

Monika: You have an undeniable presence and a wide range of talents, which makes many people wonder about other artistic paths. Have you ever considered acting, or perhaps exploring other forms of performance such as singing?

Kristina: Acting or singing sounds nice. I am an artistic soul in many variations. It is never too late to go after your dreams, but sometimes I feel like I missed that train. I needed a lot of time for myself and for the whole story of becoming a woman physically as well. But do not be surprised if you see me in a music project soon.

Monika: Your performances and creative work have been an important part of your public identity. Could you tell us more about your shows, your artistic projects, and how you see their development over the years?

Kristina: In big countries like America, I am sure I could have made something big with my strip performances. Until now, however, I always postponed traveling so far away for business, and in the end, I only regret it. In Serbia, I worked for many years as a dancer. We have nice clubs here, but the market for this kind of business is not well developed, so I could not make a big story out of it. The other thing is that I am a transgender woman.

Monika: Based on your personal experiences, how would you describe the current position and everyday reality of transgender women in Serbian society today?

Kristina: The consciousness of people is changing with time. It is not perfect, I can say, but it is getting better as time goes by. This is due to the work of human rights organizations.

Monika: Looking back on your own journey, when did you begin your transition, and how challenging was that process for you on both a physical and emotional level?

Kristina: I started my hormone therapy when I was twenty-one, and after two years I was ready for a complete change, a sex change surgery. But I waited two more years for the perfect moment. So I did it at the age of twenty-four. I decided, now or never. Yes, it was very painful and required a lot of patience for all the good results I was waiting for throughout the entire process. It is a hardcore thing to do.
Monika: During the time when you were beginning your transition, did you have any figures or influences that guided you or helped you make sense of what you were experiencing?

Kristina: It is an interesting question, but I must reformulate it. I had them, we all did. But mine were not transgender people, because at that time I did not know much about that world. I watched some trans themed movies as a child on television in the 1980s, but I just found it cool. As a child, you do not understand it in the same way that grown-up people do.

 

2015 Calendar (YouTube)

 

Monika: If those influences were not directly connected to the transgender community, what was it that truly helped you move forward and understand yourself on a deeper level?

Kristina: There was something else that helped me move on in my life. I always liked music very much, and my parents are also very musical. I grew up with the music of Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, all those brilliant voices. All of them had a story to tell, a life experience, love wrapped in lyrics, which taught me what to believe in. That is how I started to understand my nature. I learned a language of love, and that was the thing I needed the most back then.
Monika: Looking at your life today, are there transgender women, past or present, who inspire you and whom you deeply admire?

Kristina: First of all comes, of course, my biggest inspiration and my namesake, Christine Jorgensen. It all started with her, back in the autumn of 1952. The years that followed brought big changes, a true revolution in human rights, which for me especially means Stonewall. Sylvia Rivera is therefore a very important person in my life and someone I deeply respect.

Monika: Beyond these historical figures, are there contemporary transgender activists or individuals whose work and presence resonate with you today?

Kristina: I am also a fan of the recently passed transgender working-class hero Leslie Feinberg. That is history now, but in the present day, we transgender folks also have activists worthy of respect, such as Laverne Cox and Janet Mock on a global level, as well as a number of trans women I personally know here in Serbia who are active on a local level.

Monika: When you came out as a transgender woman, what were the most difficult challenges you faced personally and emotionally?

Kristina: The fear for my own safety and the loneliness as well.
Monika: How would you describe the representation of transgender characters in Serbian films, newspapers, and other media so far?

Kristina: Not a lot of trans characters have been featured in Serbian artworks. If you do not count the underground legend Merlinka, a murdered transvestite prostitute who, while alive, portrayed herself in Zelimir Zilnik’s films, only one film comes to my mind. Its title translates as “Escobar’s Obituary,” and it tells the story of the “Serbian Escobar,” a major mafia boss who discovers that his girlfriend is transgender and undergoes a personality change because of it.

She got her own wall graffiti on the building she lives.

Monika: What about the literary scene? Are transgender voices and characters represented in Serbian literature?

Kristina: The queer scene in Serbian literature is very young and limited by a small budget and an underdeveloped LGBT culture. It is mostly carried out by enthusiastic underground writers, such as groups like Queer Poezin, with the lesbian activist Dragoslava Barzut as a notable member mentioning all four groups, lesbian, gay, bi, and trans, in her work. There is still a lot to do. Transgender characters remain victims of stereotypes in mainstream culture or face relative anonymity even within the queer literary scene.
Monika: The transgender movement is often grouped together with the broader LGBT community. Do you think transgender people are able to promote their own cause effectively within this larger group?

Kristina: Yes and no. People say there is a lot of jealousy between the “letters,” so the T letter split this year from the rest.

Monika: Within Serbian society, is there anyone in the transgender community whose activism could be compared to what Harvey Milk achieved for gay rights in the United States during the 1960s and 70s?

Kristina: Well, unfortunately, no. We have a gay person with a sense of importance in politics, an activist, and an important figure in the Socialist Party, Boris Milicevic. But transgender, nope. We are still pretty much in the closet and a big taboo for the public. It is a thing with the Balkans; we are a limping dog on a leash of the Western world.

Echo: The Voice Within (YouTube)

Monika: Are you personally involved in politics or lobbying campaigns, and do you believe transgender women can make a meaningful impact in this field? 

Kristina: I am not active in politics or mainstream campaigns. I am active in media, and I think that we, as trans women, can make a difference by being ourselves and showing the world how normal we actually are. I am an activist in my own way, helping real trans people with real-life problems.

Monika: Fashion is often an important form of self-expression. How would you describe your personal style, and are there particular designs, colors, or trends that you favor?

Kristina: It must be my own fashion. I developed a special sense of style because I redefine femininity in my own way, like the majority of trans women. I do not follow any specific brand. People who follow my activities on the internet know that I am always very me. There are no other rules except one: sexy.

Monika: Love seems to be a deeply personal and defining theme in your life. How would you describe its role in shaping who you are today?

Kristina: This is the question I have been waiting for. It is very, very important, because love is all I am made of and all I live for. Over the last few years, I was in hibernation. After my last relationship, I took a pause. I decided to take time for myself and try to understand what was going wrong in my life. I was very disappointed, because a great love turned into a total disaster. But in the end, love is still all I want to believe in.

Monika: During that period of solitude and reflection, how did your understanding of love and faith change?

Kristina: At that time, when I was alone, I found love everywhere, in every street, every tree, every human being, in every step and every day. I came closer to God because my mind was clear, and I understood that all I needed was to listen to my heart and trust the faith deep inside. I learned to believe in myself again, just like I always used to. But then I asked myself, is this all? To have faith and feel love all around me, but still let my heart suffer? I asked God if I was destined only for His love. There must be somebody in this world who will love me for who I am and accept me exactly as I am. Love is everywhere, you just need to sense it. And if the right person comes one day, I am ready.

Monika: Many transgender women choose to share their stories through memoirs. Have you ever considered writing a book about your own journey? 

Kristina: A few people have asked me the same thing, but at the moment I am not ready for that. I have many more years ahead of me. Then we will see. 

 

Photo-shooting for her new 2015 calendar - April photo.

 

Monika: Are you currently working on any new artistic or creative projects? 

Kristina: I am, but they are on hold at the moment because I cannot find the inspiration to practice for them. It should be a song with a video later as well. I hope to complete it by the end of this year. It is a heartbreaking ballad called “How Did I Get Here?” As the title suggests, I ask myself through the song what I did to myself and how I arrived here after so much struggle and fighting. Then I pray to God at the end to save me and show me the right way. I wanted to do it in English because I found the music in a movie and saw myself reflected in it. I said to myself, I must have it; I must become a part of this song.

Monika: What advice would you give to transgender girls who are struggling with gender dysphoria and trying to find their own path?

Kristina: Go for it and never lose your dreams. No one else will fight for you, so do not be lazy and take your life into your own hands. The clock is ticking. 

Monika: Kristina, thank you so much for sharing your story with us today. 

Kristina: It was my pleasure, Monika.

All the photos: courtesy of Kristina Ferarri.

© 2015 - Monika Kowalska

  

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