Svetlana Vasilievna Kondrashkina Bolshakov

Svetlana Vasilievna Bolshakov passed away on the 12th of October 2025, surrounded by her family after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She is survived by her beloved husband, Alexei Bolshakov; her daughter, Anastasia Bolshakov (husband, James Seblonka); her son, Pavel Bolshakov; her furry children, Umka, Ponya, and Lucky (Kuisa); and her brother, Pavel Kondrashkin (wife, Irina Kondrashkina; daughter, Valentina Kondrashkina; son, Mikhail Kondrashkin); as well as her friends and found family.

Sveta was born in Mordovia, Russia on the 6th of December 1967, to parents Anastasia Myalina and Vasiliy Kondrashkin. Aptly named by her parents, Sveta embodied light and shining in all aspects of her life. Sveta grew up in a small provincial portion of Torberyevo. At the young age of 25, Sveta immigrated to the United States. Though she remained deeply connected to her roots, Sveta built a vibrant life in Texas, forming lasting bonds with her host family—Baudine and Fred Duckett and their daughter, Petra Cochran—and many fellow host “kids,” including Shala Farhat and others.

Sveta also became a quick favorite in the graduate student dorms at Rice University, where her husband was completing his PhD—known for her hospitality and nurturing spirit, she welcomed students into her home with hearty meals and heartfelt conversation. While on campus, she would audit classes on organic chemistry to work on her English skills. During this time, Sveta developed life-long friendships with other USSR expats, including the Esenaliev and Kourchev families.

A lifelong lover of the arts, Sveta’s passion for theater began in Russia, where she performed in children’s productions and puppet shows. In Houston, she became a pillar of the Russian Theater Community. She found joy in mentoring Russian American children and directed multiple children’s plays with the local Russian Children’s Theater. For many years, she was also a staple in the annual “New Years” plays and celebrations put together for Russian American children in the Houston area. She confided that her favorite role was that of the evil Baba Yega turned good, who ended up being a favorite of all the children. In addition to children’s theater, she performed with multiple of the local Houstonian Russian theaters, finding joy and kinship in her creative family.

Professionally, Sveta—known as Lana to her American colleagues—was a dedicated scientist with a deep love for biology and chemistry. She earned degrees from Mordovia State Pedagogical Institute named after M. E. Evseveva (MordGPI) and pursued graduate studies in organic chemistry at Moscow State University. Sveta also took pride in her various professional and academic accomplishments—and in a general love for science. She immigrated to the United States in 1992, and after the birth of her daughter, she went on to work at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. For over 20 years, Sveta was involved in scientific and clinical research in skin cancer, retroviruses, soft tissue sarcoma cancer, and other areas. In addition to managing the laboratory at the Soft Tissue Sarcoma Research Center and performing her own research, Sveta worked closely with faculty and surgeons, and mentored students. She published a variety of research papers and was instrumental in securing grants. Despite her best efforts to pass on her scientific passion, both of her children chose law school, much to her amused resignation.

Most of all, Sveta was the backbone of the Bolshakov family. She was a constant support system for her husband and children. From supporting her husband in multiple marathons (even though she was not a fan of the injuries); to driving to and from Austin in one day so that her daughter’s future problem solving (FPS) team could both compete at State and attend prom on the same day; to volunteering and traveling across the state and country for gymnastics meets for her son. Sveta was always ready to step up in any way her children or husband needed and/or wanted, which many times involved taking care of the stray animals her children brought home to her. She instilled in her family a hard work ethic, compassion for others, and generosity, but also the ability to laugh and have fun.

Svetlana was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, right as the COVID-19 pandemic began. Throughout her treatment, Sveta displayed incredible courage and unwavering hope. She approached her diagnosis like she approached everything else in life, through a scientific lens. She continued to read scientific studies and investigate new advances in the treatment of breast cancer, often having discussions with her doctors as a fellow scientist, instead of a pure patient. Sveta was extremely grateful to the doctors, nurses, and staff who provided support to her during her treatments—making sure to always get their names and leave positive reviews for them as soon as arriving home from her appointments and bringing Russian chocolates to share with her care team. Despite the challenges that came with her illness, Sveta remained a mainstay among her friends and family, continuing to plan events, come up with new (and delicious) salads, and write poetry.

Please join us in remembering and celebrating Sveta’s extraordinary life and memory. Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Sveta at one o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 26th of October, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where the funeral service is to commence at half-past one o’clock. Immediately following, all are invited to join the family during a reception in the adjacent grand foyer.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests memorial contributions in Svetlana’s memory be made to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77210-4486 or by visiting https://gifts.mdanderson.org

May Svetlana rest in eternal peace, free from pain, with beloved dog Toshka, and may her light continue to shine in the hearts of all who knew her.

Please visit Svetlana’s online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com where memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared with her family.