Natasha Shliapnikoff is a film producer. She was born in Harbin, China to Russian immigrant parents. Her family sought refuge in Chile when the Chinese Government forced non-Chinese citizens to leave the country. Then, in 1966, her family moved to San Francisco, California. Natasha married Shelton J. Merrill, a consultant to Delaware Public Television, and gave birth to their daughter Katia on May 26, 1983. The marriage ended in divorce a few years later. In 1988, Natasha relocated to Los Angeles where she met director film Rodion Nahapetov. They fell in love, married, and also became working partners.