Yelena Alekseevna Koreneva was born in the city of Moscow, RSFSR, USSR. Daughter of film director Alexey Korenev (1927-1995). In 1975 she graduated from the Shchukin Theater School, and in 1999 from the Higher Directing Courses (A.N. Mitta's workshop). In 1975-1977 she was an actress at the Moscow Sovremennik Theater. In 1977-1979 she was an actress at the Moscow Drama Theater on Malaya Bronnaya.

Since 1981 she lived in the USA, appeared in small film roles and played in theatrical productions ("Uncle Vanya"). After returning to Russia in 1996, she continued working in film. Since 2008 she has acted at the School of Modern Play theater. She wrote the autobiographical novels "Idiotka" (2001) and "Net-lenka" (2004), "Tvari tvorchestva" (2010).