Today, almost every second girl dreams of becoming a model. In Soviet times, the profession of a fashion model was not only not prestigious, but was considered almost indecent and at the same time paid poorly. Clothing demonstrators received a maximum of 76 rubles at a rate - as workers of the fifth category.
At the same time, the most famous Russian beauties were known and appreciated in the West, but at home, work in the “modeling” business (although there was no such thing then) often created problems for them. From this issue you will learn about the fate of the brightest fashion models Soviet Union.
Regina Zbarskaya
Her name has become synonymous with the concept of "Soviet fashion model", although for a long time about tragic fate Regina knew only people close to her. Everything was changed by a series of publications that appeared in the press after the collapse of the USSR. They started talking about Zbarskaya, but so far her name is more shrouded in myths than fanned by real facts.
It is not known exactly the place of her birth - either Leningrad or Vologda, there is no exact data about her parents. It was rumored that Zbarskaya was connected with the KGB, she was credited with affairs with influential men and almost espionage activities. But those who really knew Regina say unequivocally: all this is not true.
the only husband the sultry beauty was the artist Lev Zbarsky, but the relationship did not work out: the husband left Regina, first to the actress Marianna Vertinskaya, then to Lyudmila Maksakova. Regina, after his departure, was never able to recover: in 1987, she committed suicide by drinking sleeping pills.
Regina Zbarskaya was called the "Russian Sophia Loren": the image of a sultry Italian woman with a lush "page" haircut was invented for her by Vyacheslav Zaitsev. The southern beauty of Regina was popular in the Soviet Union: dark-haired and dark-eyed girls seemed exotic against the background of a standard Slavic appearance. But foreigners treated Regina with restraint, preferring to invite for filming - if, of course, they managed to get permission from the authorities - blue-eyed blondes.
Mila Romanovskaya
The complete antipode and longtime rival of Zbarskaya is Mila Romanovskaya. Delicate sophisticated blonde, Mila looked like Twiggy. It was with this famous British woman that she was compared more than once, even a photo of Romanovskaya a la Twiggy, with lush false eyelashes, round glasses, and combed back hair, has been preserved.
Romanovskaya's career began in Leningrad, then she transferred to the Moscow Fashion House. It was here that a dispute arose about who is the first beauty big country- She or Regina. Mila won: it was she who was entrusted with demonstrating the dress "Russia" by fashion designer Tatyana Osmerkina at the international exhibition of light industry in Montreal. The scarlet outfit, embroidered with golden sequins around the neck, was remembered for a long time and even entered the fashion history textbooks.
Her photos were willingly published in the West, for example in Life magazine, calling Romanovskaya Snegurochka. The fate of Mila was generally happy. She managed to give birth to a daughter, Nastya, from her first husband, whom she met while studying at VGIK. Then she divorced, had a vivid romance with Andrei Mironov, remarried the artist Yuri Kuper. With him, she emigrated first to Israel, then to Europe. The third husband of Romanovskaya was the British businessman Douglas Edwards.
She was also called the "Russian Twiggy" - the skinny tomboy type was extremely popular. Milovskaya became the first model in the history of the USSR who was allowed to pose for foreign photographers. Shooting for Vogue magazine was organized by the Frenchman Arnaud de Rhone. The documents were personally signed by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Kosygin, and any gloss producer could envy the list of locations and the level of organization of this photoset: Galina Milovskaya demonstrated clothes not only on Red Square, but also in the Armory and the Diamond Fund. The accessories for that shooting were the scepter of Catherine II and the legendary Shah diamond.
However, a scandal soon broke out: one of the pictures, in which Milovskaya sits on the paving stones of the country's main square with her back to the Mausoleum, was recognized in the USSR as immoral, the girl began to hint at leaving the country. At first, emigration seemed to Gala a tragedy, but in fact it turned out to be a great success: in the West, Milovskaya collaborated with the Ford agency, went to shows and starred for gloss, and then completely changed her profession, becoming a documentary filmmaker. The personal life of Galina Milovskaya was successful: she lived for 30 years in marriage with the French banker Jean-Paul Dessertino.
Leka (short for Leokadiy) Mironova is a model of Vyacheslav Zaitsev, who is still filming in various photo shoots and takes part in television programs. Leka has something to tell and show: she looks great at her age, and her work-related memories are enough for a thick book of memoirs. Mironova shares unpleasant details: she admits that her friends and colleagues were often forced to give in to harassment the mighty of the world this, while she found the courage to refuse a high-ranking suitor and paid dearly for it.
In her youth, Leka was compared to Audrey Hepburn for her slimness, chiseled profile and impeccable style. She kept it until old age and now willingly shares her beauty secrets: this is the usual children's cream for moisturizing the skin, red wine instead of tonic and a hair mask with egg yolk. And of course - always keep your back straight and do not slouch!
The wife of the famous director Nikita Mikhalkov is used to seeing a worthy mother big family, and few people remember her as a slender young girl. Meanwhile, in her youth, Tatyana went on the podium for more than five years and starred for Soviet fashion magazines. She was also compared with the fragile Twiggy, and Slava Zaitsev dubbed Tatyana a Botticelli girl.
It was whispered that a bold mini helped the girl to get a job as a fashion model - the artistic council unanimously admired the beauty of the applicant's legs. Friends jokingly called Tatyana "Institute" - she, unlike other fashion models, had a prestigious higher education received at the Institute. Maurice Thorez.
True, having changed her surname from Solovyov's maiden name to Mikhalkova, Tatyana was forced to give up her profession: Nikita Sergeevich rather sharply told her that her mother should raise children and he would not tolerate any nannies. AT last time Tatiana came out on the podium at the seventh month of pregnancy, wearing her eldest daughter Anna, and then completely plunged into the life and upbringing of the heirs. When the children grew up a little, Tatyana Mikhalkova created and headed the Russian Silhouette charity foundation, which helps aspiring fashion designers.
She is known for her roles in the films "Guest from the Future" and "Through Hardships to the Stars." The role of Metelkina is a woman of the future, an alien. Huge unearthly eyes, a fragile figure and a completely atypical appearance for that time attracted attention to Elena. Her filmography includes six films, the last one dated 2011, although Elena has no acting education, she is a librarian by profession.
The rise of Metelkina dates back to an era when the popularity of the fashion model profession had already begun to decline and a new generation was about to appear - already professional models tailored according to the Western model. Elena worked mainly in the GUM showroom, shooting for Soviet fashion magazines with patterns and knitting tips. After the collapse of the Union, she left the profession and, like many, was forced to adapt to the new reality.
There are many sharp turns in her biography, including a criminal story with the murder of businessman Ivan Kivelidi, whose secretary she was. Metelkina was not injured by chance, her replacement secretary died along with her boss. Now Elena occasionally appears on television and gives interviews, but devotes most of her time to singing in the church choir in one of the churches in Moscow.
This girl of ideal classical appearance in the USSR was known by sight, probably, by every housewife. Chapygina was a very popular model and, in addition to participating in shows, she starred a lot for magazines, demonstrating the trends of the next season in publications that offered Soviet women sew or knit yourself fashionable clothes. Then the names of the models were not mentioned in the press: only the author of the next dress and the photographer who captured it were signed, and information about the girls who presented stylish images remained closed. Nevertheless, Tatyana Chapygina's career was developing successfully: she managed to avoid scandals, rivalry with colleagues and other negative things. She left the profession on takeoff, getting married.
She was called only by her first name or by the nickname once given by her friends - Shahinya. Rumia's appearance was very bright and immediately attracted the eye. Vyacheslav Zaitsev offered to hire her - at one of the views, he fell for the bright beauty of Rumia and soon made her his favorite model.
Her type was called the “woman of the future”, and Rumia herself became famous not only for her beauty, but also for her character. He, by her own admission, was not sugar, the girl often argued with colleagues, violated the accepted rules, but there was something attractive in her rebelliousness. AT mature years Rumia saved slim figure and bright appearance. She still maintains friendly relations with Vyacheslav Zaitsev and looks, as they say, one hundred percent.
Evgenia Kurakina, an employee of the Leningrad Fashion House, a girl with an aristocratic surname, acted as a “sad teenager”. Evgenia was photographed a lot by foreign photographers, and to work with the girl, they specially came to the Northern capital to capture the beauty of Zhenya against the backdrop of local attractions. The fashion model later complained that she never saw most of these pictures, because they were intended for publication abroad. True, the archive of Evgenia herself contains many of the most different photos, taken in the 60s and 70s of the last century, which she sometimes provides for thematic exhibitions. The fate of Evgenia was happy - she got married and went to live in Germany.
How did models live in the era " Khrushchev thaw"? How did Regina Zbarskaya, a simple fashion model from the USSR, conquer the foreigners? Why was she nicknamed the "Soviet Sophia Loren"? And how were Soviet spies made from fashion models? Read about this in a documentary investigation of the Moscow Trust TV channel.
Soviet Sophia Loren
1961 An international trade and industrial exhibition is taking place in Paris. The USSR Pavilion is a great success with the public. But Parisians are attracted not by combines and trucks, but by the achievements of the Soviet light industry. The best fashion demonstrators of the Moscow House of Models shine on the podium.
The next day, an article appears in the Paris Match magazine, in the center of which is not the leader of the country of the Soviets, Nikita Khrushchev, but Regina Zbarskaya. French journalists call it the most beautiful weapon of the Kremlin. Detractors in the USSR immediately accuse the successful fashion model of having links with the KGB. Until now, the fate of the beauty from the Kuznetsk bridge is shrouded in mystery.
Federico Fellini calls Regina Zbarskaya the Soviet Sophia Loren. Her beauty is admired by Pierre Cardin, Yves Montand, Fidel Castro. And in 1961 Paris gave her a standing ovation. A fashion model from the USSR appears on the catwalk wearing boots designed by fashion designer Vera Aralova. In a few years, all of Europe will be wearing these, and Western couturiers will dream of working with Regina.
Regina Zbarskaya
"She was really very cool. She knew several languages, played the piano superbly. But she had a peculiarity - her legs were crooked. She knew how to put them in such a way that no one had ever seen it. She showed superbly," says clothes demonstrator Lev Anisimov .
Lev Anisimov came to the All-Union House of Models in the mid-1960s, according to an announcement. And it stays for 30 years. The spectacular blond is not afraid of competition - there are few people who want to walk the catwalk, the profession of a clothing demonstrator in the USSR is among those condemned. Spectacular fashion models and fashion models from the Kuznetsk bridge instantly become the object of rumors and gossip.
“A male fashion model - of course, the idea was that it was easy work, easy money. Moreover, they thought that it was a lot of money. For some reason, they considered them to be black marketers, although there were a huge number of them in Moscow, not fashion models,” says Anisimov.
Anisimov is a member of all Soviet delegations. Among the girls, only Regina Zbarskaya can boast of this. They whisper behind her back: some kind of provincial, and she goes abroad most often, and there she walks around the city alone, unaccompanied.
“Who knows, maybe she was put in a group so that she would give information on how someone behaves - if a person is connected with the KGB, he doesn’t talk about it,” Lev Anisimov believes.
"Naturally, there was a stereotype that the most beautiful models, who were models at these exhibitions, had a direct connection with the espionage case," says the historian of the special services Maxim Tokarev.
Alexander Sheshunov meets Regina at the Vyacheslav Zaitsev Fashion House. Then, in the early 1980s, Zbarskaya no longer appears on the podium, she lives on memories alone. And the brightest of them are connected with trips abroad.
“Moreover, she was released alone! She flew to Buenos Aires. She had two suitcases of sable coats and dresses. Without customs, as personal items. Sheshunov.
Catch up and overtake
In the late 1950s, the Khrushchev thaw was at its height in the USSR. The Iron Curtain opens to the West. In 1957, Nikita Sergeevich at a meeting of workers Agriculture pronounces his famous "catch up and overtake!". Khrushchev's call is picked up by the whole country, including the designers of the House of Models on the Kuznetsky Most.
"The task of the House of Models was not just the creation of fashionable, beautiful things. It was an intellectual and creative work to create the image of a contemporary. But the artists of the House of Models did not have the right to their own name. There was one name:" The creative team of the House of Models "Kuznetsky Most", - tells the artist Nadezhda Belyakova.
Moscow. During a fashion show, 1963. Photo: ITAR-TASS
Nadezhda Belyakova grew up in the workshops of the House of Models. It was there that her mother, Margarita Belyakova, created her hats. In the 1950s, clothing demonstrators shine in them at shows. Frequent guests of the fashion show, representatives of factories, carefully select models for production. But locally, it is not the original style that is valued, but the simplicity of execution. Down with all unnecessary details - the artist's intention changes beyond recognition.
"They chose models in the form in which the artist created them, and then thought about how to save money, how to replace the material, how to remove the finish. Therefore, they had an indecent, but very famous expression:" Introduce your ... model to the factory! ”, - Belyakova says.
Alla Shchipakina, one of the legends of the Soviet podium. For 30 years, she commented on all the demonstrations of the Model House.
"The strap will not work - a big waste of fabric, the valve too - make a welt pocket" - we were very squeezed, so the brains worked very well, "says art historian Alla Shchipakina.
"Very talented artists worked, but their work remained in line with views to represent the USSR throughout the world as a country where intellectuals live, the most beautiful women (which, in fact, is the purest truth), that is, it was an ideological work," says Hope Belyakova.
The All-Union House of Models does not set any commercial goals. Clothes from the catwalk never go on sale, but wives and children of the Kremlin elite and members of delegations sent abroad flaunt in it.
"Exclusive production, on the verge of creativity, a little anti-Soviet, and generally closed, elitist, what for mass production not needed at all. Unique things were made from expensive materials. But all this was done for the prestige of the country, for demonstration abroad at international industrial exhibitions," says Alla Shchipakina.
The idea to take out Soviet fashion, and with it our beauties, to international exhibitions belongs to Khrushchev. A frequenter of closed shows of the House of Models, Nikita Sergeevich understands: to form a positive image of the country beautiful girls it will be easy. And it really works - thousands of foreigners come to see Russian fashion models. Millions dream of meeting them.
"Naturally, along with the defile, as a rule, group ones, they also carried another load. If it was an international exhibition, in free time the girls were at the stands to attract attention, participated in protocol events and receptions," says Maksim Tokarev.
"I often saw that at receptions in the front row they sit like a background beautiful women. This had an effect on foreigners - girls were invited to sign contracts," says Lev Anisimov.
Imaginary luxury
For the girls themselves, a trip abroad is perhaps the only plus in their work. Fashion models cannot boast of light bread. Three times a day they go to the podium, spend 8-12 hours in fitting rooms, and in terms of a salary of 70 rubles, a clothing demonstrator is equal to a worker of the fifth category, that is, to a tracklayer. In those years, only a cleaner gets less - 65 rubles.
“When I arrived in 1967, I received 35 rubles, plus progressive - 13 rubles, plus trips of 3 rubles. In general, I got up to 100 rubles,” recalls Anisimov.
Fashion show in Moscow, 1958. Photo: ITAR-TASS
There is no woman in the Soviet Union who does not dream of French perfumes and imported linen. This luxury is available only to ballet stars, cinema and beauties from the Kuznetsk bridge. They are among those few who travel abroad, only they do not take everyone on these trips.
"We traveled very little abroad, with difficulty, it was several commissions: the Bolsheviks, in chamber of commerce, in the Central Committee, in the district committee - 6 or 7 instances had to be passed in order to leave. Fashion models even wrote anonymous letters to each other," says Alla Shchipakina.
In the late 50s, Regina Kolesnikova (this is her maiden name) does not miss a single test at Mosfilm. The daughter of a retired officer, she has been dreaming of the stage since childhood. But the girl from Vologda does not dare to go to acting, she enters the Faculty of Economics of VGIK. The provincial origin haunts her, and she composes a legend for herself.
"She said that her mother was a circus performer, and that she had crashed. Regina, indeed, was an orphan, and she had difficult childhood. She was one of those who are said to be "self-made," says Nadezhda Belyakova.
Regina is noticed by fashion designer Vera Aralova and offers to try herself as a clothing demonstrator in the House of Models on Kuznetsky.
“She saw in her a new emerging image. Regina, indeed, as an actress, tries on the image, and it becomes her essence, so Regina Zbarskaya embodied the image of a woman in the mid-60s,” says Belyakova.
The Soviet government skillfully exploits this image at international shows. Candidates for trips abroad by participants of the Moscow Fashion House are approved by KGB Major Elena Vorobey.
“She was the deputy director of the inspector for international relations. Such a funny aunt, with humor, such a round, plump one. Of course, she was a snitch, followed everyone, followed discipline. She reported very funny about her arrival: “Sparrow has arrived,” recalls Alla Shchipakina .
Swinging iron curtain
On the eve of departure, Elena Stepanovna personally instructs the girls. All selected fashion models are not only good-looking, they speak one or more foreign languages, and can easily support any conversation, and upon returning to their homeland, retell it verbatim.
“She said: “Foreigners are coming to us, then you must provide me with a detailed dossier of what they said.” I answer: “I don’t know how to do this.” She: “What do you mean, it’s hard to write down what they say, what they ask what they like, what they don't like? Nothing difficult, this is creative work," says Shchipakina.
"The acquaintances that the girls could not even make on their own initiative, later became the subject of the use of the special services, simply for the purpose of lobbying for some transactions of foreign trade organizations," says Maxim Tokarev.
Lev Zbarsky
But there were cases when the special services did everything to forbid the girls to communicate with foreigners. During a trip to the United States, Rockefeller's nephew fell in love with fashion model Marina Ievleva. He comes to Moscow twice to woo the beauty. After some time, Marina receives a warning: if you go to the West, your parents will be in prison. The Soviet government did not want to part so easily with its secret weapon- the most beautiful women in the country.
The fate of Regina Kolesnikova was easier. “She saw Leva Zbarsky somewhere - it was the Moscow elite, amazing, wonderful artists. And Regina said: I want to meet Leva,” says Alla Shchipakina.
Lev Zbarsky immediately proposes to Regina. Some admire them, call them the most beautiful couple Moscow, others envy.
“There were conversations because she liked it - once, artists sewed a lot of products on her - two, they said that she had an affair with Yves Montand. But at the same time, it was so difficult to meet with a foreigner that they began to talk about her connections with the KGB," says Lev Anisimov.
Rumors about Regina's romance with famous actor and Zbarsky's frequent infidelities gradually destroy their marriage. Soon Lev leaves his wife, and she starts an affair with a Yugoslav journalist. After their short relationship, the book "One Hundred Nights with Regina Zbarskaya" is published. A recent fan cites the fashion model's negative statements about Soviet power.
“We didn’t read the book, but we knew what was in it. Maybe she said something to him, but there was no need to write it - he knew perfectly well Soviet life. She was regularly called on this occasion. She tried to commit suicide several times, and then mental problems began. She was left alone, Levka left her, went to Maksakova, then left. Everything started to spin like a snowball," says Alla Shchipakina.
In the 70s, clothing demonstrators retired at 75. Along with thin women, women of 48 and even 52 sizes walked the catwalk. After a course of treatment, the aged and plump Regina tries to return to the Kuznetsky Most, but this is no longer possible. Regina is summoned to the KGB. After another interrogation, she makes a second suicide attempt and again ends up in the hospital.
"They wanted to recruit her, but how? It was a double job, it was necessary to give information, but what kind? So that no one was hurt. It was internal self-destruction," Shchipakina argues.
Nadezhda Zhukova came to the Model House in the late 70s. At that time, new types came into fashion.
“When I first arrived, the girls were almost half a head smaller than me, miniature, fragile, with small shoulders, feminine. And just at that time they began to select girls who were more athletic, large, tall. Probably, it was preparation for the Olympics ", - recalls clothing demonstrator Nadezhda Zhukova.
Nadezhda recalls that in those years, not one of the Soviet fashion models becomes a defector, which cannot be said about ballet stars. So, in 1961, the soloist of the Leningrad Theater Rudolf Nureyev refused to return from Paris, and in the 70s the theater lost Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov - they also preferred abroad.
"Basically, fashion models were married women, held, able to behave, trustworthy. Of course, they did not pursue the goal of emigrating, it allowed them to be nice, smiling, knowing their own worth," Zhukova says.
An unknown death
Soviet fashion models emigrate officially. So, in 1972, Regina's main competitor, Mila Romanovskaya, left her homeland. Once, at an exhibition of light industry in London, she was entrusted with wearing the famous "Russia" dress. And in the 70s, Berezka (as she is called in the West), following her husband, the famous graphic artist Yuri Kuperman, leaves for England. Before leaving, the spouses are invited to the Lubyanka.
“There was an interest that emigrants there should refrain from high-profile anti-Soviet campaigns. A beautiful woman, if she gave a lecture on the restriction of human rights or the departure of Jews from the USSR, could cause serious damage to Soviet interests. That is, most likely, they had a conversation with her, so that it does not harm so much," Maxim Tokarev believes.
Another blonde from the House of Models, Russian Twiggy, Galina Milovskaya, ended up in the West against her will. The blond beauty became the first Soviet model whose photo was printed on the pages of Vogue. In one of the pictures, Galina is sitting in trousers on Red Square with her back to the portraits of the leaders. The girl was not forgiven such liberties and was excommunicated from the podium.
Regina Zbarskaya
“After this photo shoot, she was not just fired from the Model House, she was forced to leave the USSR,” says Tokarev.
In 1987, the prima donna of the Soviet catwalk Regina Zbarskaya passed away. According to one version, she died in a psychiatric hospital from a heart attack, according to another, she died at home all alone. AT last years next to the former fashion model were only the closest friends. Among them - Vyacheslav Zaitsev.
"Vyacheslav Mikhailovich took her to his House of Models when she left the psychiatric hospital," says Lev Anisimov.
Where and when the queen of the House of Models Regina Zbarskaya was buried is unknown. After death, every fact of her biography becomes a legend.
“She was an ordinary girl, Kolesnikov’s last name, they called Regina, or maybe she remade from Katerina. But fantastic beauty! Maybe it was her lot to endure so much suffering for her beauty,” says Alla Shchipakina.
The end of the 80s is coming to an end cold war. To go abroad, you no longer need to get the approval of the Central Committee of the Party and be instructed by the KGB. The generation of the first top models also goes into the past. It was they who discovered the beauty of Soviet women to the West.
But while Paris, Berlin, London gave them a standing ovation, in the homeland of the girls from the Kuznetsk bridge they called informers behind their backs. The envy of colleagues and constant control by the secret services - this is the price that each of them had to pay.
Today, almost every second girl dreams of becoming a model. In Soviet times, the profession of a fashion model was not only not prestigious, but was considered almost indecent and at the same time poorly paid. Clothing demonstrators received a maximum of 76 rubles at a rate - as workers of the fifth category. At the same time, the most famous Russian beauties were known and appreciated in the West, but at home, work in the “modeling” business (although there was no such thing then) often created problems for them. From this issue you will learn about the fate of the brightest fashion models of the Soviet Union.
Regina Zbarskaya
Her name became synonymous with the concept of "Soviet fashion model", although for a long time only people close to her knew about the tragic fate of Regina. Everything was changed by a series of publications that appeared in the press after the collapse of the USSR. They started talking about Zbarskaya, but so far her name is more shrouded in myths than fanned by real facts. The exact place of her birth is not known - either Leningrad, or Vologda, there is no exact data about her parents. It was rumored that Zbarskaya was connected with the KGB, she was credited with novels with influential men and almost espionage activities, but those who really knew Regina say unequivocally: all this is not true. The only husband of the sultry beauty was the artist Lev Zbarsky, but the relationship did not work out: the husband left Regina, first to the actress Marianna Vertinskaya, then to Lyudmila Maksakova. Zbarsky died in 2016 in America, and Regina, after his departure, could not recover: in 1987, she committed suicide by drinking sleeping pills.
Regina Zbarskaya was called the "Russian Sophia Loren": the image of a sultry Italian woman with a lush "page" haircut was invented for her by Vyacheslav Zaitsev. The southern beauty of Regina was popular in the Soviet Union: dark-haired and dark-eyed girls seemed exotic against the background of a standard Slavic appearance. But foreigners treated Regina with restraint, preferring to invite for filming - if, of course, they managed to get permission from the authorities - blue-eyed blondes. 
Mila Romanovskaya
The complete antipode and longtime rival of Zbarskaya is Mila Romanovskaya. Delicate sophisticated blonde, Mila looked like Twiggy. It was with this famous British woman that she was compared more than once, even a photo of Romanovskaya a la Twiggy, with lush false eyelashes, round glasses, and combed back hair, has been preserved. Romanovskaya's career began in Leningrad, then she transferred to the Moscow Fashion House. It was here that a dispute arose about who is the first beauty of a large country - she or Regina. Mila won: it was she who was entrusted with demonstrating the dress "Russia" by fashion designer Tatyana Osmerkina at the international exhibition of light industry in Montreal. The scarlet outfit, embroidered with golden sequins around the neck, was remembered for a long time and even entered the fashion history textbooks. Her photos were willingly published in the West, for example, in Life! magazine, calling Romanovskaya Snegurochka. The fate of Mila was generally happy. She managed to give birth to a daughter, Nastya, from her first husband, whom she met while studying at VGIK. Then she divorced, had a vivid romance with Andrei Mironov, remarried the artist Yuri Kuper. With him, she emigrated first to Israel, then to Europe. The third husband of Romanovskaya was the British businessman Douglas Edwards. 
Galina Milovskaya
She was also called the "Russian Twiggy" - the skinny tomboy type was extremely popular. Milovskaya became the first model in the history of the USSR who was allowed to pose for foreign photographers. Shooting for Vogue magazine was organized by the Frenchman Arnaud de Rhone. The documents were personally signed by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Kosygin, and any gloss producer could envy the list of locations and the level of organization of this photoset: Galina Milovskaya demonstrated clothes not only on Red Square, but also in the Armory and the Diamond Fund. The accessories for that shooting were the scepter of Catherine II and the legendary Shah diamond. However, a scandal soon broke out: one of the pictures, in which Milovskaya sits on the paving stones of the country's main square with her back to the Mausoleum, was recognized in the USSR as immoral, the girl began to hint at leaving the country. At first, emigration seemed to Gala a tragedy, but in fact it turned out to be a great success: in the West, Milovskaya collaborated with the Ford agency, went to shows and starred for gloss, and then completely changed her profession, becoming a documentary filmmaker. The personal life of Galina Milovskaya was successful: she lived for 30 years in marriage with the French banker Jean-Paul Dessertino. 
Leka Mironova
Leka (short for Leokadiy) Mironova is the model of Vyacheslav Zaitsev, who still continues to act in various photo shoots and takes part in television programs. Leka has something to tell and show: she looks great at her age, and her work-related memories are enough for a thick book of memoirs. Mironova shares unpleasant details: she admits that her friends and colleagues were often forced to succumb to the harassment of the powerful, while she found the courage to refuse a high-ranking boyfriend and paid dearly for it. In her youth, Leka was compared to Audrey Hepburn for her slimness, chiseled profile and impeccable style. She kept it until old age and now willingly shares her beauty secrets: this is the usual children's cream for moisturizing the skin, red wine instead of tonic and a hair mask with egg yolk. And of course - always keep your back straight and do not slouch! 
Tatiana Mikhalkova (Soloviev)
They used to see the wife of the famous director Nikita Mikhalkov as a worthy mother of a large family, and few people remember her as a slender young girl. Meanwhile, in her youth, Tatyana walked the catwalk for more than five years and starred for Soviet fashion magazines. She was also compared with the fragile Twiggy, and Slava Zaitsev dubbed Tatyana a Botcheliev girl. It was whispered that a bold mini helped the girl to get a job as a fashion model - the artistic council unanimously admired the beauty of the applicant's legs. Friends jokingly called Tatyana "Institute" - unlike other fashion models, she had a prestigious higher education received at the Institute. Maurice Teresa. True, having changed her surname from Solovyov's maiden name to Mikhalkova, Tatyana was forced to give up her profession: Nikita Sergeevich rather sharply told her that her mother should raise children, and he would not tolerate any nannies. The last time Tatyana appeared on the podium at the seventh month of pregnancy, carrying her eldest daughter Anna under her heart, and then completely plunged into the life and upbringing of the heirs. When the children grew up a little, Tatyana Mikhalkova created and headed the Russian Silhouette charity foundation, which helps aspiring fashion designers. 
Elena Metelkina
She is known for her roles in the films "Guest from the Future" and "Through Hardships to the Stars." The role of Metelkina is a woman of the future, an alien. Huge unearthly eyes, a fragile figure and a completely atypical appearance for that time attracted attention to Elena. There are six films in her filmography, the last one is dated 2011, although Elena has no acting education, she is a librarian by profession. The rise of Metelkina dates back to an era when the popularity of the fashion model profession had already begun to decline, and a new generation was about to appear - already professional models tailored according to the Western model. Elena worked mainly in the GUM showroom, shooting for Soviet fashion magazines with patterns and knitting tips. After the collapse of the Union, she left the profession and, like many, was forced to adapt to the new reality. There are many sharp turns in her biography, including a criminal story with the murder of businessman Ivan Kivelidi, whose secretary she was. Metelkina was not injured by chance, her replacement secretary died along with her boss. Now Elena occasionally appears on television and gives interviews, but devotes most of her time to singing in the church choir in one of the churches in Moscow. 
Tatyana Chapygina
Probably every housewife knew this girl of ideal classical appearance in the USSR. Chapygina was a very sought-after model and, in addition to participating in shows, she starred a lot for magazines, demonstrating the trends of the next season in publications that offered Soviet women to sew or knit fashionable clothes on their own. Then the names of the models were not mentioned in the press: only the author of the next dress and the photographer who captured it were signed, and information about the girls who presented stylish images remained closed. Nevertheless, Tatyana Chapygina's career was developing successfully: she managed to avoid scandals, rivalry with colleagues and other negative things. She left the profession on takeoff, getting married. 
Rumia Rumi Rey
She was called only by her first name, or by the nickname once given by her friends - Shahinya. Rumia's appearance was very bright and immediately attracted the eye. Vyacheslav Zaitsev offered to hire her - at one of the views, he, as they say, fell for the bright beauty of Rumia and soon made her his favorite model. Her type was called the "woman of the future", and Rumia herself became famous not only for her beauty, but also for her character. He, by her own admission, was not sugar, the girl often argued with colleagues, violated the accepted rules, but there was something attractive in her rebelliousness. In her mature years, Rumia retained a slender figure and bright appearance. She still maintains friendly relations with Vyacheslav Zaitsev looks, as they say, one hundred percent. 
Evgeniya Kurakina
Evgenia Kurakina - an employee of the Leningrad Fashion House, a girl with an aristocratic surname acted as a "sad teenager". Evgenia was photographed a lot by foreign photographers, and to work with the girl, they specially came to the Northern capital to capture the beauty of Zhenya against the backdrop of local attractions. The fashion model later complained that she never saw most of these pictures, because they were intended for publication abroad. True, in the archive of Evgenia herself there are many different photos taken in the 60s and 70s of the last century, which she sometimes provides for thematic exhibitions. The fate of Evgenia herself was happy - she got married and went to live in Germany.
It is generally accepted that life in the Soviet Union was strictly regulated and ranked, that the country did not excel in any kind of cultural life, except for cinema and ballet. Life and creative way the famous fashion model Regina Zbarskaya proves the opposite. This spectacular woman, despite the Soviet passport, was able to get on a par with the world stars of the podium, was on a short footing with such legends of the fashion world as.
Regina Zbarskaya is not only a fashion model-star, but also a woman of mystery. Her life is shrouded in secrets and rumors - from the place of birth to the circumstances of death. Her parents gave her an unusual name for that time, which means “queen” in Latin. Perhaps, in many ways, it determined the fate of its mistress. Nevertheless, the girl's surname at first was quite ordinary - Kolesnikova.
According to the official version, she was born in Leningrad in a family of circus performers who crashed while performing a complex acrobatic stunt under the circus dome. The girl was sent to an orphanage, where she lived until the age of 17. According to another version, allegedly told by her classmate, Regina is from Vologda, and her parents are employees public institutions, mother is an accountant, and father is a retired officer.
A post shared by (@roma_ravich) on Mar 25, 2019 at 3:28am PDT
Another name, although already with a negative touch, was called Regina by fellow models - "The Snow Queen". Apparently, they considered her too arrogant, too Western, too individual. There was no friendship between the models. Regina's competitors in these years were Marina Dunaeva, Mila Romanovskaya, who got the dress "Russia", created for the figure of Zbarskaya, and Lyoka Mironova - Regina's double. The fashion model did not seek to establish any friendly contacts, always remaining closed in herself, and only the closest people saw her real.
So, fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev spoke warmly about Zbarskaya. According to him, the woman took care of the young designer and often fed him. In 1965, he invited his girlfriend to a joint dinner at the Aragvi restaurant with a foreign delegation, where his colleagues from the West, Mark Boan, Guy Laroche, were present. During the meeting, Sophia Loren admired the young Soviet beauty, and Cardin and Boan invited the fashion model to chat at the same table. Regina behaved with restraint and even blushed from such attention.
Overnight, the glittering career of a fashion model also instantly faded away. After serious complications related to her personal life, Zbarskaya could not do without antidepressants. Medicines helped her not to go crazy, but closed Regina's access to the professional podium. For some time she had to work as a cleaner in the Fashion House, and then former star completely disappeared from sight. Latest photos fashion models appeared in a fashion magazine in 1984, but no makeup could help hide the woman's extinct look. Her fate ended tragically.
Personal life
As in the case of the place of birth, confusion and innuendo exist in the information about the personal life of Regina Zbarskaya. It is believed that her only husband was the famous Soviet illustrator and cartoonist, the son of the same Boris Zbarsky who embalmed the body. But there are rumors that Regina also had her first husband, whose name she did not disclose, since he did not come from that layer of society. Later it became known that young man name was Vladimir Lavrov.
With Lev Borisovich, the fashion model lived for a long time and at first very happily. He even called Regina his muse. But then the relationship began to deteriorate. Zbarsky started an affair with an actress, he also had other hobbies. But Regina endured all the betrayals and was not going to leave even after her husband forced her to have an abortion.
View this post on Instagram
However, he soon left the family himself and married actress Lyudmila Maksakova, who bore him a son. Upon learning that the ex-husband became a father in a new family, while he himself did not allow her to be a mother, Regina Zbarskaya experienced a severe shock, began to take tranquilizers, and later ended up in a psychiatric hospital with signs of severe depression. Later, the model never had children, which she regretted very much. The subsequent departure of Zbarsky from the country finally brought Regina out of balance - a suicide attempt took place.
Having not yet filed a divorce from her husband, the model began dating a Soviet agent in the West, Vitaly Shlykov. According to him, Regina's depression began after attempts to recruit her by the committee's employees. But Shlykov assures that Zbarskaya never made contact and did not follow the orders of the KGB. Nevertheless, other speculations arose among the ill-wishers of the model, because Regina was the only fashion model from the Soviet Union who was allowed to go for a walk during trips abroad without the protection of committee members.
After some time, the fashion model appeared new lover- Yugoslav journalist. Their stormy romantic relationship ended in a new betrayal: the young man went to Germany, where he published the book "
It has long been an irrefutable fact that the most beautiful women live in our country. Even in the days of the stagnant USSR, the total shortage of beautiful clothes, they looked dignified and exciting. And Soviet fashion models, who did not have world fame, such as Twiggy, were in no way inferior to their external data. Rather, on the contrary, our models looked more attractive, due to natural restraint and inaccessibility - the domestic mentality.
Many foreign couturiers wanted to get beautiful and "forbidden" Soviet fashion models in their collection.
AT Soviet history there were big names in the field of catwalk fashion - among them were the famous Soviet fashion models.
One of the most famous Soviet fashion models of the 60-70s is Regina Zbarskaya. She was not at all an ordinary catwalk beauty. She was given a lot in life, incredible appearance, education, knowledge of two foreign languages. Of course, foreign couturiers noticed her. And she, of course, came under the supervision of the KGB. Regina was compared with many foreign film stars, they called Russian Sophia Loren. Trips abroad, the opportunity to personally talk with Pierre Cardin, try on all the gloss of the "expensive" abroad, turned the head of the modest Soviet fashion model Regina Zbarskaya at first. Although before every trip abroad Soviet models they tried to politically inform them so that they would maintain a strict Soviet moral character.
Regina Zbarskaya was unhappy in her personal life, an unsuccessful marriage, and then an affair with a Yugoslav journalist, the details of which the whole world learned about, broke the psyche of the most beautiful Soviet fashion model. The unscrupulous journalist gained fame by telling in the book “100 Nights with Regina Zbarskaya” not only about their close relationship, but also about Regina’s bold statements about the USSR. After that, the security authorities put Regina under tight control. They ruined her career. Nervous breakdowns led her to a tragic death in 1987.
Many Soviet fashion models were unhappy and, leaving the catwalk age, could not find a use for themselves, because, following the example of their foreign colleagues, Soviet clothing demonstrators, as they were also called, did not earn millions. Some managed to make a profitable game with foreigners, a few got a lucky ticket - work abroad.
The famous Soviet fashion model of the 60s Mila Romanovskaya, a real Cinderella from a fairy tale, she was lucky enough to work in France, and then open her own business in London. She succeeded, married well and was happy. But these were few.
Another fashion model of the 60s-70s, popular in the USSR, Lyoka Mironova, was endowed with an aristocratic appearance, but she could not travel abroad because of the noble origin of her ancestors. Lyoka Mironova, in her memoirs, repeatedly thanks Vyacheslav Zaitsev, who did more than all domestic couturiers for her career in the USSR. In her personal life, as well as in her career, there were many difficult days. To top it off, she couldn't be happy with the only person she loved. Leka recalled that she was the victim of persecution by a high-ranking official whom she rejected, and she was threatened with reprisals against her loved ones if she stayed with her lover, the Baltic photographer Antanis.
But no matter how difficult the fate of the famous Soviet fashion models, they look luxurious and inimitable in photo shoots that have survived to this day, in photos in magazines and shots from the film archive.
Victoria Maltseva
