Soviet fashion models of the 60s and 70s. How was the fate of the brightest Soviet fashion models. Being a beautiful and bright woman, if you are not an actress, was generally considered indecent.
The film shows the tragic fate of one of the first fashion models of the USSR in the 60s, the real queen of the podium, Regina Zbarskaya, against the backdrop of the secret and cruel world of Soviet fashion. She was destined to become the embodiment of the myth of "Soviet beauty", she was applauded by Western bohemia, Yves Montand and Federico Fellini were struck by her beauty. But for the dizzying success had to pay the price of his own life.
She was a European style model. The standard of elegance for the House of Models on Kuznetsky Most. In the sixty-fifth year, Pierre Cardin himself came to Moscow. And it was Zbarskaya that became the hallmark of Russian fashion, which Vyacheslav Zaitsev presented to the French couturier.
Regina, of course, attracted attention with her train of extraordinary personal life. Her second husband was Lev Zbarsky, a famous graphic artist. He introduced her to the circle of Moscow bohemia, it was a bright pair of beau monde. Regina, according to many memories, was known as an intellectual, was the star of the salons. She was treated in the same way abroad, where she was the personification of an unknown country. Regina was recognized, but little was known about her. It was said that her mother danced under the dome of the circus and crashed. And Regina herself, the fruit of the love of a dancer and an Italian gymnast, was brought up in an orphanage.
In the mid-seventies, Lev Zbarsky left for America forever. The marriage broke up. It was then that she met a Yugoslav journalist. The reaction of certain services followed immediately - Regina was made "not allowed to travel abroad". And then in Yugoslavia the book "One Hundred Nights with Regina" appeared, where were all her revelations about the then highest echelon of the country. She was called to the KGB. Regina could not stand it and opened her veins. The door of the apartment was left open and, quite by chance, a neighbor who came to her managed to call for help, they managed to save Regina. But it was clear that she was broken. However, whether this book and this Yugoslav actually existed, no one knows for sure. The exact date of Regina's death remains unknown, it is only certain that she was preceded by a psychiatric clinic and a series of suicide attempts, the latter turned out to be fatal.
Soon after her death, the doors of world podiums opened for models from the USSR. But the tragic name of Regina Zbarskaya will remain in the history of Russian fashion forever.
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.
In Soviet history, there were big names in the field of catwalk fashion - among them are 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 each trip abroad, Soviet models were tried to be politically informed 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
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Now the word "model" is synonymous with the words "standard of female beauty." But earlier, in the USSR, fashion models were considered workers of the 5th category and received 76 rubles, which is 16 rubles more than cleaners. They had a wide size grid (from very thin to curvy girls), which was absolute nonsense for the Western world. But, nevertheless, some girls still managed to become famous not only at home, but also abroad.
Galina Milovskaya
Galina Milovskaya was nicknamed "Soviet Twiggy" because of her boyish figure and excessive thinness. And although she dreamed of the theater, her life turned out differently. A classmate invited her to be a "clothes demonstrator", as the models were then called, and Galina, without thinking twice, agreed. In the USSR, her appearance was considered rather mediocre, because the weight of the fashion model barely reached 42 kg with a height of 170 cm (and in the Soviet Union it was believed that models should be closer to the people, therefore, not too thin).
In 1967, the first International Fashion Festival opened in Moscow, where it was noticed by Western publications. American Vogue wanted to do a photo shoot with Milovskaya, but it took them two years to get permission from the Soviet authorities. The result met all expectations: the popularity rating of the model soared abroad, but at home she became an outcast. The stylists of the bible of fashion with this photo shoot with the provocative title “On the ashes of Stalin” proved that there are also brave women in the USSR who can sit in a trouser suit right on Red Square.
Soon Galina had to go abroad for two reasons: the death of her husband and the “harassment” because of the above photos. When she arrived in France penniless, her friend, the artist Anatoly Brusilovsky, introduced the fashion model to a wealthy bachelor, Jean-Paul Dessertin, who agreed to help. They arranged a fictitious marriage, which soon grew into a real one. Now the couple lives in France and has a daughter.
Regina Zbarskaya
Vyacheslav Zaitsev created the image of the “Soviet Sophia Loren” for her, and the French magazine Paris Match called the model “the main weapon of the Kremlin”, but fate turned out to be less favorable to her.
Regina's biography is shrouded in myths, but there are not too many facts. The place of her birth is not known for certain, as well as information about who her parents were. According to some sources, Regina was born in Italy into a family of Soviet spies (and therefore she knew several foreign languages perfectly and had European manners), according to others, the girl was born in a simple working-class family in a small town. One way or another, but her modeling career is known all over the world, although the girl got into the fashion industry quite by accident.
She was brought to the Fashion House by fashion designer Vera Aralova, who saw the girl near the university and was fascinated by her. Regina stood out from other models with her "European appearance". Vera Aralova began to carry her collections, and with them fashion models abroad, and it was the face of Regina Zbarskaya that became synonymous with "Soviet fashion" all over the world.
But if everything worked out in the girl’s career as well as possible, then on the personal front it was time for a change. Her husband, the artist Lev Zbarsky, having learned about her wife's pregnancy, sharply stated that he did not want a child, and Regina meekly had an abortion. After that, the girl began to take antidepressants, the dose of which only increased due to a sudden divorce.
But, despite this, the fashion model found the strength to return to the podium. Later, she hoped to find happiness with a young journalist, but this attempt was also unsuccessful: he publishes the book "One Hundred Nights with Regina Zbarskaya", which contains erotic details of their life together, describes all the denunciations of other models and the fashion model's stories about the dissatisfaction with life in the USSR .
This was the last straw for her: unable to cope with public pressure, the girl makes two suicide attempts, ends up in a psychiatric clinic, where she soon finds her last refuge from an intentional overdose of sleeping pills.
Leka (Leokadiya) Mironova
Western media called Leka Mironova "the Soviet Audrey Hepburn", designer Karven Malle - "Venus de Milo", and Vyacheslav Zaitsev called her his main muse. The latter, by the way, immediately noticed her beauty as soon as she entered the Fashion House with her friend. The careers of Vyacheslav Zaitsev as a designer and Leka Mironova as a model are inextricably linked. Leka started working with Zaitsev when he was still an unknown fashion designer at a small clothing factory and continued to work with him when he became a famous designer throughout Russia and the "father of Russian fashion." The famous fashion model has been collaborating with the fashion designer for over 50 years, and Leka still occasionally appears on the podium.
Leka was not allowed to go abroad, perhaps because of her origin: Leokadia's father belonged to the noble family of the Mironovs. Her position was also aggravated by the fact that Leka, unlike many of her fellow models, never accepted courtship from high-ranking officials.
In the life of the model, there was one main love - Antanas, a photographer whom the girl met in Latvia. Unfortunately, this novel did not end with a happy ending. At that moment, nationalist sentiments were strong in Latvia, several nationalist groups were active, Russian people in Latvia were being attacked. Antanas was also attacked for his affair with a Russian girl, and his family (mother and sister) were threatened. In such circumstances, Leka was forced to part with her beloved, although this was probably one of the most difficult decisions in her life.
Leka Mironova and Antanas
No matter how many difficulties Leka faced in life, she always met them with true dignity and never lost heart. No matter how hard it was, she went to the podium, smiled and kept her back straight. Is always. So she continues to do now, and still appears on the podium at the shows of Slava Zaitsev.
Mila Romanovskaya
Mila Romanovskaya was called by Western colleagues exclusively a “real Russian beauty”, and she turned out to be one of the few who managed to build a career abroad. She was the main competitor on the podium of Regina Zbarskaya, but fate turned out to be much more favorable to her.
Mila enjoyed success in the USSR due to her unusual “cold blonde” appearance, and it was she who was entrusted with wearing the “Russia” dress, which at that time was the pride of Soviet fashion designers. During the aforementioned International fashion show, in addition to the standard fashion show, a beauty contest was also held, and Mila Romanovskaya received the coveted Miss Russia status.
Despite the resounding success, the 27-year-old girl, along with her husband, Yuri Kuperman, flies out of the Soviet Union and moved to Israel. In Tel Aviv, she also starred in advertisements for leather clothing and accessories for local brands. But real success came to her when she moved to Paris and began to collaborate with such fashion giants as Pierre Cardin, Christian Dior and Givenchy.
Frame from the movie series "The Red Queen" about Regina Zbarskaya
Russian girls are the most beautiful - so say not only Russian men, but also representatives of the stronger sex in many countries of the world. And it’s hard to disagree with this statement, because it is Russian beauties that combine not only stunning external data, but also internal ones, which makes their beauty only brighter.
Now you won’t surprise anyone with work in the modeling business, many girls from a young age dream of joining this world and occupying their niche there. But not always the career of a model or "fashion model" was so attractive in our country - in the USSR, this work was considered not prestigious and was not highly paid. This is not surprising, because in revolutionary and wartime, few people were interested in fashion, people had other, more vital priorities.
But the situation began to change with the advent of the Khrushchev thaw - the iron gates began to open, and among other Western trends, fashion slowly began to seep into our country. It was then that one could observe the era of dudes who zealously tried on the most reckless outfits. During that period, the profession of “clothing demonstrator” was born, which allowed some Soviet beauties to hit the jackpot and become famous not only at home, but also abroad.
Maybe for someone, Elena Metelkina is a talented actress who played Polina, an employee of the Institute of Time in the film “Guest from the Future”, or an alien Niya in “Through Hardships to the Stars”. But first, Elena is just a beautiful woman who, by the will of fate, turned from a simple librarian into a fashion model. Her fantastic appearance allowed her to achieve success both in the modeling business of those times and in the world of Soviet cinema.
But she was not always so successful - at school she was constantly laughed at because of her tall stature and awkwardness, but the career of a fashion model breathed new life into her, after which her creative path went uphill. Her personal life, unfortunately, did not work out.
The woman who conquered not only the USSR, but the whole world - Regina Zbarskaya - is one of the most legendary Soviet fashion models, who even after her death left thousands of questions that no one will give answers to. Having accidentally entered the world of Soviet fashion, she immediately turned the heads of the couturier, and representatives of the Western press called her "Soviet Sophia Loren" and "the most beautiful weapon of the Kremlin."
It would seem that such success should have ensured her a happy life, but failures in her personal life greatly crippled Zbarskaya, after which she ended up in a psychiatric hospital. But after the first return from her walls, she could no longer find a place for herself on the podium, and after the second hospitalization, her condition deteriorated greatly, which led to suicide in 1987.
Romanovskaya was the main rival of Regina Zbarskaya on the podium. She also aroused admiration not only among representatives of Soviet fashion, but also among foreign connoisseurs of beauty. The characters of these girls were complete opposites, while Zbarskaya showed her character, Romanovskaya always made concessions and was distinguished by goodwill. The peak of their rivalry came in 1967, when fashion designer Tatyana Osmerkina created a dress that represented the USSR at more than one international fashion competition. The dress was sewn for Zbarskaya, but in the end the honor of representing him went to Romanovskaya. It was after these competitions that the foreign press began to call her berezka and snegurochka.
In 1972, Mila Romanovskaya left her homeland with her husband, artist Yuri Kuperman. Her further fate was little advertised: according to one source, her modeling career abroad developed successfully, and Mila worked with Pierre Cardin, Dior and Givenchy; according to others, she failed and no longer worked as a fashion model.
“Soviet Audrey Hepburn”, as Leka Mironova was called abroad, is another famous representative of Soviet fashion models. Unlike Regina Zbarskaya, Mironova did not dream of this career. Everything happened very prosaically - she came to the House of Models to support her friend, but Vyacheslav Zaitsev noticed it. At that time, the girl had other priorities - she was engaged in ballet, but due to illness in her legs, this dream had to be abandoned, as well as the desire to be an architect - vision problems put an end to this. Mironova agreed to Zaitsev's proposal.
Later, she often thanked him for giving her this profession. Her career abroad did not work out for her - she was "not allowed to leave". She was not even released to the Parade of the best fashion models in the world. Her personal life did not work out.
Galina Milovskaya is another phenomenon of the Soviet fashion world. With a height of 170 centimeters, her weight was 42 kilograms, in connection with which Galina was compared with Twiggy. They immediately saw great potential in her, and for good reason, because Milovskaya became the first Soviet fashion model to pose for Vogue. The photographer of that momentous shoot was Arnaud de Rhone. But this brought her not only fame, but also led to a big scandal - the girl was accused of "anti-Soviet" - an unacceptable pose (legs spread wide), disrespect for Lenin (sitting with her back to the mausoleum). After that, Milovskaya was often accused of inappropriate behavior.
In 1974 she emigrated. Milovskaya's modeling career abroad was successful - she was patronized by the Ford modeling agency. Personal life also developed, in addition, Galina Milovskaya took place as a documentary filmmaker.
Regina Zbarskaya I realized early on that beauty and youth can provide her with a decent future. But she did not take into account one thing: youth is a temporary phenomenon, and beauty does not guarantee happiness. The famous Soviet fashion model died in a psychiatric hospital when she was only 52 years old. Who would have thought that the fabulous life of the prima of the Soviet catwalks would end so tragically?
Queen
September 27, 1935 in the family of an officer Nikolai Kolesnikov daughter was born. Her father chose for her the name Regina, unusual for that time, which in some way predetermined the girl’s future fate, because in Latin it means “queen”. Of course, then she was far from reigning on the Soviet catwalks, but already in her youth the future model stood out among her peers.
After the end of the war, the family settled in Vologda. Having received a certificate, the girl went to conquer Moscow. The choice of seventeen-year-old Regina fell on the Faculty of Economics of VGIKA, although in fact she dreamed of acting in films. But the chances of entering the acting department without preparation were practically zero, and the provincial really wanted to “hook” in the capital. But Regina got into the Faculty of Economics without much difficulty.
Regina Zbarskaya. Photo: RIA Novosti
Already in her second year of study, Kolesnikova began to skip couples more and more often, which caused stable dissatisfaction with teachers. However, even with such attendance, she managed to pass all the exams and study well.
It was in her student years that Regina realized that youth and external data are a ticket to a brilliant future. The girl was a frequent guest of bohemian parties, where directors, artists and diplomats gathered. At the same time, Regina was not just another beautiful girl - she knew how to keep up the conversation, spoke two languages, and had good manners.
After graduating from high school, Kolesnikova stormed the Mosfilm film sets. But the directors were in no hurry to make tempting offers. Regina did not give up and once at one of the parties her “European appearance” was noticed by an artist and fashion designer Vera Aralova. She invited the girl to work at the All-Union House of Models on Kuznetsky Most.Dubious profession
In Soviet times, the profession of "model" was not considered prestigious and was paid accordingly. Moreover, the girls were not even called models, they were “clothing demonstrators”. The majority thought so, but not Kolesnikova. Regina sincerely enjoyed her new life, because the podium made a real celebrity in the fashion world out of a simple girl. Her finest hour struck in 1961 in Paris during a show of Soviet fashion models.
However, when she returned to the Union, she was immediately made to understand: if you want to travel abroad without hindrance, you will have to “work hard” for the good of the Motherland. During their visits abroad, fashion models actively communicated with very famous politicians, artists, businessmen and elites. Most of them were greedy for attractive interlocutors and under their influence could positively influence the image of the Soviet Union in the West. But these are just guesses. It is still not known for certain what information the queen of the Soviet podium obtained and disseminated. But it is known that she was the only model who, contrary to the existing strict instructions, was allowed to go to the city on business during trips abroad. Her colleagues did not even dream of such "liberties".
RIA News
There were a lot of rumors around the Fashion House on Kuznetsky Most. His workers were often compared to women of easy virtue, because they stood out too much against the gray, faceless mass of Soviet people. For this reason, many deliberately concealed the profession. However, Regina was not one of them and knew her worth.
Kolesnikova, like any other girl, wanted to get married successfully. Of course, with her data, finding the perfect match was not difficult. In 1960, a real king appeared in the life of the queen of the catwalk - the artist Lev Zbarsky. It was under his last name that Regina was recognized all over the world.
Family or career?
The newly minted husband was a real playboy. He enjoyed unprecedented success with women, but Regina managed to pacify her husband for a while. For 7 years, the Zbarsky couple was one of the most beautiful couples of the Moscow beau monde. Thanks to my husband and fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev the fashion model met a huge number of famous foreign guests who visited the Soviet Union at that time. Among them were Yves Montand and Pierre Cardin.
In 1967, Regina had to make a very important choice in her life. At 32, she became pregnant. This news took her by surprise: Zbarskaya had a long trip to Montreal planned. Between a child and a career, unfortunately, she chose the latter. What prompted her to have an abortion is hard to say. However, according to rumors, Leo did not want children, or rather, he did not want them from Regina. The artist left his wife first for an actress Marianne Vertinskaya, and then to Lyudmila Maksakova who bore him a son.
In 1972, the man emigrated to Israel, then to the United States. After breaking up with her husband, the catwalk queen left the House of Models. She experienced the news of the pregnancy of Zbarsky's new passion very difficult, but did not lose hope of restoring her family. However, when Regina realized that Leo was leaving the country, she opened her veins and ended up in a psychiatric hospital.
After treatment, Zbarskaya tried to return to the profession. Despite her age and overweight, she had such an opportunity, because then clothes were shown not only by young beauties, but also by older models. However, the return was short-lived - looking at her pictures for the magazine and the fresh, young faces of the new fashion models, Regina realized that her time had gone forever.
Bad reputation
In 1973, the black stripe in the life of the ex-model was replaced by a white one. At least Regina hoped so. Zbarskaya met a Yugoslav journalist. A passionate but short romance ensued between them. When the young man returned to his homeland, he published the sensational book One Hundred Nights with Regina Zbarskaya. The publication contained a woman's confessions about her denunciations of colleagues in the shop, candid photographs and intimate details of the life of the queen of the podium. Of course, this “work” never appeared on the shelves of Soviet stores.
Regina Zbarskaya and Vyacheslav Zaitsev. Photo: RIA Novosti
What was it - another vile betrayal of a loved one or a deliberate provocation of a high-profile political scandal by Zbarskaya herself? Given Regina's unstable mental health, it is possible that she knew about the impending publication. But the new "popularity" did not allow her to live in peace. She opened her veins for the second time and again ended up in a hospital bed.
In 1982, Vyacheslav Zaitsev wanted to offer Regina a job at his Fashion House on Prospekt Mir. But there was nothing to think about returning to the podium. In 1984, she starred for the last time for a fashion magazine - needless to say, it was a completely different Zbarskaya. The faded look could not brighten up the makeup and skillfully exposed light.
On November 15, 1987, Regina made the decision to commit suicide for the third time. While in the hospital, the woman drank a handful of pills and fell asleep forever. Her death was reported by the Voice of America radio station, but in the USSR the departure of one of the most famous fashion models of the 60s went unnoticed. Many people who were once close to her still do not know where the grave of the legendary Regina Zbarskaya is located. Could anyone have imagined such a sad ending to such a bright life? Hardly. Apparently not in vain do they say among the people - "do not be born beautiful."