Twiggy, Verushka, Gene Shrimpton, Peggy Moffit -Here are just a few names of famous foreign models who conquered world podiums and adorned the covers of glossy 1960s editions. In the Soviet Union, on the contrary, the profession of fashion was not so prestigious, and few now can remember the famous beauties of that time - the era in which the famous fashion models of the USSR were born. Mila Romanovskaya shines especially brightly among them.
Despite the fact that the future star of the Sovietthe catwalk was born in Leningrad, her first conscious memories are associated with another city - Samara. It was there during the blockade that little Lyudochka was evacuated with her mother. The father did not follow the family - the rank of captain of the first rank did not allow. Four years of separation did not pass without a trace. The charismatic, cheerful father of the girl met another woman and left her legal wife.
Officially, a divorce will be formalized after fourteen years, but already upon returning to Leningrad, the girl and her mother begin to live separately.
Skinny, long, cocky Mila Romanovskaya -notorious hooligan. It is difficult to describe the teenage portrait of a girl with greater accuracy. While my mother was at work, she spent all her time in school and in the yard.
By nature, Mila Romanovskaya was not deprivedvarious talents: from an early age she was fond of singing and dancing, went in for sports - jogging on high-speed skates. All the more surprising is the fact that the girl entered the electromechanical school. Who would have thought that Mila Romanovskaya was a fashion model in the near future? But time has put everything in its place.
Seriously about the career of the fashion model Mila Romanovskayanever thought. Admission to the conservatory, the study of art history - that was what interested her at that time. And what genuine interest could the fashion world have caused a young girl when blouses were made of parachute fabric in post-war Leningrad?
Mila Romanovskaya - fashion model, whose biographyshould have been very different. But the omnipotent case played its role. Suddenly, at the upcoming show, it was necessary to replace a sick girlfriend. The girls had similar parameters, and Mila was invited to sample at the Leningrad House of Models. There, it was discovered that Mila Romanovskaya was a natural model. The defile of the young beauty caused such delight that a contract was immediately signed with her, and only a couple of months later she was sent on a business trip to Finland. The girl’s career began to instantly gain momentum.
No less rapidly followed the wedding withVolodya is a student at VGIK, with whom Mila met at the age of 18. Next was moving to the capital. Milu was not immediately taken to the Moscow Model House: they said that the models were already dialed, but they asked to leave a phone number. A difficult period began: the expulsion of her husband from VGIK, isolation from the outside world, friends. And only some time later a bell rings with an offer to work in the Model House.
Mila Romanovskaya, whose biography is described in the article, was forced to interrupt her career for some time due to the birth of her daughter Nastya. Relations with her husband began to deteriorate.
Frequent travel model workabroad, could not arouse interest in the personality of Romanovskaya on the part of the Soviet special services. A few years after moving to Moscow, incomprehensible calls began, parcels from "relatives", vain attempts to recruit. The young beauty had to visit the KGB building four times, but the result remained the same - Mila refused to cooperate. Strangely enough, my husband’s advice was saved, pretending to be a sort of fool who does not understand anything.
In those years, for the title of the best fashion model of the USSRtwo girls fought: Regina Zbarskaya and Mila Romanovskaya. They were complete opposites. Regina is a burning brunette, quick-tempered, demanding, moody. Mila is blonde, soft, compliant, patient. Passion reached its climax when Mila Romanovskaya in the dress "Russia", which was originally prepared for Zbarskaya, left for the international fashion show.
At this show in 1967 she won! The blonde beauty captivated the hearts of the members of the commission, who called her Snegurochka, and received the well-deserved title "Miss Russia 1967".
Inspired by unexpected success, with tremendouswith a bouquet of flowers in her hands, the girl returned home. Behind her came an American photographer who asked Mila Romanovskaya to pose for him for Look magazine. Fashion model dress "Russia" made her calling card. In it, the girl appeared on the cover of a foreign magazine. It was an unprecedented event for that time.
But her success caused a family break. A drunken husband made a scandal to Mile on the basis of jealousy. In fact, this scene put an end to the relationship between the spouses.
Soon after, Mila met with Andrei Mironov. Between a famous actor and fashion model, a stormy, but rather short, romance is struck. The gap was initiated by Mila herself.
Yuri Cooper burst into her life like a whirlwind.Acquaintance happened by accident - at a banquet in the House of Artists. But Mila almost immediately lost her head. The lovers quickly enough began to live together in Cooper's studio. The artist was not loyal - fans periodically visited him. But Yuri decided to make Mile an offer, which she gladly accepted.
Almost immediately after the wedding, a young couplethinks about emigration. An exit permit was issued within a few months. But any emigrant automatically became an enemy of the people, therefore it is not surprising that Mila Romanovskaya left her modeling career. The history of fashion of the USSR forever remembered her Snegurochka in the dress "Russia".
22 апреля, наконец-то, настал долгожданный день Departure First there was Austria, then Israel. Cooper and Romanovskaya were among the first to break free of the Iron Curtain. Unknown ahead, but all Soviet fashion models envied her.
Mila Romanovskaya quickly adapted to newlife realities. At first, she worked as a model for the Beged-Or company, a month later the Koteks company lured her. But Yura was not happy with this state of affairs, he was eager to leave Israel in search of a better life. As it turned out, it was easier to get to Israel than to leave from there later. Young specialists from the country were reluctantly released, putting all kinds of bureaucratic obstacles in their way. With incredible efforts, five months later, Millet managed to get Nansen passports, which allowed her to travel freely around the world, but without the right to reside in the territory of another country. True, there was one snag: only one of the spouses could leave Israel, the second was to remain a kind of “hostage”.
Мила летит на месяц в Лондон, куда всего спустя a couple of weeks comes Yura. Only by a miracle she manages to pick up her daughter from Israel, because in case of the slightest check the absence of a second "hostage" would have been revealed immediately. Having reunited, the couple begin to settle in England.
At first, Cooper earned nothing.The funds from two or three paintings sold to them by their friends, could hardly ensure the safe existence of the family. Almost all financial worries fell on Mila’s fragile shoulders. She literally climbed out of her skin — she took on almost any job. She managed to work simultaneously as a model in the London branch of Beged-Or, a typist on the BBC and a fashion model at the fashion shows of Pierre Cardin, Christian Dior, Givenchy.
Yura’s affairs began to go uphill sharply:publication of the first book, an exhibition in one of the galleries in Paris. The latter circumstance became fatal for the family life of Cooper and Romanovskaya: Mila and her daughter remained in England, and Jura moved to France. Long separations, rare meetings, frequent phone calls - and so on for several years. The logical result was the appearance in the life of the "master" of a new passion. Mila could no longer bear this - the couple parted.
Beloved thoughts helped her at that momentwork in which, having received the certificate of translator, Mila leaves with her head. Interviews, translations, writing various programs - there was no time even to rest, not to mention personal life. And only after five years, Mila ceases to avoid close contact with men, begins to start new novels - more and more frivolous and short-lived.
Final point in Cooper's relationship andRomanovskaya was delivered in Paris - lunch, a couple of bottles of champagne, a calm conversation and a joint decision to live separately. In a light, heady euphoria from her newfound freedom, Mila goes to the airport, where she was waiting for a surprise - her ticket was sold by mistake. Fateful moment - Mila gets a ticket not only to first grade, but also to a new life. It is on board the business class that Mila meets her third husband, Douglas. Just three months later they got married. Today they have a common business, and they travel the world on their own plane.
Biography of Mila Romanovskaya recalls the story ofCinderella. Despite all the vicissitudes of life, fate reacted very favorably to her: a brilliant career, a loving husband and beloved daughter. The snow maiden, as she was called in the West, has become a real symbol of unsurpassed Slavic beauty both at home and abroad.
