Top 9 Russian Models

Russian men are known throughout the world for their antics and shenanigans (most of it connected with drinking vodka!). On the other hand, Russian women are widely known for their beauty. So it’s not that far fetched that many of the Russian ladies would choose modeling as their career.

These beautiful women have mesmerized the fashion world by participating in many modeling shows in Moscow (and around the world).

In this article, I am going to tell you (and show you some images) about the top Russian models.

List of Famous Russian Models

Even though 2021 has negatively impacted the modeling (and fashion) industry by limiting the number of fashion shows that can be done, that doesn’t mean that models are inactive. Most of them still post images on their Instagram accounts (if you have time check those out too).

1. Irina Shayk

Number one on this list is dedicated to one of the most famous and influential models in the industry. Before I start talking about the great success this model has had in the fashion business, let’s take a look at her life before modeling.

She was born in 1986, in a small Russian town called Yemanzhelinsk. Her father was a coal miner and her mom was a music teacher. 

After she finished high school, she enrolled in a beauty school along with her sister. Apart from being “just a model”, Irina is also a good piano player (thanks to the lessons she took when she was a kid).

During her years at the beauty school, she was discovered by a person from a local modeling agency. Irina was urged to enter a beauty contest called “Miss Chelyabinsk”, which she ended up winning, in 2004 (at the age of 18).

Her later successes in the modeling career are mostly well known. She was the first Russian model to be featured on the cover of the “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue”.

Irina also appeared in a music video for Kanye West’s song called “Power”.

Apart from being a popular name in the fashion industry, Irina has also gained popularity by dating some of the most famous men on the planet.

One of them was Cristiano Ronaldo (possibly the most famous athlete in the world). The other extremely famous person she was involved with is Bradly Cooper (a famous Hollywood actor and an Oscar winner).

This beautiful woman also has an acting career. The first film she passed the casting for was “Hercules” (made in 2014) [1].

2. Natalia Vodianova

This famous Russian model was on the Forbes list of top-earning models in 2012. She got on the list by earning close to 9 million dollars in a single year.

Natalia Vodianova was born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1982. Her family was extremely poor [2].

At the age of 15, Natalia became a part of a modeling agency. It didn’t take long for this Russian beauty to become recognized by the fashion industry. At the age of 17 she signed a contract with a famous modeling agency called Viva Models and ended up moving to Paris, France.

She worked for major fashion brands (like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, etc). In 2009 she was a co-host of the Eurovision Song Contest (held in Moscow).

Now, she is happily married and is a mother of five kids.

3. Sasha Pivovarova

Born in Moscow, this Russian model is considered one of the most gorgeous women on Earth (well, to be frank, all of the women on this list are considered as such).

She is most widely known for her modeling work with Prada. She did many fashion shows and campaigns for this famous brand (Sasha is actually the record holder when it comes to the number of times one person was involved with Prada).

As an art student in Moscow, Sasha had no aspirations of being involved with the fashion industry. She got into the industry because her boyfriend (now husband) sent some images of her to the modeling agency called IMG [3].

The rest is (as you would call it) history!

4. Anna Selezneva

Anna spent her childhood in the city of Moscow. In 2007 (at the age of 17) she was discovered at McDonald’s. She participated in modeling shows of many famous brands (such as Yves Saint Laurent).

This 30-year old was on the covers of many popular fashion magazines. Some of them are Vogue, Elle, Tatler, and many more.

Ana has a degree in Psychology and is considered one of the highest paid models in Russia.

5. Anastasia Kvitko

Now, this one is not for the faint of heart. Anastasia grew up in Russia. When she was a teen, she moved to the US where she started her modeling career.

Because of her curves, she was turned down by more than a couple of modeling agencies. Instead of giving up on her curves, she chooses to keep them and continue with her modeling career (even if she was turned down by many an agency).

She has 12 million followers on Instagram. If you want to check out some of her images go to her account.

Anastasia is often compared to Kim Kardashian.

6. Polina Kuklina

Polina grew up in the Russian capital, Moscow. Her fashion career began when she joined her friend in attending the casting show for models. Polina wasn’t even thinking about modeling, she was at the casting to give support to her friend.

That’s when things took a different turn. Instead of her friend, Polina got the modeling gig and was set on a path to start a new career. As one of the top Russian models, Polina worked for many famous fashion brands (like Prada and Louis Vuitton).

7. Anne Vyalitsyna

This amazingly gorgeous Russian woman was featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for 10 years in a row. The first time she graced the pages of this famous fashion magazine was in 2005. She began her modeling career at the age of 15 (by singing with IMG).

She worked on fashion shows for many different brands (like Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, and more). She also dated Adam Levine (lead singer of the band Maroon 5).

If you want to see some more images of this gorgeous woman, feel free to check out her social media account.

8. Eugenia Volodina

This top Russian model began her career in 1998. In 2002 she was featured in the Italian version of the famous fashion magazine, Vogue.

She also did a bunch of shows for many different brands. Some of those famous brands are Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, French brand – Yves Saint Laurent and many (and I mean many) more.

9. Alena Shishkova

This 28-year old Russian woman is not afraid to show what God (or genetics) has given to her. She was featured in the Russian men’s magazine, Maxim.

If you want to see more of her images just type her name in search tabs of almost any social media app or go to this link and enjoy (use this link with caution!).

The Bottom Line

First, I would like to say that all good things come to an end (and 2021 will also end, don’t worry). We’ve talked (and saw some images) of the top Russian models.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article as much as you’ve enjoyed looking at images.