In the 70s of the last century, Elena Schapova was one of the most famous fashion models of the Soviet Union. In her native country, a long-legged girl with an unusually bright appearance prophesied a bright future, but together with her husband Eduard Limonov, she emigrated to the United States and became the first Russian model to conquer the fashion catwalks of New York. Subsequently, Elena married a noble Italian aristocrat and, having received the title of Countess, remained in Rome forever.
Childhood and youth of the future model
Elena Kozlova (this model name was worn before her first marriage) was born in Moscow in 1950. Her father Sergey Kozlov was a scientist, he was engaged in secret developments in the field of radiotelephone communications and invented the wiretapping system, which was used in the KGB. The girl grew up in a wealthy family and never knew anything about denial. According to Elena herself, she received a rather strange upbringing. On the one hand, the girl was under the control of her grandmother, who served as a church elder and tried to instill faith in God in her, and on the other, under the influence of a strict communist father. Little Lena parents were strictly forbidden to play with the boys. Instead, she was to be friends with the daughters of the minister and the priest.
In school years, Lena was fond of poetry and at the age of 17 began to write her own poems. In addition to literary talent, fate awarded the girl bright beauty, a slender figure and long legs. Model appearance led her to the capital's Fashion House of Glory Zaitsev, where she began working as a fashion model from the age of 16.
Marriage with the artist Schapov
At the age of 17, Elena Kozlova married the richest artist of the USSR Viktor Shchapov. Lena from early childhood was familiar with her future husband, who was a friend of the family. When the girl grew up, Shchapov began to look at her with interest. The young fashion model was so liked by the artist that he, forgetting about the 25-year age difference, began to persistently look after her. At first, Elena was confused by the signs of attention on the part of an adult man, who was followed by the glory of a womanizer, but soon she agreed to become his wife.
Victor spared nothing for his young wife. He gave her rings with diamonds and expensive fur coats, performed any of her whims. The young fashion model was the only owner of a luxurious white Mercedes in Moscow. During the years of living together with Shchapov, Elena met many representatives of the Moscow bohemia and received a decent education. The husband and his friends read literature prohibited in the Soviet Union, which was either published illegally or secretly brought from abroad. Elena quickly became addicted to her husband’s hobby and on this basis began to communicate closely with people who were surrounded by Viktor Schapov. Being the wife of a famous artist, the girl continued to write poetry and speak at fashion shows. In the early 70s, she was considered one of the most promising models of the Soviet Union.
Acquaintance with Limonov and divorce from Shchapov
Once, in the company of mutual acquaintances, Elena Schapova met with the beginning writer-dissident Eduard Limonov. First, she fell in love with the poetry of a young poet, and soon he himself became her lover. The chosen one of the long-legged fashion model was the exact opposite of her husband: modest and timid, he had neither money, nor influence, nor position in society. However, Elena did not bother with all this. Having filed for divorce, she took her white poodle and went to a new lover. For Viktor Schapov, the young wife’s trick ended in a heart attack, after which he recovered for a long time. Having recovered, in spite of Elena he married a young fashion model, but this marriage did not bring him happiness.
Emigration to the USA
In October 1973, Elena and Edward got married. They lived on the money that Shchapova received from the sale of jewelry and French outfits that she had inherited from her first husband. By that time, E. Limonov had already become a fairly well-known person in dissident circles. One could go to jail for reading and distributing prohibited literature in the USSR, and KGB officers began to look at young spouses. To avoid the sad fate of many Soviet dissidents, Eduard and Elena emigrated to the United States in 1974. To get to America, they were forced to leave the Union with Israeli visas. Surprisingly, they were quite easily released from the country.
In the first half of the 70s, few decided to emigrate from the USSR. Elena Shchapova with her husband were among the first who wished to try their luck abroad. Having settled in New York, the couple began to look for work. Extravagant Elena managed to get a fashion model in the model agency "Zoli". Limonov found a job in the newspaper New Russian Word.
The first novel of Limonov
The affairs of the spouses went differently: Schapova quickly enough was able to conquer the overseas audience with a spectacular appearance, but luck did not want to smile for Eduard. His poetic talent went unnoticed for a long time, and only after the scandalous novel “It's Me - Eddie” in 1979, Eduard Limonov gained the long-awaited popularity. The published book became a kind of cry for the writer, who was terribly homesick and dreamed of returning home. The plot of the novel tells the story of the fate of a Soviet immigrant in New York who is struggling to survive in a foreign country. Abandoned by his wife, he receives social assistance, moonlighting as a loader and a handyman, and realizes that no one in America needs it. Limonov generously flavored his work with profanity and a description of pornographic scenes.
Despite the scandalous nature, the novel turned out to be largely autobiographical, but the writer asked not to identify with the main character. In the book “It's Me - Eddie”, Eduard Limonov made Shchapova the prototype of the immigrant’s wife. Elena, recognizing herself in the image of one of the main characters of the novel, did not oppose its publication. By that time, she managed to make a good career as a model and broke up with Edward.
Elena's life in America
Elena worked a lot, actively participated in fashion shows, starred for popular glossy magazines (including nude), which made her the most famous Russian model in the United States. The profession allowed her to fall into the circle of the aristocratic elite of New York, where she gained many influential friends and admirers. She was in the homes of such famous people as Roman Polanski, Marlene Dietrich, Claudia Cardinale, Yves Saint Laurent, Peter Brook, Jack Nicholson.
Meeting with Salvador Dali
Elena Schapova claims that Salvador Dali himself was a fan of her beauty. When he saw a Russian fashion model at one of the fashionable New York parties, he called her a “charming skeleton” and offered to become his model. The Spaniard had a special passion for Russian women, because his wife Gala was from Russia. Schapova agreed, which caused disapproval of her close circle. The aristocrats of Liberman, with whom Elena was especially friendly in New York, discouraged her from contacting the Spanish genius of shocking, claiming that he would ruin her reputation. It is not known whether the Russian model would agree to pose for Dali, but on the eve of meeting with him, she went to bed with a severe form of pneumonia. The artist, never having waited for the girl, became very angry with her and no longer offered her cooperation.
Acquaintance with the Count of Carly and the Third Marriage
In 1980, Shchapova was invited to the Italian representative office in New York for the premiere of the film. Suddenly, a short man approached her and invited her to his birthday. So the acquaintance of the Russian model with the noble Italian count Gianfranco de Carli, who was 11 years older than her, took place. 3 days after meeting, he invited Elena to marry him. Schapova repeatedly refused him, but the Italian in love with enviable perseverance continued to care for her and still got his way. Elena agreed to marry him, having received, together with a marriage certificate, Italian citizenship, a high position in an aristocratic society and a luxurious house in Rome. Mother Gianfranco really liked the Russian daughter-in-law, she was delighted with her beauty and aristocratic manners. Shortly after the wedding, Countess Elena Schapova de Carly left the modeling business and devoted herself completely to poetry and her husband. And she also got the opportunity to travel a lot and enjoy the life that a beautiful woman deserves. Married to de Carly at Elena in 1996, her only daughter Anastasia was born.
Edition of the famous novel by Schapova
In New York in 1984, Shchapova’s biographical novel “It's Me - Elena” was released, which became a kind of response to Limonov’s Edichka. In it, the former fashion model tells readers his version of the love story set out by her ex-husband. Like Limonov, she did not hesitate to reveal the intimate aspects of her personal life and filled the work with juicy descriptions of erotic scenes and details of work in the modeling business. In addition to the novel itself, the book includes a solid selection of poems by Elena Sergeevna, written by her in different years. The frank work of the Countess de Carly caused great excitement in the West and made me remember once again who E. Limonov was and what he became famous for. In Russia, Schapova’s book was published only in 2008.
Relations with the cinema
Despite their attractive appearance and close acquaintances with the world creative elite, Elena Schapova was not invited to act in films. But even before meeting with de Carly, she had a chance to become a world movie star, accept her courtship of the creator of the acclaimed film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Milos Forman. But the Russian beauty did not want to become the mistress of a famous filmmaker, and the door to Hollywood was closed to her.
However, once Schapova still managed to visit the set. Italy, France and England in the late 80s shot a joint film, "Spring Water", created based on the eponymous work of the Russian writer I. Turgenev. The main characters in it were played by Nastasya Kinsky and Timothy Hatton. Shchapova, the director Jerzy Skolimovsky, entrusted an episodic role. In 1989, the film took part in the competitive program of the festival in Cannes. Although Shchapova played a small role in it, her work was noticed and praised by critics. The film "Spring Water" with the participation of the model was among the best film adaptations of works by Russian classics created by Western filmmakers.
