Apple of Nizhny

Natalia Vodianova is the modern day Cinderella of the global modeling business. Before running into stardom, the Nizhny Novgorod born beauty sold fruit on the street to help her family. The golden opportunity came when she was spotted by a scouting agent from Paris. At the age of 17 ,Vodianova moved to Paris. She strutted the catwalks for only two years and at 19, married British aristocrat Justin Portman. Now, with campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Miss Sixty and an aristocratic title to her name, Vodianova is a top supermodel. Nizhny is hoping she will help the city get a more glamorous image.

Best gymnast in the world

Alina Kabaeva, the 21-year-old beauty and rhythmic gymnastics star who won a Bronze medal in the Sydney 2000 Olympics, broke the jinx and earned a gold in Athens. Alina’s web site called her the most beautiful gymnast in the world. With a breathtaking performance in Athens that left the audience gasping, who can disagree?

Ballerina stars in soap

Anastasia Volochkova, 28, former prima of Bolshoi Theater, who was fired last year for being too tall and overweight (she claims she was only 50 kg), has now appeared on the Russian TV screen in the crime serial Place under the Sun.

The Russian ballet dancer is famous for the controversies she generates. In September 2003, she was fired from the Bolshoi for several reasons. Bolshoi managers have accused her of being overweight, and consequently,too heavy for her male partners to lift during performances. Volochkova brought this case to the court and won. Now she is in court again because she ¨cforgot to pay¨^ 2 million rubles ($67,000) for renovation of her St Petersburg apartment. Where there is Volochkova, there is a story – and most often, it is controversial.