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The main heroines of films are often femme fatales - femme fatales who captivate men with their beauty, and they change the world for the sake of their lovers. But in reality, everything is not always so simple. It is unlikely that only external data helped the women about whom the whole world is talking today to win men’s hearts and, at the same time, write their names into history.
We are in website decided to figure out what the fatal beauties, about whom films are made and books are written today, actually looked like. And, admittedly, some beautiful ladies We were very surprised.
Matilda Kshesinskaya
Matilda was a prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, but today her name is heard not only because of this. Even a century later, people are discussing her affair with Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, the future last Russian emperor.
The scandalous film “Matilda” was made about this relationship. main role in which the Polish actress Michalina Olshanska performed.
Bonnie Parker
During the Great Depression, robbers operated in the United States, whose names were included in world history, - Bonnie and Clyde. The two are believed to have met at a mutual friend's house. Bonnie Parker was a simple waitress, and such a life weighed on her. Clyde Barrow seemed to her like exactly the guy with whom she would definitely not be bored. During her lifetime, Bonnie Parker was demonized: in newspapers she was called not only a robber, but also a police killer, although her direct participation was never proven in any of the cases.
In 1967, the film “Bonnie and Clyde” was released, which was subsequently awarded 2 Oscars. The famous American criminal was played by Faye Dunaway.
Lina Cavalieri
Lina Cavalieri is an Italian opera singer who began her career performing in restaurants and ended it on the world's most famous stages. She was one of the first fashion models, and postcards with her photos were sold in all European cities. Russian nobleman Alexander Baryatinsky was in love with Lina Cavalieri, but the emperor did not allow him to marry the singer. Cavalieri married several times after this, but none of these relationships were happy for her.
The image of an opera diva in cinema was embodied by Gina Lollobrigida in the film “The Most beautiful woman peace."
Praskovya Zhemchugova
Praskovya was a peasant serf of the famous noble family of the Sheremetevs. Even as a child, she discovered an ability for music, which Marfa Dolgorukaya, who took the baby in to raise, helped develop. The son of Count Sheremetev, Nikolai, fell madly in love with Praskovya when she was 16 years old. The young people got married, and this news simply shocked high society. Unfortunately, Praskovya died 3 weeks after giving birth.
The love story of a serf actress and a count is told in the film “Countess Sheremetev”, in which Daria Yurskaya played the main role.
Barbara Radziwill
Barbara Radziwill - Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess Lithuanian Her husband was Sigismund II Augustus, who madly loved his wife. But the mother-in-law, Bona Sforza, did not like her daughter-in-law. They say that it was she who poisoned Barbara a year after she became queen. Sigismund II was inconsolable after the death of his wife and forever quarreled with his mother.
One legend is also associated with the name of Barbara Radziwill: they say that her spirit still wanders through the Nesvizh Castle, where Sigismund once spent seance to see his beloved wife again, at least for a while. Barbara remained in the castle, but made her husband promise that he would also come to Nesvizh to die, and then they could be reunited. Unfortunately, Sigismund met his end in Knyszyn, and now the spirits of the lovers are forever separated.
In 1982, the story of the Polish queen was immortalized in the film “Epitaph for Barbara Radziwill.” The main role was played by Anna Dymna.
Ann Bolein
Anna became the second wife of the English king Henry VIII. Henry was already married when he first saw young Anna at court, but he fell in love with her so much that he obtained a divorce, although in those days it was extremely difficult. Anne and Henry got married, and after that the young queen showed herself not to be the best side. She made scandals for Henry, squandered money from the treasury and gave rich balls. The king was not a good girl either and quickly found a new favorite - Jane Seymour. He sentenced Anne Boleyn to death for adultery.
The sad story of the English queen can be seen in the film “The Other Boleyn Girl.” Anna was played by Natalie Portman.
Wallis Simpson
In 1936, the British King Edward VIII abdicated the throne, all in order to marry twice-divorced American actress Wallis Simpson. When they met, Edward was 36 years old, and Wallis was a year younger. She was then a married lady, and yet the prince confessed his love to her already at the second meeting. The romance developed rapidly, and the lovers did not hesitate to appear on the streets together.
After the death of his father, Edward was proclaimed king, but was never crowned. His relatives offered him a choice: love or the throne, and he chose the first. Wallis and Edward lived together until his death from cancer in 1972.
The film about the love of an American actress and the British monarch was directed by Madonna. In the film “WE. We Believe in Love,” the role of Wallis Simpson was performed by Andrea Riseborough.
Mata Hari
Margaretha Gertrude Zelle, or Mata Hari, was a dancer, courtesan and... spy. Having an unsuccessful marriage behind her, she moved to Paris. There Mata Hari began performing explicit oriental dances and soon became a real star. This allowed her to find a rich patron, and then another and another. Many men wanted to spend time in the company of Mata Hari, and she chose the richest and most influential.
During the First World War, a dancer who continued to lead a bohemian lifestyle and move between several European countries, recruited German intelligence. After some time, she herself offered her services as an informant to the French. In France, she was quickly declassified and charged, and six months later she was executed.
A series of the same name was filmed about Mata Hari, in which Vaina Jokante played the main role.
Queen Victoria
During the reign of Queen Victoria, Great Britain was in its heyday, but that was not the only reason why her subjects loved her. Victoria gradually reduced the influence of the monarchy on the lives of the common people and set an example of a simple life, devoid of all sorts of frills, like a true Puritan. The Queen loved her husband Albert dearly, and he reciprocated her feelings. The couple had 9 children, who later entered into marriage alliances with representatives of royal dynasties throughout Europe. That is why Victoria is called “Grandmother of Europe”.
The film “The Young Victoria” was shot about the youth of the British queen, in which Emily Blunt played the main role.
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was a famous dancer, wife and muse of Sergei Yesenin. She toured the USA and Europe, but still saw teaching as her calling. IN Russian Empire she got there in 1921, when she was offered to open a dance school and help with financing. At the same time, Duncan met Yesenin, who soon became her husband. This union did not last long, and in 1923 the poet filed for divorce, tired of living with a famous dancer, accustomed to being a star in any society.
Several films have been made about Isadora Duncan, and most recently the film “The Dancer” was released, in which Lily-Rose Depp played the main role.
Which famous lady do you think the filmmakers managed to embody best? Who would you add to our list of femme fatales? Write about it in the comments.
“And God created a woman... the creature turned out to be evil, but cute.” This common joke is often used against women. There is nothing offensive about it; on the contrary, it is somewhat touching. However, there are women who, by definition, are fatales. Some of them went down in history, and modern kidnappers of men’s hearts are called by their names.
The image of a femme fatale
The concept of “femme fatale” is quite broad. First of all, it is worth understanding that it has nothing to do with the beauty of a woman. Fatal can also be one that is far from generally accepted concepts of beauty.
The fatal type of woman is characterized by strong self-confidence. She clearly knows what she wants and confidently moves towards her goal. Such a person is not without a sense of humor, so she can more than defuse a tense situation. The femme fatale is well versed in male psychology and can easily win a man over. It is enough for her to praise him, and then assure him that she is the one who can make him even better.
Femme fatales of history
Since ancient times, people have identified five names of the most fatal women:
- Mata Hari. Indian seductress who was executed on October 15, 1917. She was known as a very “expensive” courtesan in Europe. Mata Hari used her skills to find out state secrets from influential clients.
- Cleopatra. An Egyptian queen who was far from ideal female beauty. But this did not stop her from charming the famous Julius Caesar, as well as his successor, Tsar Mark Antony.
- Luiza Gustavovna Salome– philosopher, writer, psychotherapist. Its “victims” were Freud, Nietzsche, Rilke, and others famous people that time. Louise was very fond of experimenting with methods of seduction.
- Maria Tarnovskaya. One of the most fatal women in history. She easily corrupted her husband's younger brother, whom she later abandoned. The young man shot himself without surviving the grief. Maria received 5 years in prison for driving 14 people to suicide!
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A little interesting history. An excerpt from the book by I. Vagin and A. Gluschai “Erotic manipulation”.
Famous courtesans
"If I had known it would end like this, I would have hanged myself." They were like that last words the famous courtesan of the 17th century Ninon de Lenclos - the most charming, most passionate and most seductive woman in France. Although she could not complain about fate!
Until her last breath she retained all the charms of her face and mind. When she was seventy, eighteen-year-old fans fought duels because of her. When she turned eighty, her own grandson fell in love with her. At ninety, she still hosted her lover, the abbot, who was eighty-nine years old.
The queen of courtesans, Ninon de Lenclos, was a devout preacher of free love. She never sold her body; money generally meant little in her life. The all-powerful Cardinal Richelieu, having heard about the charming beauty, sent her a gift of 50,000 francs, hoping to buy her favor in this way. Ninon returned his money and refused intimacy, saying that it was given, but not for sale.
She gave herself only to those who pleased her. She chose her own lovers and was, perhaps, the only woman of her time who independently managed her life. What Ninon proclaimed three centuries ago is now called feminism. She said this: “Even as a child, I often thought about the injustice of fate, which granted all rights to men and completely forgot about us women. Since then I have become a man!”
Male mentality male power spirit, male will and female charm, female grace, female charm - all this was combined in her in an amazing way and amazed her fans with extraordinary ease. But Ninon for a long time remained opposed to legal marriage, which seemed to her an unbearable burden, and continued to turn the heads of her lovers.
Women more often give in to whim than to love, Ninon believed, and therefore, when her whim passed, she easily announced it and just as easily exchanged one lover for another. But she always did it so skillfully that no one dared to accuse her of debauchery. On the contrary, everyone revered her as
great modesty. And this was another secret of the great Ninon’s charm.
“Modesty is everywhere and in everything. Without this quality, the most beautiful woman will arouse contempt from even the most indulgent man,” she preached. Another of her feminine tricks was that she knew how to hide from her lover in time, thus inciting his passion. “Love never dies of hunger,” she wrote, “but it is often killed by satiety.”
The great Moliere himself often visited her Parisian house on Tournelle Street, where she gathered around her not only admirers, but also outstanding people of her time. Along with other writers and philosophers, he wrote down her bright sayings and then introduced them into his texts.
In 1664, Moliere read his Tartuffe in the salon of the Maiden de Lenclos. The Duke de La Rochefoucauld, who was one of her enthusiastic lovers and admirers of the talent of the courtesan-philosopher, also enjoyed the favor of Ninon for a short time.
Brilliantly educated, Ninon de Lenclos was a brilliant conversationalist who skillfully distinguished talents. She was already eighty-nine years old when she recognized the future famous French philosopher Voltaire in a ten-year-old boy. And not only did she guess right, but she also left him two thousand francs in her will to buy books.
Noble dukes, marquises, counts, marshals, at Ninon's request, ended up in her bed and, at her own request, were expelled from there. The "Sun King" himself Louis XIV was fascinated by her and wanted to see her at his court. But Ninon refused, ironically noting that for hypocritical speeches one must have a forked tongue.
At ninety years old, Ninon de Lenclos had a face that rivaled the faces of young girls in freshness and beauty. At fifty-five years old, she gave birth to a girl as perfect in beauty as herself. The baby soon died, and her father, a certain high-ranking person, out of despair ordered the little fairy to be embalmed and placed her in his office under a glass cover. Maybe it really was a little fairy? It is no coincidence that there was a strange rumor about Ninon that she had been bewitched by some wizard.
Herself Ninon laughingly asserted that “by the age of forty, my age had completely faded from my memory.” And about beauty she said this: “Beauty without charm is like a hook without bait.
“They said that when Ninon was still very young, a strange old man all in black came to her house. Having retired with Ninon, he offered her a choice of power, untold riches or eternal beauty. Ninon chose beauty. The old man touched her shoulder with a gilded wand and disappeared. So it really happened or is it all an invention of envious people - who knows? But the beauty of Ninon de Lenclos, indeed, did not disappear until her death.
Ninon de Lenclos left behind valuable advice for men on how to win in love. Here are some of them.
I have noticed that with those who have struck your heart, you are timid. I tell you on behalf of women: any of us would prefer a little harsh treatment over excessive caution. Men, deluded on this score, miss more hearts than virtue saves. The more timid a lover shows, the more our pride strives to spur him on; the more respect he shows for our resistance, the higher the demands we place on him
yourself.
We would like to say to men: "Oh, be sorry, don't think us so virtuous; you are simply making us tired of our own chastity. We are constantly trying to hide that
the fact that you allowed yourself to be loved. Create such a situation that the woman can say that she gave in only by succumbing to violence or from surprise; convince her that you underestimate her, and I will guarantee that her heart will be given to you. A little more determination on your part will help you both find the necessary ease." Remember what La Rochefoucauld said: "A reasonable man, when he is in love, looks like a madman, but he cannot look like an idiot."
"The Life, Letters and Epicurean Philosophy of Ninon de Lenclos"
THE MYSTERIES OF LUCRETIA BORGIA
In world literature and cinema, there is probably no woman who would be called a fatal beauty more often than Lucretia Borgia.
All modern erotic "horror" films are baby talk compared to what they were real life Roman courtesan Lucretia Borgia. It seems that Satan himself embodied himself in this femme fatale and revealed to the world a complete collection of monstrous vices. Even the most depraved imagination would not be able to give birth to such an insane mystery.
The epitaph on the grave read: “Here lies Lucretia, daughter, wife and daughter-in-law of Alexandra.” Yes, yes, there is no error. As they say in the commercials - “3 in one bottle”...
The odious figure of Pope Alexander VI appears to us from the bloody fog of the Middle Ages, like a devilish obsession. Fate decreed that, thanks to family ties, the insignificant Spanish nobleman Rodrigo Lenzuoli Borgia - vain, depraved, greedy - under the name of Alexander VI in 1492 sat on the papal throne. His mistress Rosa Vanozzi moved to Rome with him - expectant mother Lucretia Borgia.
In addition to the bed, they were connected by the secret seal of a common crime: the murder of Rodrigo’s former mistress, Elena, Rosa’s mother. In such a monstrous way, the daughter got even with her mother for the murder of her father: at one time, because of Rodrigo, Elena poisoned her husband in cold blood.
Rosa gave her lover three sons and a daughter, Lucretia.
By the age of eleven, Lucretia had perfectly mastered the science of coquetry and deftly began to lure handsome young men into her network. But things didn’t go beyond the first date: mysteriously, all her chosen ones found themselves struck to death by a blow from a dagger.
The curtain of bloody crimes opened unexpectedly: the killer turned out to be Rose's brother, Caesar.
Passionately in love with his sister, he demanded reciprocity from her and achieved his goal. After some time, her other brother, Francesco, also found herself in her bed. From this incestuous relationship with her brothers, Lucrezia gave birth to a daughter, who was immediately given to be raised in the wrong hands and was soon forgotten about.
After this scandalous incident, the brothers were sent to study at different universities - Pisa and Padua. And Lucrezia, like a true courtesan, began to lavish her sinful affections on her father, receiving in return gold, jewelry and magnificent outfits. Sixty-year-old Rodrigo diligently hid his vicious relationship with his daughter in order to maintain the external decency that prevailed at the papal court.
To divert attention, he twice married off his daughter. Lucretia poisoned her first husband herself, her second
wisely fled from her. So at the age of 15, Lucrezia remained a “straw widow” with a very decent
condition. In addition, she constantly received huge amounts of money from her father. The brothers Caesar and Francesco, who returned to their native nest, were forced to give in to their father - such an opponent was beyond their strength. But the quick-witted Lucretia was found here too; she decided to retire to a monastery for a while, where
continued her visits with both brothers. She played with fire and received incredible pleasure from it. Finally, Caesar's mind was so overcome by jealousy that in a fit of rage he killed his elder brother.
By that time, Rodrigo Borgia was already called Alexander VI and sat on the papal throne. His beloved son Caesar and his beloved daughter Lucretia virtually dominated the throne with him for eleven years. Lucrezia gave audiences to the cardinals and took part in all
political and church affairs, opened her father’s correspondence, signed orders, punished the guilty and rewarded the favorites. Their entertainment included balls, masquerades, feasts, orgies with poisoning and murder as dessert...
In order to entertain Lucretia, the decrepit Alexander once even ordered to be brought into the Vatican courtyard
two mares and four wild stallions. The spectacle was a success!
Lucretia married for the third time and was widowed for the third time thanks to her brother's sharp dagger. Some time later, she gave birth to a boy, whom Alexander recognized as his son. Before she even reached twenty-two years old, Borgia had already changed her husband four times. Lucretia's fourth marriage somewhat limited her dissipation. Her husband took her to his domain, where Lucrezia was surrounded by eminent artists, poets, and scientists who flatteringly admired her charms. They painted her portraits on huge canvases, composed poems about her, and sang eulogies to her. For this, Lucretia secretly rewarded them with her caresses.
Probably, the famous medieval poet Ludovico Ariosto, who dedicated an entire chapter in the poem “Furious Roland” to Lucretia, was most kind to her. It began like this: “But what can we say about Lucrezia Borgia? Like a flower that grows and rises in fertile soil, so her beauty, her virtue, her happiness and high fame, ever increasing, will make you admire her. She was not yet born, but Meanwhile, I already revere the one next to whom other women will be like tin in comparison with
silver, copper versus gold, dark poppy versus rose, pale willow versus evergreen laurel, and painted glass with precious stones..."
Lucretia was given only 39 years of earthly life. Where she went after death - to hell or to heaven, no one knows...
So many odes are sung to women who changed the world for the better, who reached heights in the social and scientific spheres - and these women are certainly worthy of memory and glorification of their actions... But history also remembers other ladies!
Those who were not distinguished by exemplary behavior, behaved scandalously and arrogantly, and did not want to know what consequences their recklessness would lead to. We invite you to get to know people like...
Bettie Page 
Betty was an American pin-up model who became known as the "Queen of Pin-Up" in the 1950s. In addition to being one of the first Playboy models (and also Miss January 1955), Bettie Page was known for her sadomasochistic tendencies. At that time, this caused a storm of indignation among the public. Betty was the first model to pose in the S&M style and is considered to be the forerunner of the sexual revolution of the 1960s.
Bonnie Parker 
Together with her lover Clyde, Bonnie made up a sensational criminal couple in the United States. They worked during the Great Depression in America. Bonnie herself may not have shot people during robberies, but thanks to this photo with a pistol in her hand and a cigar in her mouth, she caused a real flurry of indignation among the people. Back then it was simply unthinkable behavior for a woman. Not to mention the fact that Bonnie and Treasure were not officially described, and for people in those days this was an additional reason for gossip.
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette 
Known simply as Colette, she was a French writer in the first half of the 20th century. Colette had many lovers - both men and women, including Mathilde de Morny, with whom she performed together at a show in Moulin Rouge. Their show was closed after they passionately kissed on stage. Later, among her many lovers was her adopted son Bretrand de Jouvenel, who was only 16 years old at the time of their affair, while she was well over 40.
Cleopatra
The legendary last empress of Egypt is known for her power, attractiveness and cruelty. Cleopatra knew how to achieve what she wanted through intimate relationships. To become Caesar's mistress, she was brought to his chambers, wrapped in a Persian carpet, like an expensive gift. Later she became the mistress of Mark Antony, since only he had the money to support the army.
As his money dwindled and the wars continued, Cleopatra tried her best to save herself and her children. Preparing for the inevitable meeting with the enemy, she tried to find out which poison brought the fastest death so that she could use it against her enemies. She used prisoners for her experiments. The enemy was advancing, and Cleopatra's fear increased. When one of the commandants surrendered the fortress, Cleopatra mercilessly executed his wife and children.
Wallis Simpson 
Wallis Simpson was an American who became the wife of the Duke of Vizdzor, former king Great Britain Edward VIII. This was her third marriage, and when she first began a relationship with Edward VIII, it caused a huge scandal. It is not appropriate for the heir to the throne to marry a woman from another country, and even a twice divorced one. But an even greater shock came when Edward VIII abdicated the throne of Great Britain to marry Wallis. Later, when the war began, she was suspected of being a Nazi sympathizer. However, so did her husband.
Joanna Hiffernan
Irish Joanna was a model and muse for many creative people XIX century. For that time, her unofficial relationship with the American artist James Whistler was already a reason for gossip and indignation. But the real shock came when she began posing nude for James's friend, the French artist Gustave Courbet. It is also believed that Joanna served as a model for Courbet’s extremely scandalous painting “The Origin of the World” (“L’Origine du monde”), which still causes a lot of gossip today.
Louise Casati
Luisa Casati was considered a muse and patroness of the fine arts in Italy. She inspired writers, artists, fashion designers and film directors. She walked with cheetahs on a leash, while wearing a fur coat right over her naked body. She wore snakes like necklaces. She threw crazy parties with naked waiters covered in gold powder. More than 130 portraits of her were painted during Louise's life; she inspired Jean Cocteau, Jack Kerouac and Pablo Picasso. As she herself often said: “I want to become a living work of art,” and she undoubtedly achieved her goal.
Lady Godiva 
Godiva was a countess in the 11th century who became famous after she rode naked through the streets of the city. According to legend, Lady Godiva sympathized with the common people oppressed by the exorbitant taxes that her husband imposed on them. One day, while drunk at a party, he said that he could cut taxes, but only if she drove naked through the city. He was sure that conscience and shame would never allow her to do this. However, she actually did it. All she could cover herself with during this procession were her long hair. According to legend, the city's residents were imbued with Godiva's dedication and on the appointed day they sat at home with the shutters closed so as not to embarrass the countess.
Evelyn Nesbit 
Evelyn Nesbit was an actress and model for artists and photographers. She was a very attractive woman, but in people's memory she remained not as a beauty, but as an accomplice to a murderer. She began an affair with 47-year-old Standord White when she was just 16 years old. And she married someone else, Garry Thaw, a drug addict prone to violence. One day, out of jealousy, Harry killed Stanford - he shot him three times in the face. The case of this murder was dealt with for a long time and scandalously: it was revised twice, Evelyn Nesbit changed her testimony several times, and as a result, Garry was declared insane at the time of the murder and remained unpunished.
Maria I 
Queen of England and Ireland, reigned from July 1553 until her death in 1558. Being committed to the Catholic faith, Queen Mary I was extremely unhappy with the presence of Protestants in her country. During the five years of her reign, she killed more than 280 Protestants, burning them in the center of London.
The femme fatale is a beauty and a manipulator. Using beauty, intelligence and sexuality, she turns a man into a means to achieve her goal. Fatal - means determining fate. Femme fatale makes those who love her suffer, changes the fate of people and influences the course of history. Often such a woman herself becomes a victim of circumstances or abuse.
Salome
Salome is considered the prototype of the femme fatale. The girl danced so beautifully at Herod Antipas’ birthday party that he promised to fulfill her every wish. At the instigation of her mother, Salome asked for the head of the prophet John the Baptist... The plot, which inspired many artists and poets, may be a myth. French historian Robert Ambrelin, in his book “Jesus, or the Deadly Secret of the Templars,” claims that Salome, the king’s daughter, could not entertain guests like a vulgar dancer. Moreover, in 32 AD, Salome was 37 years old. She was married and had three sons. At that time, John the Baptist, by order of Herod, was imprisoned in the fortress of Macheront. His execution could have been a political murder, which was later covered up with a story about female deceit. In ancient texts, a two-faced beauty is often found - Delilah, who destroyed Samson; Judith, who cut off the head of Holofernes.
Elena the beautiful
In terms of the amount of damage, no one can compare with Elena the Beautiful. The young man Paris fell in love with the wife of King Menelaus and, with the help of the goddess Aphrodite, won her heart. Taking the royal treasures and his wife, Paris left for Troy. King Menelaus gathered one hundred thousand warriors and set off in pursuit across the Aegean Sea on a thousand ships. The careless Trojans did not return their wife, although Cassandra warned that this would not end well. The siege of Troy lasted ten years. Over the years, Hellas lost many glorious heroes, Aphrodite's spell dissipated, Paris died, and Helen was taken as his wife by his brother. Finally, thanks to Odysseus's trick with a wooden horse, Troy fell.
The unfaithful wife was supposed to be executed, but the brave warriors did not raise a hand against her. What happens next is unclear. According to one version, Elena and her husband returned home. According to another, in order to avoid strife, Apollo turned Helen into a constellation. There is also a third ending. Elena's friend Polixo, who lost her husband in the war, sent assassins to kill her. Herodotus wrote that a temple was erected at the site of Helen’s death, and ugly girls, having made a sacrifice, acquired the gift of beauty. There is a lot of mythology and divine intervention in the Iliad, but the Trojan War is a historical fact. The city was destroyed in the 13th century BC; three thousand years later its ruins were discovered by the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.
Cleopatra VII (69 BC – 30 BC)
Cleopatra VII became queen of Egypt at age 17. A sharp mind, encyclopedic knowledge and strong character came in handy in her struggle for the throne. Cleopatra turned to the Romans for help and became the mistress of Julius Caesar, who helped her seize the throne. On her orders, her brother Ptolemy and sister Arsinoe were killed, to say nothing of mere mortals. Times were dark. For example, Cleopatra's half-sister Berenice, on the third day after the wedding, ordered her husband to be strangled, because he was a boor and a brute, although of royal descent. After the death of Caesar, Cleopatra became the mistress of the commander Mark Antony. Anthony himself and Roman historians left bad reviews about Cleopatra: she was debauched, kept a harem of young men, and took the life of love in a night. History, as we know, is written by the winners.
Cleopatra was a wise and far-sighted ruler. This is how Plutarch spoke about her: “... her appearance, combined with the rare persuasiveness of her speeches, with the enormous charm that showed through in every word, in every movement, was firmly etched into the soul... most often she herself talked with foreigners - Ethiopians, troglodytes, Jews, Arabs, Syrians, Medes, Parthians... she also learned many languages, while the kings who ruled before her did not even know Egyptian.” After Antony's defeat, Egypt became a Roman province. Cleopatra's reign - her gift as a strategist and politician - delayed this fate for 20 years. The queen took poison to avoid shame and not participate in the triumphal procession of the winner.
Lou Salome (1861 - 1937)
Luiza Gustavovna Salome - writer, philosopher, psychotherapist. The woman who left her mark on the lives of Nietzsche, Freud and Rilke. At the age of 20, she shocked secular salons with her close friendship with the philosophers Paul Ree and Friedrich Nietzsche. Both were in love, proposed to Lou, but were refused - she was attracted by spiritual intimacy and intellectual conversations. Neither Rhea nor Nietzsche ever married. Nietzsche called Lu a superwoman and used her traits in Zarathustra - a man with an independent consciousness and free will. Lou later married a professor with "exotic charisma", with the same condition - no sex. Friedrich Karl Andreas became the most mysterious husband in history, having lived for 43 years in a platonic marriage. At the age of 30, Lou had a love affair, but it was short-lived. Louise was always the first to leave men. Then the young poet Rainer Rilke became her lover and friend, and owed much of his creative development to her. All her life she explored the relationship between a man and a woman, but separated love and sex.
At the age of 50, Lou Salome met Sigmund Freud at a congress of psychoanalysts. She becomes his student and closest friend. Her book Erotica was a European bestseller. Correspondence with Freud totaled more than 200 letters. One day, Freud's daughter confessed to Louise that her father was very afraid of death. Lou knew from her own experience that the fear of death hides behind the fear of love. Another woman from Russia, Sabina Spielrein, a former patient and lover of Jung, expressed the idea that a person is controlled not only by sexual attraction, but also by a passion for the destruction of life. Many years later, Sigmund Freud laid the foundation for the idea of love and death as equal forces of human nature. latest version of his teaching. Lou Salome believed that a man and a woman are fundamentally different creatures. A man is directed towards the outer world, seeking satisfaction in love, a woman - the inner world - does not exist at all outside of love. A man needs social success, and for a woman - self-disclosure. Shortly before her death, Lou wrote: “No matter how much pain and suffering life brings, we must still welcome it. The sun and the moon, day and night, darkness and light, love and death - man is always between them. He who fears suffering is also afraid of joy.”
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Maria Tarnovskaya (1877 - 1949)
A hundred years ago, Ukrainian Countess Maria Tarnovskaya was more famous than Mata Hari. Trial“La Cosa Russo” in Venice brought together hundreds of journalists from all over the world. An aristocrat, a descendant of the ancient O’Rourke and Stuart families, was accused of organizing the murder and driving 14 people to suicide. Maria, at the age of 17, married the most fashionable groom in Kyiv. Boredom corrupted his younger brother and the young man hanged himself. Her lovers abandoned their wives and children, gave her money, and fought a duel with her husband. When her lover ran out of funds (Maria lived without being denied anything), she offered to insure her life in her favor and shoot herself. Among her victims are Count Pavel Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Tolstoy, Polish nobleman Stefan Borzhevsky, German baron Vladimir Stahl, nobleman, attorney-at-law Donat Prilukov, Count Komarovsky...
Here is what Lev Lurie writes in the book “Predators”: “Tarnovskaya’s undoubted success with men was undoubtedly associated with the then Victorian attitude towards sex. Wives and married “ladies of society” in general are ethereal creatures, seemingly sexless. There was no connection between marriage and eroticism... Maria Tarnovskaya - a countess, a lady of society, in whose veins flowed the blood of Mary Stuart - a type unprecedented in Russia at that time: depraved, choosing a man herself, not inclined to lyricism. She was stunning." Her portraits were published on the front pages of newspapers, poems were dedicated to her, plays were written, but real success came when Annie Vivanti wrote the novel “Circe” based on an interview with Tarnovskaya. It was made into a film in 1917, and a TV series in 1970. Five years later, 38-year-old Tarnovskaya was released from prison. Enamored American officer brought her to Argentina, where she married a French count, ran a fabric store, and died in Santa Fe at the age of 72.
Mata Hari (1876 - 1917)
Margaretha Gertrude Zelle was not distinguished by any special talents, but she was prone to hoaxes, knew how to be naked in public, and studied Indonesian dances. At the age of 28, left without funds and without a husband, she decided to try her luck in Paris. The oriental style dancer performed under the pseudonym Mata Hari - Eye of the Day. Mata Hari was the first woman to strip naked on stage. At the beginning of the century, Europeans were interested in oriental practices, eroticism, and sexuality. At one time, Mata Hari was the highest paid dancer in the world. The sexy and relaxed woman was in relationships with military men and politicians.
While remaining a Dutch subject, Mata Hari traveled freely throughout Europe during the First World War. The Germans were the first to recruit her, and when French counterintelligence declassified her, the spy offered her services to France. During her first mission, her message was intercepted. It is possible that the German side decided to get rid of double agent. Margaretha Zelle was tried in Paris. The courtesan met her death with rare dignity and fearlessness. The case materials are still classified, and it is not yet possible to assess the real harm from her espionage activities. Perhaps the execution allowed high military officials to hide their relationship with the dancer. Here are the words of the famous counterintelligence officer Orpest Pinto: “If she had not been executed, she would not have been known as a martyr and no one would have even heard of her.” But Mata Hari went down in history as an exotic dancer and the founder of sex espionage.
Alexandra Kollontai (1872 -1952)
A secular beauty and revolutionary, an outstanding orator, the first female minister in history. “Valkyrie of the Revolution” left behind a trail of broken hearts and destinies. She rejected the man, and he shot himself. She got married against her parents’ wishes, got bored in her marriage and became interested in Marxism. Her connections were numerous, but first of all, men captivated her with ideas. During February revolution met sailor Pavel Dybenko. “We are young as long as we are loved,” Kollontai said. A semi-literate hero and a noblewoman (17 years older than her husband) entered into the first Soviet marriage (certificate No. 1). Both became people's commissars: he for maritime affairs, she for state charity. When Kollontai needed premises for the Home for the Invalids, she ordered the storming of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, surrounded by thousands of parishioners. The church anathematized her, Kollontai proposed to cancel the church marriage and wrote a decree on divorce. Later, Dybenko started an affair, Kollontai left him, and he shot himself.
After the break with Dybenko, Kollontai asked Stalin to send her abroad. She was ambassador to Norway, Sweden and Mexico for almost 15 years. Abroad, she regained her love for high society, chic clothes, gourmet food and comfort - everything that she fought against at home. In 1945, Alexandra Kollontai was the only surviving member of the presidium of the Petrograd Soviet. “In a free society, satisfying sexual urges will be as easy as drinking a glass of water,” she said. In the article " New woman" (1913) she proclaimed victory over emotions, renunciation of jealousy and open sexuality as characteristics of a progressive woman. Free love theorist, considered the founder of the feminist movement.
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