«Baba yaga with a diamond core and a sharp tongue»
How a strong-willed career woman became an expressive model
Elena Sheveleva
We first met Elena when she came to us for a Photostory with the idea of trying herself in mature modeling.
Our first impression was quite clear: composed, reserved, with carefully maintained boundaries and that unmistakable inner “diamond core.”
But as the process unfolded, it became increasingly fascinating to watch that first impression change. Both in front of the camera and away from it, Elena gradually revealed herself as vivid, expressive, subtly ironic, and unexpectedly warm. She approached the project like a dedicated student, taking her posing lessons with our support very seriously. And you can see the result for yourself.
As if she had been posing in front of the camera all her life!
Behind the outward strictness, we discovered a woman who does not seek anyone’s approval, yet knows how to feel deeply, support others, and generously share her experience.
Our first impression was quite clear: composed, reserved, with carefully maintained boundaries and that unmistakable inner “diamond core.”
But as the process unfolded, it became increasingly fascinating to watch that first impression change. Both in front of the camera and away from it, Elena gradually revealed herself as vivid, expressive, subtly ironic, and unexpectedly warm. She approached the project like a dedicated student, taking her posing lessons with our support very seriously. And you can see the result for yourself.
As if she had been posing in front of the camera all her life!
Behind the outward strictness, we discovered a woman who does not seek anyone’s approval, yet knows how to feel deeply, support others, and generously share her experience.
This Photostory is about that very moment when a person steps beyond the boundaries of their familiar image. It is about strength that also contains softness. And about Elena, a woman you simply cannot figure out at first glance.
Read the interview. There is much more depth here than you might expect.
Read the interview. There is much more depth here than you might expect.
Elena: Yes, outwardly I am an unapproachable career woman, a Baba Yaga with a diamond core and a sharp tongue. Inside, I keep my own counsel, but I am responsive and always willing to share my knowledge if it can help someone else move forward.
Why am I like this? A strict mother and a kind father. Perhaps that created the divide between my outward and inner selves.
I am like a tree with two trunks. You want to lean against one when you need energy to get things done. You turn to the other when everything inside you has burned out and you are waiting for someone to wrap you in delicate, flexible branches and whisper something warm and bright through green leaves.
Unfortunately, my father passed away early, so what I inherited from my mother became dominant: if you want something done well, do it yourself. It is faster and more efficient. Constant control over everything and everyone. An almost complete lack of trust in the world.
But that is how my life unfolded, so perhaps that was exactly what I needed. The Universe knows better.
Why am I like this? A strict mother and a kind father. Perhaps that created the divide between my outward and inner selves.
I am like a tree with two trunks. You want to lean against one when you need energy to get things done. You turn to the other when everything inside you has burned out and you are waiting for someone to wrap you in delicate, flexible branches and whisper something warm and bright through green leaves.
Unfortunately, my father passed away early, so what I inherited from my mother became dominant: if you want something done well, do it yourself. It is faster and more efficient. Constant control over everything and everyone. An almost complete lack of trust in the world.
But that is how my life unfolded, so perhaps that was exactly what I needed. The Universe knows better.
ON HER OUTLOOK ON LIFE:
Elena: My rule in life is simple: don’t do nasty things behind people’s backs.
I cannot stand deceitful people, especially stupid deceitful people who cannot think even half a step beyond the nasty thing they are doing.
I cannot stand deceitful people, especially stupid deceitful people who cannot think even half a step beyond the nasty thing they are doing.
Aesthetics of Age: What does beauty mean to you today, and has your understanding of it changed over the years?
Elena: Beauty today, and I’m not exactly discovering America here, is first and foremost health.
Health is the hardest thing to maintain because you need a balance between mind, body, and soul. Your body asks for cake, your head says, “You don’t need it,” while your soul is singing, “Imagine how wonderful you’ll feel once you eat it!” So how exactly are we supposed to balance all that?
I’m not a fan of strict restrictions. If a doctor insists, I can follow a special diet for a couple of weeks, but that’s about it. I still haven’t found the perfect balance.
As for beauty now versus beauty when I was young, I still enjoy looking good, dressing with taste, and wearing good makeup. The motivation is probably what has changed.
When you are young, you know people are going to admire you anyway because youth itself is admirable. What you are wearing hardly matters.
Health is the hardest thing to maintain because you need a balance between mind, body, and soul. Your body asks for cake, your head says, “You don’t need it,” while your soul is singing, “Imagine how wonderful you’ll feel once you eat it!” So how exactly are we supposed to balance all that?
I’m not a fan of strict restrictions. If a doctor insists, I can follow a special diet for a couple of weeks, but that’s about it. I still haven’t found the perfect balance.
As for beauty now versus beauty when I was young, I still enjoy looking good, dressing with taste, and wearing good makeup. The motivation is probably what has changed.
When you are young, you know people are going to admire you anyway because youth itself is admirable. What you are wearing hardly matters.
Now you also know that you can inspire admiration, but not with just anything. It comes from the harmony between what you are wearing and what is happening inside you. Otherwise, the whole image simply doesn’t come together.
And quite often, you start wondering: why bother?
I think this very question, “Why?”, becomes one of the main elements of self-destruction for women after 40.
Why bother? You have or had a husband. Having an affair is considered improper.
The children have grown up. At work, everyone looks more or less the same. Why stand out?
And that is how we gradually slide into shapeless trousers and anonymous ponytails.
By the way, I really dislike oversized hoodies. I sometimes think they were invented by people who simply couldn’t come up with anything else and thought: brilliant! You can hide everything underneath them. No breasts? Hidden. Breasts too large? Hidden. A sagging stomach? Hidden. A stomach that is too flat? Hidden. Wonderful, problem solved.
In the past, there was very little good clothing, yet there were plenty of people who knew how to look fantastic with the few things they had.
Today, there is an abundance of clothing, yet somehow everyone looks the same. Oversized everything.
And quite often, you start wondering: why bother?
I think this very question, “Why?”, becomes one of the main elements of self-destruction for women after 40.
Why bother? You have or had a husband. Having an affair is considered improper.
The children have grown up. At work, everyone looks more or less the same. Why stand out?
And that is how we gradually slide into shapeless trousers and anonymous ponytails.
By the way, I really dislike oversized hoodies. I sometimes think they were invented by people who simply couldn’t come up with anything else and thought: brilliant! You can hide everything underneath them. No breasts? Hidden. Breasts too large? Hidden. A sagging stomach? Hidden. A stomach that is too flat? Hidden. Wonderful, problem solved.
In the past, there was very little good clothing, yet there were plenty of people who knew how to look fantastic with the few things they had.
Today, there is an abundance of clothing, yet somehow everyone looks the same. Oversized everything.
“
Age… I’m not sure what to compare it to. Perhaps climbing a mountain.
ON DIFFICULTIES:
Elena: I think anyone who can truly teach another person how to deal with difficulties must already be enlightened.
We all love giving advice, even though we understand perfectly well that if we found ourselves in the other person’s situation, who knows how we would cope?
Later, yes, you understand that nothing happened for nothing. But in the moment, it is difficult.
You cannot simply tell yourself, “Right, everything happens for the best.”
It doesn’t work like that.
Gradually, day by day, you become unaccustomed to what has gone and accustomed to what remains. You don’t even think yet about what might come next.
And then one day that “next” arrives and becomes your new today. That is when you begin to understand that none of it was meaningless.
I doubt I can teach anyone how to do this because I am going through that funnel myself right now. First comes acceptance. Then you let go. Only after that do you begin thinking about the future.
We all love giving advice, even though we understand perfectly well that if we found ourselves in the other person’s situation, who knows how we would cope?
Later, yes, you understand that nothing happened for nothing. But in the moment, it is difficult.
You cannot simply tell yourself, “Right, everything happens for the best.”
It doesn’t work like that.
Gradually, day by day, you become unaccustomed to what has gone and accustomed to what remains. You don’t even think yet about what might come next.
And then one day that “next” arrives and becomes your new today. That is when you begin to understand that none of it was meaningless.
I doubt I can teach anyone how to do this because I am going through that funnel myself right now. First comes acceptance. Then you let go. Only after that do you begin thinking about the future.
Perhaps there is one thing I can say: don’t lock yourself away at home within four walls.
Everything feels easier when you are around people.
I’ve recently noticed something about myself. In the past, whenever I went through a dark period, I would look at people who had it worse and think, “Well, I’m still doing okay.”
Now I look at people who seem to have it better and think, “Are you sure everything is actually fine for them? Maybe they feel just as bad as you do. Maybe even worse.”
And somehow that immediately puts my head back in the right place.
Everything feels easier when you are around people.
I’ve recently noticed something about myself. In the past, whenever I went through a dark period, I would look at people who had it worse and think, “Well, I’m still doing okay.”
Now I look at people who seem to have it better and think, “Are you sure everything is actually fine for them? Maybe they feel just as bad as you do. Maybe even worse.”
And somehow that immediately puts my head back in the right place.
Aesthetics of Age: What are your six ingredients for true happiness?
Elena: Let’s make a “Happiness Salad”.
Here is my recipe:
Here is my recipe:
- Waking up feeling truly rested.
- Your first thought being: I have something to do today that genuinely interests me.
- Not having to prove anything to anyone.
- Enough financial freedom to have what you need without having to invent some ridiculous way of entertaining yourself.
- The ability to pack a light bag and spontaneously go somewhere on vacation.
- Having no complaints about yourself: I didn’t finish this, didn’t push hard enough there, didn’t clean something…
ON MATURE MODELING:
Elena: “Mature modeling” sounds a bit like an old apple tree to me.
I would separate the two words.
Why MODELING? Because it is interesting. It is closer to creativity, something I have had almost none of in my life.
I am always wondering whether I combine the clothes I wear well, whether I could try something completely different, and how I would carry it.
As for MATURE, well, I simply decided to try it later in life. My age is hardly to blame for that. It just took me a long time to get around to it))
I would separate the two words.
Why MODELING? Because it is interesting. It is closer to creativity, something I have had almost none of in my life.
I am always wondering whether I combine the clothes I wear well, whether I could try something completely different, and how I would carry it.
As for MATURE, well, I simply decided to try it later in life. My age is hardly to blame for that. It just took me a long time to get around to it))
Aesthetics of Age: What advice would you give women who are afraid to start something new later in life?
Elena: These days, everyone talks about “getting out of your comfort zone,” forcing yourself to do things that are not natural to you.
I see it differently.
If you are ready, the right tool will find its way into your hands, and even in complete darkness, a path of moonlight will appear to show you the way. If you are not ready, then you are simply not ready.
But how do you know when the time has come? This is how I see it: if the same idea comes back to you twice within six months, if you start, then stop, then remember it again, and your interest still hasn’t disappeared, it is time to move.
I see it differently.
If you are ready, the right tool will find its way into your hands, and even in complete darkness, a path of moonlight will appear to show you the way. If you are not ready, then you are simply not ready.
But how do you know when the time has come? This is how I see it: if the same idea comes back to you twice within six months, if you start, then stop, then remember it again, and your interest still hasn’t disappeared, it is time to move.
ON YOUTH:
Elena: What does youth mean for a woman? Interesting question.
My mother-in-law will turn 80 in January. She has asthma, diabetes, and all the other little “joys” that come with age.
But one day she said to me: “You know, I wake up in the morning, I see daylight, and inside I am 16. I’m a young girl who has arrived in an unfamiliar city, waiting for a new life to begin”.
I don’t think I could describe youth any better. May the Universe grant all of us that kind of youth.
My mother-in-law will turn 80 in January. She has asthma, diabetes, and all the other little “joys” that come with age.
But one day she said to me: “You know, I wake up in the morning, I see daylight, and inside I am 16. I’m a young girl who has arrived in an unfamiliar city, waiting for a new life to begin”.
I don’t think I could describe youth any better. May the Universe grant all of us that kind of youth.
Aesthetics of Age: Who needs physical activity more, younger people or the mature generation?
Elena: If you mean active sports, for some reason I immediately remember something one of my colleagues says: “A healthy person doesn’t need sports, and for a sick person they’re contraindicated”.
Of course, it’s a joke.
But if you think about it, sport is essentially a substitute for activity in general. It is a pattern we created ourselves, advertised, turned into an industry, and made a lot of money from.
Activity itself, however, is necessary at every age. When a baby is born, they give it a little slap. To me, that almost feels like the message built into the divine beginning of life: you’re here now, so move. Otherwise, what is the point?
But that’s just the way I see it.
Of course, it’s a joke.
But if you think about it, sport is essentially a substitute for activity in general. It is a pattern we created ourselves, advertised, turned into an industry, and made a lot of money from.
Activity itself, however, is necessary at every age. When a baby is born, they give it a little slap. To me, that almost feels like the message built into the divine beginning of life: you’re here now, so move. Otherwise, what is the point?
But that’s just the way I see it.
ON HER GREATEST STRENGTH:
Elena: My greatest strength is my integrity.
Even when someone does something nasty to me, I will never respond in the same way, even if I have enough objective information and all the tools necessary to do so. That is my style.
I can say something painfully sharp directly to a person’s face so that they understand they were wrong. But they will also know that I am not going to do something dirty behind their back. Words can hurt more than anything.
You know, imagination and fables help me enormously with this. Recently, for example, something very unpleasant happened. And suddenly, in my head, I heard Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 and thought of Krylov’s fable about the hopeless ensemble.
I imagined all my “opponents” right there inside that cacophony. It became so funny that I actually felt a little better.
Everyone chooses their own path.
Even when someone does something nasty to me, I will never respond in the same way, even if I have enough objective information and all the tools necessary to do so. That is my style.
I can say something painfully sharp directly to a person’s face so that they understand they were wrong. But they will also know that I am not going to do something dirty behind their back. Words can hurt more than anything.
You know, imagination and fables help me enormously with this. Recently, for example, something very unpleasant happened. And suddenly, in my head, I heard Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 and thought of Krylov’s fable about the hopeless ensemble.
I imagined all my “opponents” right there inside that cacophony. It became so funny that I actually felt a little better.
Everyone chooses their own path.
Aesthetics of Age: What do women over 50 lack today? What would you say to women who are afraid of growing older?
Elena: Women over 50 lack two things: themselves and money.
Women who are around 50 today belong to a transitional generation. So much was planted in us under red banners, while the almost unlimited freedom we have today does not always fit comfortably with the beliefs we were given as children.
I think we should keep our childhood and our Pioneer years as a wonderful experience, but live fully now.
So many things have been invented to make our lives easier. Why not use them?
You don’t have to spend your life washing, ironing, and doing dishes. Do something you actually enjoy.
Of course, everyone has a different income. You don’t have enough money for an expensive item? Create an online clothing exchange group.
Can’t afford expensive tennis? Find some like-minded people and play padel. It’s new and less expensive.
No money for a Mediterranean cruise? Take a riverboat from Moscow to, I don’t know, Volgograd. That can be wonderful too.
Women who are around 50 today belong to a transitional generation. So much was planted in us under red banners, while the almost unlimited freedom we have today does not always fit comfortably with the beliefs we were given as children.
I think we should keep our childhood and our Pioneer years as a wonderful experience, but live fully now.
So many things have been invented to make our lives easier. Why not use them?
You don’t have to spend your life washing, ironing, and doing dishes. Do something you actually enjoy.
Of course, everyone has a different income. You don’t have enough money for an expensive item? Create an online clothing exchange group.
Can’t afford expensive tennis? Find some like-minded people and play padel. It’s new and less expensive.
No money for a Mediterranean cruise? Take a riverboat from Moscow to, I don’t know, Volgograd. That can be wonderful too.
Have a car? Look for beautiful places around you. Even driving out to an old country estate can be an adventure.
Can’t afford an expensive landscape designer? Make a collage from projects you find online, choose the ideas you like, and create something yourself. Collect flowers from neighbors, stones from the roadside or the nearest body of water. So much can be done with your own hands.
And finally, if you don’t have money for expensive clinics, go and have your free preventive health screening at your local public clinic.
That last one is partly a joke. But actually, it is very useful.
Can’t afford an expensive landscape designer? Make a collage from projects you find online, choose the ideas you like, and create something yourself. Collect flowers from neighbors, stones from the roadside or the nearest body of water. So much can be done with your own hands.
And finally, if you don’t have money for expensive clinics, go and have your free preventive health screening at your local public clinic.
That last one is partly a joke. But actually, it is very useful.
ON AGE:
Elena: How did I accept my age? To be honest, I haven’t particularly had to yet.
I’ve been lucky. I have good genetics. I don’t see my age very clearly in the mirror yet, and because of my constitution, I don’t feel it very strongly either.
Of course, I have all the usual signs that the body is aging. As they say in cartoons, one day your fur is falling out, the next your tail aches. But if you can still feel something, it means you’re alive. And that is wonderful.
Age… I’m not sure what to compare it to. Perhaps climbing a mountain.
Up to 50, you are climbing. Then you get 10 or 15 years to stand there and look at everything you managed to do, overcome, and create. And then, eventually, it is time to descend.
BUT always go down the other side of the mountain. There will be plenty of new things there too. I’m sure of it.
I’ve been lucky. I have good genetics. I don’t see my age very clearly in the mirror yet, and because of my constitution, I don’t feel it very strongly either.
Of course, I have all the usual signs that the body is aging. As they say in cartoons, one day your fur is falling out, the next your tail aches. But if you can still feel something, it means you’re alive. And that is wonderful.
Age… I’m not sure what to compare it to. Perhaps climbing a mountain.
Up to 50, you are climbing. Then you get 10 or 15 years to stand there and look at everything you managed to do, overcome, and create. And then, eventually, it is time to descend.
BUT always go down the other side of the mountain. There will be plenty of new things there too. I’m sure of it.
Aesthetics of Age: What have you started doing purely for yourself as you’ve grown older?
Elena: What have I started doing only for myself with age? Let me think… You’ve really made me think about this. Perhaps nothing has actually changed yet. I have always had the habit of doing everything for someone else, and I still haven’t managed to free myself from it.
Is that bad? I don’t know. But I’ll think about it.
Is that bad? I don’t know. But I’ll think about it.
ON CHARACTER:
Elena: I used to dislike my explosive, impulsive character, especially when I felt someone was treating me unfairly. Now I actually value it.
You see, “positivity” is a very fashionable word these days. But this is what I think: if a situation requires you to defend yourself, defend yourself. If it requires tears, cry. Anything else is a mask.
Just imagine what life would be like if everyone started smiling positively while doing nasty things to each other and happily accepting them in return. Rivers of milk and shores of jelly. Life would become terribly boring.
You see, “positivity” is a very fashionable word these days. But this is what I think: if a situation requires you to defend yourself, defend yourself. If it requires tears, cry. Anything else is a mask.
Just imagine what life would be like if everyone started smiling positively while doing nasty things to each other and happily accepting them in return. Rivers of milk and shores of jelly. Life would become terribly boring.
Aesthetics of Age: If you could erase one misconception about women, what would it be?
Elena: I would erase the idea that women have no logic. To me, that may be one of the greatest misconceptions in the world. I would remove all men from every leadership position for one year and create a global women’s council. I’m sure we would manage to agree on absolutely everything. And we would find suitable places for the men too. Just think about how much money men spend proving their superiority. And to whom? To one another.
And then, for some reason, governments have to spend public money trying to fix demographic problems. Strange, isn’t it? All right, I seem to have got slightly carried away with that thought.
And then, for some reason, governments have to spend public money trying to fix demographic problems. Strange, isn’t it? All right, I seem to have got slightly carried away with that thought.
“
Beauty to me today is, first and foremost, health.
ON CURIOSITY:
Elena: Oh, curiosity is the engine of life. So is envy, by the way. Forgive me, but don’t even try to convince me otherwise. If someone needs to become wildly envious in order to finally make a leap forward, fine. Let them be envious. As long as they move.
Today, satisfying your curiosity is incredibly easy. You have barely had a thought before the internet has already given you a million possible answers. But it is important to remember that you come first. Your particular task requires a particular solution.
If, out of those millions of options, you can select ten useful seeds, put them into a basket, and turn them into your own unique “omelet,” then your curiosity immediately tells you that all the effort was worthwhile and throws another challenge your way. Was that too complicated?))
Today, satisfying your curiosity is incredibly easy. You have barely had a thought before the internet has already given you a million possible answers. But it is important to remember that you come first. Your particular task requires a particular solution.
If, out of those millions of options, you can select ten useful seeds, put them into a basket, and turn them into your own unique “omelet,” then your curiosity immediately tells you that all the effort was worthwhile and throws another challenge your way. Was that too complicated?))
Aesthetics of Age: Is there anything you would like to change in your life?
Elena: Yes. Very much. I would like to free myself from dependence on other people’s opinions and judgments. I still haven’t learned how to do that. Apparently, my time to deal with this is only just beginning. I really want to clear my house of unnecessary things and free my child from my overprotectiveness. There are many things I would change. But not retrospectively. I want to change them now. The time has simply come.
ON EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING:
Elena: “The right emotional state” seems like a slightly inaccurate term to me. If someone suddenly frightens you and you scream, that is also the right emotional state for that particular moment. But if someone walks around screaming in everyday life, we would consider that inappropriate.
So I suppose we are really talking about emotional well-being over the short or long term.
This is how I see it: if you open your eyes in the morning and your first thought is about aromatic coffee, you have already taken your first step toward a good emotional state.
But if the moment you wake up, you start mentally going through the mountain of things you need to accomplish that day and your blood sugar rises just thinking about it, something is clearly wrong.
So I suppose we are really talking about emotional well-being over the short or long term.
This is how I see it: if you open your eyes in the morning and your first thought is about aromatic coffee, you have already taken your first step toward a good emotional state.
But if the moment you wake up, you start mentally going through the mountain of things you need to accomplish that day and your blood sugar rises just thinking about it, something is clearly wrong.
Aesthetics of Age: What do you think is important not to lose as we grow older?
Elena: As we grow older, it is important not to lose ourselves within our age. In other words, don’t fall out of it. Accept it.
You sometimes see women over 50 suddenly start wearing purple miniskirts and enormous sunglasses covering half their faces, even though they never dressed like that before.
To me, they haven’t lost something because of age. They have fallen out of their age.
You sometimes see women over 50 suddenly start wearing purple miniskirts and enormous sunglasses covering half their faces, even though they never dressed like that before.
To me, they haven’t lost something because of age. They have fallen out of their age.
ON CRITICISM:
Elena: I react strongly to criticism. I don’t believe there are people who can say, “This is exactly how you should have done it, period.” When people do that, they substitute their personal opinion for the actual results another person has achieved and call it criticism.
Aesthetics of Age: What made you decide to create a Photostory? What was the turning point, and what were you most afraid of?
Elena: I decided to create a Photostory because this felt like exactly the right time. I had just finished working on a project and finally had time to stop and think about what I actually wanted to do next. What was I most afraid of? That I would fail the “lesson.” But it seems everything worked out.
“
Anyone who can truly teach another person how to deal with difficulties must already be enlightened.
ON RULES:
Elena: My main rule in relationships with people is to be honest with yourself. If you dislike someone, tell them straight away and don’t continue the relationship. There is nothing good about remaining in a state of, “Maybe we’ll somehow get along later.”
Aesthetics of Age: What is one thing every person should do at least once in their life?
Elena: Every person, at least once in their life, should… They should experience the feeling that they don’t owe anyone anything. That’s the joking answer.
Seriously, I think everyone should spend at least one day either in a home for abandoned babies or in a nursing home. Those two places symbolize the beginning and the end of life, and they give you an understanding that, fundamentally, every human being is alone.
Seriously, I think everyone should spend at least one day either in a home for abandoned babies or in a nursing home. Those two places symbolize the beginning and the end of life, and they give you an understanding that, fundamentally, every human being is alone.
ON HER MORNING RITUAL:
Elena: A morning ritual? Absolutely. In 2015, I met a remarkable person, a truly gifted doctor. He suggested that I try a practice called “Diamond Breathing.” Since then, it has become like a morning prayer for me. Without it, the day simply doesn’t feel like a day.
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