Weren’t you one of the first girls in the Russian modeling business?

I was studying at the Moscow Aeronautics Institute. A friend of mine heard an announcement on the radio about a modeling-agency contest, so we decided to try out. We were selected and, at the contest, there was a woman from the agency who liked me very much. She sent my photos to London and my modeling career started in Britain. After Britain, I was going to be sent to America but for a long time I couldn’t get a visa. So I decided to finish my course at the Institute and do modeling here. I went to the Red Stars agency and from then on I worked with many Russian designers, like Valentin Yudashkin and Alexei Grekov. Then I was offered work in a commercial bank. I was absolutely fascinated by the job and earned much more than any top model in Russia. After I gave birth to my son, I decided to go back to work for the agency.

How did you meet Igor (Butman)?

I first saw Igor while I was dating Sergei Mazayev, leader of the rock band Moralny Kodeks, in 1992 when he invited me to a jazz festival at the Olympic Penta Hotel (now the Renaissance Hotel). We got to know each other and became friends. Then, in 1995, we fell in love. One day, when he was introducing a piece of music at a jazz concert, he announced that he was dedicating it to the person he valued the most – me. It was then that I realized he was serious about our relationship. We started dating each other and got married that same year, in 1995.

Is it difficult being a musician's wife?

I don’t think being Igor Butman's wife is difficult. He’s both creative and down-to-earth. He never displays "torments of creativity" and I've never seen him depressed or emotionally overwrought. He combines music with show business in an active way and gives the impression of a man who can stand firmly on his own two feet. Also, our biorhythms are absolutely different. Igor usually works at night and sleeps in the morning, unless he has a business meeting or a rehearsal. I’m the opposite – early to bed and early to rise, because I have a child to look after.

You are also your husband’s producer. How did that come about?

It so happens that I know the realities of Russian life better than Igor. He lived in America for a long time, and I used to advise him about how to go about things. Last year, he performed in the Kremlin for then U.S. president Bill Clinton and President Putin. I saw how the two presidents reacted. Clinton stood up and applauded; Putin did the same. I decided that the music should be heard by as many people as possible, which is why I thought of making it into a music video. I found a director and sponsors and organized a presentation. In the video, I am playing the part of a muse. I know what the public likes. I explain it to my husband and support my conclusions with arguments. I see results and I'm happy with that.

Also, I’ve been trying my hand at journalism. After the August 1998 financial crisis, I began writing for magazines. I have wanted to be a journalist ever since I was a child. My dreams always come true; that is the way my life works out!