The main love of Eduard Limonov: what is known about Elena Shchapova de Carly

Recently, the media reported that director Kirill Serebryannikov is shooting a film about writer Eduard Limonov. The biopic will cover the controversial author’s life from childhood to 2004. The screenplay is based on the book Lemons by French writer Emmanuel Carrère. The movie was shot in English.

The film will tell not only about Limonov’s childhood, his creative development, but also about his relationship with his married wife Elena Shchapova, who is the writer’s main muse, with “My – Eddie”, for which he created one of his main novels.

An aristocrat, a poetess, a beauty – what adjectives were not once given to Elena. Who he is and what he does – we tell in the material.

Childhood

Elena Kozlova was born in 1950 in Moscow. The girl grew up in a wealthy family. He was raised by his grandmother and father. And everyone had their own way of impressing little Lena. On the one hand, Sergei Kozlov, a strict father, a communist, an atheist, was engaged in secret developments in the field of radiotelephone communications, worked for the KGB, on the other – a devout grandmother who served as a church watchman and was on trial. to instill faith in God in his grandchild. According to Elena’s memoirs, she was forbidden to befriend men – only ministers and priests were allowed to communicate with their daughters.

However, it didn’t bother him too much. She devoted her free time to poetry: at the age of 17, Lena began to write poetry. In the same period, she started working as a model at Slava Zaitsev Fashion House.

Of course, men began to pay attention to the young beauty. Many people liked the long-legged blonde. True, Lena preferred older men: she got into their society thanks to her older sister Larisa.

At the age of 17 Kozlova was recommended. Artist Viktor Shchapov, an old friend of his family, invited her to marry. She was 25 years older than her bride, but the age difference didn’t seem to bother anyone, she.

It’s like a fairy tale

Viktor Shchapov has done illustrations for books, posters and posters. But this was not his only field of activity: he worked part-time as a black marketer – selling icons to foreigners.

Shchapov constantly pampered his young wife – he gave her rings with diamonds, expensive fur coats and cars. By the way, Elena was the sole owner of a luxurious white Mercedes in Moscow.

But it seems that the girl was attracted not by gifts, but by the cult of Viktor Shchapov in society. He was very famous in the capital. In the house where the Shchapovs lived, guests constantly gathered – from Soviet classics to unrecognized geniuses. They discussed the latest news, read publications banned in the Soviet Union and chatted.

Here is what one of those attending these events remembers: “Busy people. Some charming girls are dressed to the nines, the boys are fashionable, they all drink crystal wine, eat fruit and smoke American cigarettes.

Elena learned a lot from the people who visited them with Shchapov. Thoughts, conversations, absorbed like a sponge. And she continued to write poetry.

I chose a state

Elena met Eduard Limonov with her friends. The timid poet was the complete opposite of the model’s husband. He had no money, no influence in society. But he didn’t seem to care at all. She fell in love first with Limonov’s poems, and then with him.

Although the poet was initially afraid of Lena’s insistence. He had just arrived in Moscow from Kharkov. He had never met girls like Shchapova before.

“The arrogant leaping eyes of a young girl, two front teeth, laughter, wit, alcohol,” Limonov said of his first impression of her.

In turn, Viktor Shchapov, not understanding what awaits him in the future, often invited Limonov to visit.

“Eduard was a very touching provincial back then: with wild curls, an embroidered shirt, and round glasses. Limonov was well known in Moscow, but not because he wrote poetry – he sewed trousers perfectly. Not suspecting that he was digging his own grave, Shchapov showed paternal care: “Call Limonov. Let him eat borscht, otherwise he will always be hungry, ”said Elena.

Limonov became the lover of the model and became her mistress – the poet also had an affair at that time, he lived with the artist Anna Rubinstein. The dates went on for months: Shchapova did not dare to leave her husband. Out of desperation he threw a coin: the eagle – Shchapov. tails – Limonov. Tails fell, fate was decided.

In 1973, Elena left her husband, taking her beloved white poodle with her. The ex-husband was in shock – Victor had a heart attack, after which he recovered for a long time.

migration

In 1973, Limonov and Shchapova got married. Their interesting but not always happy life began. There was not enough money for anything – the money that Lena received from the jewelry sold (thanks to her ex-husband) and Limonov’s talent, the family survived, but not poetically, sewed trousers, pasted foreign brand labels. Then they sold it at exorbitant prices.

At the same time, Eduard Limonov became a prominent figure in opposition circles. KGB officers began to look closely at him. In order not to be arrested, the young couple decided to emigrate.

They went to the USA, where Elena began working as a model, and Eduard got a job at the newspaper New Russian Word. But journalism is not what Limonov dreams of. He wanted to be a famous writer. His career did not work out – unlike his wife, who successfully shone on the pages of glossy magazines and spoke with such famous people as Roman Polanski, Marlene Dietrich, Yves Saint Laurent, Jack Nicholson.

Limonov did not approve of this life. He was jealous of his wife and arranged interrogations for her. Constant quarrels, scandals – Elena could not live in such stress, it seemed to her that she was advancing, and Limonov only slowed her down. Eventually she left him.

Eduard Veniaminovich took advantage of loneliness – he glorified his experiences in his first novel “My – Eddie”, in which he talks about the difficult life of an immigrant. He made Elena Shchapova the prototype of the heroine’s wife.

life after break

After breaking up with Eduard Limonov, Elena Shchapova wasted no time and went absolutely unnoticed. Salvador Dali himself became a fan of her beauty – he invited her to pose for a picture, but the day before the model fell ill and did not come to the meeting. According to rumors, the artist was indignant.

In 1980, Elena Shchapova met her third husband, Italian Count Gianfranco de Carli. Three days after they met, she proposed to him. Shchapova did not immediately agree – the count had to run after her. With her marriage, she received Italian citizenship, a luxurious house in Rome, and a high position in aristocratic society.

After marriage, Elena devoted her life to her family, raising her only daughter and poetry. In 1984, she published It’s Me – Elena, an autobiographical book in which she describes her version of her relationship with Eduard Limonov.

Today Elena Shchapova is in Rome. She makes a living on the money left by her husband, writes poetry and attends all social events.