Ballerina Maya Plisetskaya fishing on the banks of the Moskva River,

1956. Maya Plisetskaya, one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century, danced her part in Swan Lake more than 800 times, appearing on stage in this role for 30 years — from 1947 to 1977. In the late 1970s, she headed the Ballet of the Roman Opera and the Spanish ballet company Teatro Lirico Nacional. She has worked with the most prominent choreographers in the world, dancing on all the best ballet stages without exception. For many famous artists, Plisetskaya was a muse. Her grace and beauty inspired Chagall, Petit, Bejar, Cardin. Journalists often pestered her with the question of how she manages to keep her figure for many years. She answered: "No dieting, you need to eat less." Or she'd tell a favorite joke for a change. Future ballerinas and girly girls flock to her, chirping, asking for an autograph. One, bolder, asks the question: "Tell me, how do you manage to stay in this shape?" Plisetskaya teaches: "Girl, remember the main thing: do not eat after six. How old are you?"—"Six." "That's it, don't eat anymore." Еven in her old age, she had a magnificent figure. The ballerina's favorite food was herring, which she affectionately called "seleda." Photographer: Evgeny Umnov