Varvara Dmitrievna Rimskaya-Korsakova, who served as the prototype for one of the heroines in Leo Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina," was a vibrant figure in the high society of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Even haughty Paris bowed to her beauty, calling her the "Venus from Tartarus." She overshadowed the French Empress Eugenie herself, which caused her displeasure. Rimskaya-Korsakova's bold outfits often sparked scandals; once she was even asked to leave a ballroom due to her overly transparent dress. Her wit became legendary, and her legs were considered by admirers to be "the most beautiful in Europe." Varvara Dmitrievna came from the noble family of Mergasov in Kostroma. At 16, the charming Varinka Mergasova married the witty and charming hussar Nikolai Korsakov, a graduate of Moscow University, whose family left a significant mark on the history of Russian culture. Leo Tolstoy knew them in Moscow and depicted them under transparent names in the ball scene in "Anna Karenina." The Russian goddess was always surrounded by a crowd of admirers, but when proposals of marriage came, she would smile and reply: "I have a husband who is handsome, smart, wonderful, much better than you..." So who can understand a woman's heart! Rimskaya-Korsakova passed away at the age of forty-five from heart disease.