Thanks to Russian fantasy epic Day Watch, our interest in Russian women has been dramatically rekindled. Here's our list of the nation's finest and classiest stars, including Day Watch's upcoming siren Maraiya Poroshina. Tasty.

Maraiya Poroshina
The sultry stage actress shot to fame as the female lead of Russia's blockbusting Night Watch and (its sequel) Day Watch films. Look out for her igniting the screen in the final part of the trilogy. Soon. Or get the DVD of the great Day Watch.

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Anna Kournikova
The retired pro tennis player and model may never have won a singles tournament, but her looks and amazonian physique made her one of the best-known players in the world. We still love her. Lots.

Kira Dikhtyar
Originally trained as a gymnast, the athletic Kira fittingly went on to front major swimsuit and sports gear campaigns, before appearing in the likes of Italian Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Marie Claire.

Sasha Pivovarova
Resembling Aussie supermodel Gemma Ward, Sasha has modeled for tons of top brands like Chanel and Gucci, and made history by becoming the first ever model to be chosen as the face of Prada for five consecutive seasons.

Maria Sharapova
The Russian super babe is not only currently ranked top five in the world in tennis, she's also the world's highest-paid female athlete. Oh, and she just won the Australian Open to boot. Beauty, brains and bucketloads of talent. Incredible.

Katja Schekina
This striking beauty is of Somali and Russian heritage, and is sometimes mistaken as being from the new wave of Brazilian models. She's been featured in the likes of Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris and Harpers Bazaar.

Natalia Vodianova
The seventh highest paid supermodel in the world, Natalia swept aside a troubled upbringing to front glamorous campaigns for Gucci, Louis Vuitton, L'Oreal, Miss Sixty, Pepe Jeans, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein. A very busy beauty!

Eugenia Volodina
The Victoria's Secret favourite, she's starred in more glitzy campaigns than we've had hot dinners. Try the likes of Escada, Bulgari, Versace, Chanel eyewear, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana and Valentino.

Valentina Zelyaeva
Once again owning a sparkling resume that stretches for miles, Valentina has appeared in runway shows for the likes of Christian Dior and Fendi, and graced the covers of Elle, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

Anne Vyalitsyna
Alanis Morissette fans (yes, they do exist) might recognise Anne from her 'Out Is Through' video. But her credentials don't end there! She also won a competition for IMG modelling agency, and has modelled for Vogue, Elle, Glamour and Sports Illustrated.