Russian spy turned lingerie model - now that's not something you see every day, but that's exactly who Anna Vasil'yevna Kushchyenko - A.K.A. Anna Chapman - is. It is unlikely that Chapman has physically killed - or even been involved in the assassination - of anyone, but during her prime she was one of Russia's most-trusted spies. She also became known around the world as "Femme Fatale" due to her good looks and fondness for wearing seductive clothing. Intriguingly, in 2012 unsubstantiated rumours surfaced that Russia President Vladimir Putin had conducted an extra-marital affair with Chapman - further heightening the mystique surrounding this unusual spy. Chapman also tweeted US security leaker Edward Snowden asking him to marry her in 2013, again drawing much attention. Chapman is so highly regarded in her native Russia that she has appeared in underwear photoshoots for magazines, writes a popular blog, and has even had action figures of herself produced. US Vice-President Joe Biden even made a blunder on the Tonight Show when asked by Jay Leno if the US has "any spies that hot" in reference to Chapman, to which the VP replied in a mock-serious tone: "Let me be clear. It was not my idea to send her back." The 32-year-old was arrested in New York in June 2010, charged with conspiracy to act as a covert agent of a foreign government and incarcerated - before being exchanged with Russia as part of a prisoner swap. She is now living it large as a celebrity "secret" agent in her home country.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
