50 facts about Irina Shayk: currently working with Russian charity organization Pomogi.org helping children and families in need, in her homeland

Irina received international recognition in 2007 when she became the exclusive contracted face of Intimissimi lingerie and made her first appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Learn other facts about model Shayk.

1. Irina Shayk's real name is Shaykhlislamova.

2. Was born on Jan 6 1986 in a small town called Emanzhelisk, Russia.

3. Irina received international recognition in 2007 when she became the exclusive contracted face of Intimissimi lingerie and made her first appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

4. She was also the 1st Russian model that graced the cover in 2011.

5. Models.com ranks Irina at No.7 in the world, for her social media following.

6. Irina is the global beauty ambassador of Avon Cosmetics.

7. She has graced the covers of top magazines including Vogue, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Glamour, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and many others.

8. Irina has been lensed by some of the worlds top photographers such as Mario Testino, Bruce Weber, Mario Sorrenti, Paolo Roversi, Giampaolo Sgura, Ellen Von Unwerth and Mariano Vivanco.

9. In 2014 Irina made her big screen debut as Megara, the wife of Hercules, in the Hollywood movie 'Hercules: The Thracian Wars" directed by Brett Rather.

10. Irina has received many international awards: Best International Model 2010 by Glamour Spain, Marie Claire Prix de la Moda Awards 2011, GQ Mexico Woman of the Year 2011, Glamour Russia Model of the Year 2012, Russian Heritage Festival award 2012 by Michael Bloomberg, Glamour Russia Woman of the Year 2014 .

11. In 2012 Irina was a host of Russia's Next Top Model television franchise Top-Model po-russki.

12. Irina was a part of the opening ceremony of Winter Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 - she was leading the Russian delegation during the parade of athletes.

13. Irina is currently working with Russian charity organization Pomogi.org helping children and families in need, in her homeland.

14. Shayk was born Irina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamova.

15. She was born in Yemanzhelinsk, Russia, to Volga Tatar Valery Shaykhlislamov, a coal miner, and his Russian wife Olga, a kindergarten music teacher.

16. She has said that she inherited her looks from her father and that people often think she is South American: "My father was dark skinned, because he was Tatar, sometimes Tatars can look Brazilian... I get my light eyes from my mother."

17. She has one sibling, a sister named Tatiana.

18. Shayk started playing piano at age six.

19. At age nine she enrolled in a music school and studied there for seven years, both playing the piano and singing in the choir, since her mother wanted her to study music.

20. Her father died of complications of pneumonia when she was 14, leaving her family with little money and forcing her mother to work two jobs to provide for the family.

21. After high school, Shayk studied marketing but failed it and entered a beauty school with her older sister.

22. While at beauty school, she was noticed by a person from a local modeling agency who was struck by her beauty. She was urged to participate in the "Miss Chelyabinsk 2004" beauty contest and she won.

23. In 2007, she replaced Ana Beatriz Barros as the face of Intimissimi, and in the same year debuted in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

24. Since that time, she has appeared in every annual edition, attending photoshoots in such places as St. Petersburg, Naples, Grenada and Chile.

25. After being the image of Intimissimi for three years, Shayk was made the official ambassador for the brand in 2010.

26. Her other modeling contracts include Beach Bunny Swimwear (2009), and Guess spring/summer 2009.

27. Other work includes the Victoria's Secret catalog, Lacoste, Cesare Paciotti and Morellato.

28. She signed with modeling agency IMG on May 2009.

29. Shayk modeled the Armani Exchange spring/summer 2010 campaign.

30. She also starred in Kanye West's "Power", directed by artist Marco Brambilla.

31. She was on the cover of Ocean Drive and GQ South Africa for the August issue.

32. She ranked first in the "50 Hottest Russian Women" list by Complex magazine.

33. She made a change from swimwear to high fashion with a spread in Spain's Harper's Bazaar and landed the cover of Elle Spain for their November 2010 issue.

34. Glamour Spain awarded her "Best International Model of 2010".

35. On the February 14, 2011 episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, it was revealed via billboard that Shayk was the covermodel for the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. This is the fifth time she has been featured in the magazine, but the first time she has been on the cover.

36. She is the first Russian to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

37. Shayk became the face of swim label Luli Fama's 2011 advertising campaign and look book.

38. In 2012 she covered Esquire UK, Harper's Bazaar Arabia and Ukraine, Marie Claire Ukraine,Spain and Russia, GQ Germany, Glamour Russia and appeared on 14 Cosmopolitan spring covers worldwide.

39. Ifcn September 2012 she covered L'express Styles magazine, and worked with Mariano Vivanco.

40. In November, Shayk covered Twelv Magazine, Second Issue with supermodel Anne V.

41. In February 2013 she covered Vs. Magazine with Anne V and the same month she did an editorial for CR Fashion book issue 2 photographed by Bruce Weber and styled by Carine Roitfeld.

42. The same month she did the runway of Jeremy Scott during the New York fashion week.

43. In March 2013 she did the runway of Givenchy during the Paris fashion week.

44. She featured for the second time in CR fashion book issue 3.

45. She was also the cover model of Vogue Spain, landing her first Vogue cover photographed by Giampaolo Sgura.

46. Shayk is helping a maternity hospital in her hometown of Yemanzhelinsk.

47. She and her sister helped rebuild the children's ward of the local hospital, and now Shayk raises money on behalf of a Russian charity, Pomogi (Russian: Помоги), which provides care to sick children.

48. Shayk is the official ambassador for Pomogi charity in Russia.

49. Shayk has a pet dog named Caesare, after Julius Caesar, a Labrador which she claims was fathered by one of the dogs who played the title role in the film Marley & Me.

50. Shayk was in a relationship with Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo from 2010 to 2015.

Source: irinashaykofficial.com, Wikipedia.org