Aleksandra Melnichenko
Aleksandra Melnichenko (born Nikolić; 21 April 1977) is a former Serbian singer and model, and the wife of Russian oligarch industrialist Andrey Melnichenko.[1]
Early life
Aleksandra "Sandra" Nikolić was born in Belgrade, Serbia to a Serbian father and a Croatian mother, Sandra was educated at the 11th Belgrade Gymnasium, prior to enrolling in the Faculty of International Management in Belgrade. Her father was an architect and her mother was an artist.[2]
Career
At the age of 15, Aleksandra was encouraged to become a fashion model. She travelled with her parents to Milan, Paris and London where she modelled for a number of fashion houses.[3] She worked for Riccardo Gay, Traffic, and other modeling agencies.[4] She has also appeared in several music videos, including "Sutra je novi dan" Funky G, "Da li si ikada mene voljela" Nenad Knežević Knez, "Grlica“ Željko Samardžić, and "Noć mi te duguje" Zdravko Čolić.[4]
Aged 17 she was a founding member of Models, a Serbian 1990s pop group.[4] Over the following five years, Models released several albums including their first album "Made in Belgrade" and "Pusti nas u disko".[3][4]
In 1998, Aleksandra returned to modeling work and by 1999 was signed by model agencies that included Riccardo Gay and Traffic. She spent the next four years working out of Milan and Barcelona on a number of advertising campaigns in the print media and on television.[3]
Personal life
Aleksandra met Andrey Melnichenko in the South of France in 2003. They married in September 2005 on the Cote D’Azur. Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera were reported to perform at the event.[5] Jennifer Lopez reportedly performed at her 30th birthday party.[6] On May 29, 2012, Sandra gave birth to her daughter Tara in Nice. On March 29, 2017 she gave birth to a son in Nice, France.
Aleksandra and her husband Andrey Melnichenko own two works from Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" series and a number of pieces of 18th century furniture.[7]
Aleksandra and Andrey Melnichenko own two superyachts designed by Philip Starck: Sailing Yacht A and Motor Yacht A which reportedly cost $500 million and $350 million to build respectively,[7][8] and are considered to be "one of the most advanced superyachts on the water" with "environmentally-friendly innovations."[9] The yacht was seized by Italian authorities on 12 March 2022.[10]
References
- ^ "Andrey Melnichenko". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
- ^ Татьяна Якимова 20 Июля 2010 в 12:09. "Сандра Мельниченко: быть женой миллиардера | Интервью и фотосеты | Наши люди | Tatler – журнал о светской жизни". Tatler.ru. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c "Aleksandra Melnichenko Video | Interviews". Ovguide.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ^ a b c d Sandra Meljničenko Biografija. Biografija.org
- ^ Derek Blasberg, Smooth sailing: Aleksandra Melnichenko, Harper's Bazaar, November 16, 2011
- ^ "Aleksandra Melnichenko is HOT!". Right Celebrity. 2007-04-22. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ^ a b "Aleksandra Melnicheko Interview - Inside Aleksandra Melnicheko's Megayacht - Harper's BAZAAR Magazine". Harpersbazaar.com. 2011-11-16. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ^ "The world's most expensive superyachts come with helipads, movie theaters, and swimming pools — take a look". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
- ^ Dobson, Jim. "World Superyacht Awards: The Best Motor And Sailing Yachts For 2018". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
- ^ "Italy Seizes Super Yacht Owned By Russian Oligarch Melnichenko". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2022-03-13.