Dana Borisenko: Russian model agency CEO responds to Epstein case mention
In documents from the U.S. Justice Department on the case of investment banker Jeffrey Epstein, who organized questionable closed events for the global establishment, the modeling agency Shtorm from Krasnodar is mentioned. Its CEO Dana Borisenko stated that she will sue those who spread false information about Shtorm«s involvement in Epstein»s parties.
Long before the media scandal, Borisenko claimed in interviews and on social media that her agency is almost the only one where escort and other «black schemes» are not practiced. What is known about Dana herself and where did she get the resources for her own business, opened at age 18? Details are in the material from Fontanka.
Where you might have seen her
Dana Borisenko gained first fame at the age of sixteen, when in 2007 she became the youngest participant in the show «You Are a Supermodel!» on the STS TV channel. Shortly before that, she won the beauty contest «Miss Abiturientka» in her native Krasnodar, and from childhood collaborated with one of the best capital modeling agencies.
From the age of five, at her father«s suggestion, she took up kickboxing. But this sport »ruined posture,« so her mother insisted that her daughter take up modern dance and modeling. Later, she became interested in extreme sports associated with high speeds — »everything except motorcycles« (which, according to SPARK, her father once traded in Krasnodar). Dana»s father is a Master of Sports in aquabike and formerly headed the Krasnodar Aquabike Federation (as of today, this organization has been liquidated by decision of the Federal Tax Service). The girl always spoke of her dad as a well-known and respected entrepreneur in the city, who «had many businesses» and whose reputation protected her from indecent proposals during her modeling work from a young age.
Own business
In 2011, barely reaching adulthood, Dana organized her own modeling agency: «father gave a contact of a good programmer, mother gave a contact of an accountant.» The starting capital for her own business, according to her, she had saved up by that time. And by the age of twenty, «she had already saved money for a Jaguar,» but her father advised her to invest the savings in buying two plots of land, which Dana did. And the car she dreamed of, she still bought — a year and a half later.
In 2013, Borisenko appeared in a cameo role in the comedy «Gorko!» by Zhora Kryzhovnikov. Also, 15 models from her agency participated in the film«s shooting. In 2014, the Shtorm agency worked at the Sochi Olympics, then collaborated with Formula 1.
Personal life
In 2015, Dana Borisenko began dating basketball player Andrey Zubkov and even moved with him to Moscow. Two years later, Zubkov proposed to the girl right during the halftime of a Euroleague match between Khimki and the Turkish club Anadolu Efes. The young people planned to marry in 2018 in Greece, but Borisenko unexpectedly broke off the engagement, explaining that for family life she needed a different person. Zubkov did not stay single for long; he started a relationship with Maria Bankova, ex-wife of Andrey Grigoriev-Appolonov from the group «Ivanushki International.» And Borisenko got married and soon gave birth to a daughter. She dated her future husband for only three months before the wedding. But already in 2021, the marriage broke up. Dana said that «it was not her choice and not her initiative» and that after the divorce she sank into depression for six months.
And in the fall of 2022, Dana Borisenko returned to television, becoming a participant in the reality show «Fall in Love If You Can» on TNT. The filming took place at a villa in Cape Town, participants had to find a pair to stay in the game as long as possible and win a cash prize. Borisenko did not become the winner, as athlete Konstantin Belov, who initially proposed to become her pair on the project, after several episodes traded her for another participant.
Key facts about Dana Borisenko
Participation in the show «You Are a Supermodel!» at age 16.
Collaboration with top modeling agencies in Moscow.
Athletic past: kickboxing, modern dance, extreme sports.
Family: father is a Master of Sports in aquabike and an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurial activity: at 18, founded her own modeling agency. By 20, invested in land plots.
Film career: in 2013, played a cameo role in the comedy «Gorko!», where models from her agency were also involved.
Major projects: her agency Shtorm worked at the Sochi 2014 Olympics and collaborated with Formula 1.
Personal life: was in a relationship and engaged to basketball player Andrey Zubkov (2015–2017). Later married, had a daughter, but the marriage broke up in 2021.
Return to TV: in 2022, became a participant in the reality show «Fall in Love If You Can» on TNT.
Epstein case: reaction and consequences
Fontanka reached Dana Borisenko by phone on Sunday morning. «I have never in my life had any dealings with anyone from the USA, never sent girls there even on modeling contracts, and never sold their phone numbers,» Borisenko told Fontanka. «This is nonsense that kept me up all night.»
Dana Borisenko published a statement on her social media that neither she nor her agency has any connection to the Epstein case.
«One of the Krasnodar journalists decided to hype on this information and in his Telegram channel wrote the name of my agency! After which other publics picked up this wave! — wrote Borisenko. — And now I declare to everyone that I and my agency are in no way connected with this person or with this situation as a whole! What I can prove! And I will sue the one who started it and those who, after him, copy the information from him and spread it further!» (Spelling and punctuation of the original preserved. — Ed.).
Borisenko notes that in the declassified documents, only a reference to one of the girls named Raya, who allegedly worked at Shtorm, is mentioned, but who exactly is referred to, neither Borisenko nor her employees understand. And a model named Raisa was in the agency only at the very beginning of its work, 14 years ago (the declassified documents refer to the period from 2016 to 2017).
It is difficult to say which legal entity the modeling agency is registered under. Dana Borisenko herself, who is listed on the website as its general director, has an individual entrepreneur (IP) registered back in 2012, that is, when she was 19 years old. Its main type of activity is «Activities for the provision of other auxiliary services for business, not included in other groupings.» The tax office already sees her under a different surname.
However, the agency itself claims that it started working back in 2011, when Dana was only 18 years old. From an analysis of the contact phones listed on the website, it can be concluded that at least at the first stage, Dana«s mother was actively involved in the work of »Shtorm.« It is her that subscribers in their address books indicated as the real manager and owner of the agency.
For the sake of fairness, in none of the address books is the agency«s number indicated as connected in any way with human trafficking or with the provision of services mentioned in the alleged correspondence of Epstein with his counterparts.
