"Yes, I Know I’m Controversial!" – An Interview with America's Next Top Model 11's Elina

From the beginning, Elina was definitely one of the girls to watch this season. Her look was one of the strongest, not to mention her personality was too. However, Elina’s inability to ever “let go” and need to control everything ended up being her demise when the judges didn’t feel like she was showing enough range in her photos. I had a chance to chat with Elina, and I was surprised at how well spoken and mature she was! Read on to see her thoughts on the competition this season!

RealityNewsOnline: Hey Elina, thanks for taking time out of your day to speak with me. Had you watched previous seasons of the show, and what factored into your decision to apply?

Elina: I watched an episode here or there, but never consistently. The reason I decided to apply for the show was because I was finally eligible, and at that point I had decided I wanted to get back into modeling, which I had done up until about the age of 13. I was signed with an agency out in Seattle, but went to school so I had stopped.

RNO: Going into the competition, what was your plan on standing out from the rest of the girls, and what did you consider your biggest strength?

Elina: I knew that I had the potential to become a really good model. Plus, I cared and expressed how much I wanted to win, so I knew that was going to make me stand out. On top of that, I knew that my opinions would make me stick out from the rest of the girls, and I really wanted to stand up for gay and lesbian rights in the house.

RNO: Obviously, one of the biggest issues this season was you and Marjorie being from another country. Let’s set the record straight – exactly how long have you been in the United States, and do you consider yourself assimilated to American culture?

Elina: I moved here when I was eight. I grew up in Russia, but when I moved here, we were still a typical Russian household, since my parents didn’t change much. I know I’m American, but I’m also Ukrainian. People in Europe just express themselves in a different way, and that’s why it was so nice having Marjorie there, since she at least understood what I was talking about.

RNO: Can you understand the point at all of the other girls, especially Sheena, that they thought you were using being European as a crutch in the competition?

Elina: No, not necessarily. I just expressed myself differently than the rest of the girls. People from Europe don’t have the same positive “All-American” attitude. Marjorie was attacked for being too negative, but that’s just the way she was raised. It wasn’t being used as a crutch because it was our way of life.

RNO: We saw the judges telling you numerous times that you needed to “let go.” Did you ever get any advice or pointers on how to do that?

Elina: No! It was so frustrating and I still don’t get what they mean. That’s why it’s hard to figure out what you are supposed to do, because I was never told. That’s my personality, though. I’m just very self-consumed, and I always worry about my image. I don’t want to look silly, so I do things my way. To be honest, I loved my photos!

RNO: Analeigh said this week that the other girls didn’t see her as competition, and you yourself said she didn’t deserve to win the challenge. Was she just being underestimated?

Elina: She was totally underestimated. A couple weeks back I would have said she would never have made it this far. I was shocked that she did, but each week she was improving, and the judges were noticing that. If they see you making an effort and changing, then you will stick around, apparently.

RNO: You went into this last elimination confident that you were going to make it into the next round. What was your reason for being so sure?

Elina: I just kept sticking to me knowing that I have potential and that I’m making it work the best I can. I was focused on taking good photos, not controlling the photo shoot. But, I guess in their eyes, it was just my time to go!

RNO: When I talked to Sheena after she was eliminated, she had said the two of you were pretty tight at the beginning of the competition, and only fought when personal beliefs were brought up. Do you normally find yourself to be controversial?

Elina: Yes, I do! I’m opinionated when I explain things, but aside from that, I do consider myself an activist, and that’s what I want to do. I believe strongly in many things, like animal rights, gay and lesbian rights, etc. Sheena and I did get along in the beginning, but she was right… we just can’t share opinions with one another.

RNO: I know this is going to sound really weird, but why were the designers harping on your tattoos? Can’t you just use makeup to cover them up?

Elina: I know! It’s just a tattoo, and that’s why I tried to tell the one designer that refused to even see me because of them. I’ve had photo shoots and runway where I’ve had them covered up, and they’ve also been airbrushed out of photos as well. When I tried explaining that to her, she just kept insisting that she couldn’t work with me because of them.

RNO: Since you were so opposed to your makeover when it first occurred, did you decide to stick to the look or go back to your original color?

Elina: My hair is back to normal, but sometimes I do miss the red hair. I had learned to like it by the time I was eliminated, but it hurt so much. I had so many sores after I took it out on the top of my head. I’m glad to be back to dark brown, though.

RNO: It’s no secret that you were pretty outspoken when it came to having alone time with the camera. Do you regret anything you did or said about the other girls?

Elina: There’s only one thing I regret and that was about Isis. I really shouldn’t go into detail if someone has potential or not. In my eyes, it doesn’t matter, and I need to learn to say either “yes” or “no.” It was uncalled for, and I was really rude for saying what I did.

RNO: What kind of advice would you give to girls that are thinking of applying to future seasons of the show?

Elina: Be prepared for stress! It really will change your life, and if you do decide to apply, just have confidence. This show is for real, and it’s tough. So be serious, but have fun.

RNO: What’s next for you? Do you still intend on trying to pursue a career in modeling?

Elina: Of course I want to pursue modeling. I’m always looking for ways to express myself. I’m an artist, so I do consider myself versatile. Like I said earlier too, I really want to be an activist, especially for animal rights, and being on the show has helped me already get started on that.

RNO: Is there anything you would like to add or say to fans of the show?

Elina: Just thank you so much for watching, and the support that has been shown. It really does mean a lot – thanks!

RNO: Thanks, Elina!

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Phil Kural is an office manager at a dental office, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. You can send feedback to him at pkural@gmail.com.

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