Ludmilla Tchérina, photographed here by Ramón Masats in Madrid in 1964, was a celebrated French prima ballerina, actress, and multi-talented artist whose extraordinary career encompassed dance, cinema, painting, and sculpture.

Born Monique Tchemerzine on October 10, 1924, in Paris, she came from aristocratic yet impoverished origins. Her father, Prince Avenir Tchemerzine, was a Circassian prince and former Russian general who had fled St. Petersburg during the Russian Revolution, while her mother, Stéphane Finette, was French. Despite their noble heritage, the family lived with limited financial means.

Tchérina began dancing at age three, training under prestigious masters including former Mariinsky ballerina Olga Preobrajenska and Bolshoi ballet master Ivan Clustine, before completing her formal education at the Paris Opera school.

During World War II, after relocating to Marseille, she made her professional debut at 15 and quickly rose to become principal dancer at the Opéra de Marseille by 16. The defining moment of her career came in 1942-43 when she originated the role of Juliet in Serge Lifar's "Romeo and Juliet", making her the youngest prima ballerina in ballet history. She later performed with prestigious companies including Ballet des Champs-Élysées, Paris Opera, Bolshoi Ballet, and Kirov Ballet.

Her cinema career proved equally distinguished, featuring acclaimed performances in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger productions including "The Red Shoes" (1948), "The Tales of Hoffmann" (1951), and "Oh... Rosalinda!!" (1955).

Beyond performing, Tchérina excelled as a visual artist. Her sculpture "Europe à Cœur" was selected by the European Community in 1991 to symbolize European unity and now stands at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She also authored novels and exhibited paintings internationally.

Honored as Officer of the Legion of Honour in 1980, Tchérina died on March 21, 2004, at age 79, and was interred at Montmartre Cemetery in Paris.