- Irina Shayk opens up about the tiny ankle tattoo she got as a tribute to her late grandmother in BAZAAR.com's summer digital cover feature.
- The model said that her father's mother was "one of the strongest women in my life."
- With her commemorative ink, she says her relative is "always with me."
There's a big meaning behind Irina Shayk's little tattoo. The supermodel got her late grandmother's name, Galina, inked onto her ankle a few years ago as a loving tribute to her fascinating life. She was a teenage spy during World War II and was one of the women who raised Shayk as she grew up in Yemanzhelinsk, Russia.
"My father's mother was one of the strongest women in my life," the model told BAZAAR.com. Shayk said her grandmother is "she’s always with me" with her tattoo, which says Galina in Russian characters.
"It was really inspiring to grow up in a women's family because you learn so much from the strong women in your life," she added.
Shayk was raised by her two grandmothers, her mom, and sister. "We never had men around," she said. That upbringing taught her that women "are the ones who can handle everything. Women can raise the kids, women can do the job, and when she's back, she can cook and clean and do the heavy work too!"
She also learned the importance of cherishing life from her late grandmother. "My grandma, Galina, the one who passed away, was in World War II when she was 19 and when she was alive, it was the biggest thing that she celebrated," she said.
In addition to her tattoo, Shayk's grandmother also inspired the name of the model's daughter with Bradley Cooper, Lea de Seine.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
