Larissa Swirski
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Larissa Swirski | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1910 |
| Died | 13 May 1977 (aged 66–67) Seville, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish, Russian |
| Spouse | Manuel Romero Hume |
| Children | Liana Romero Swirski |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance |  Germany United Kingdom |
| Service branch | Intelligence Service (MI6) |
| Service years | 1943–1945 |
| Codename | Queen of Hearts |
| Nickname | Mata Hari of the South |
Larissa Swirski (Odesa, 1910-Seville, May 13, 1977), spelled as Swirsky in some media, was a Ukrainian photographer and double-agent spy, known as the Mata Hari of the South and the Queen of Hearts, who helped defeat the Nazis during World War II.[1][2] Ian Fleming's inspiration for his James Bond character Vesper Lynd was inspired by her.[2]
Biography
[edit]She was a descendant of the Romanov family.[1] Like the rest of the nobility of the Russian Empire, her family fled after the Bolshevik Revolution. Swrisky was evacuated with her grandparents and sisters on a warship sent by king George V of the United Kingdom in 1917,[3] ending up in Berlin.[4][5] She later moved to Paris with her sister and grandmother, where she opened a photography studio and took pictures of relevant figures such as Rudolph Valentino, Marlene Dietrich or Josephine Baker, and got involved with figures like Salvador Dalí and Coco Chanel, acting as a Russian interpreter for the latter.[3][6] In Cannes she met Manuel Romero Hume, a Spanish naval and military aviator whom she married.[1][6]
After the Spanish Civil War, he stayed with his husband in his destination in Ceuta.[3] There she was recruited by a German spy in 1940, at 29 years old.[2][4] She agreed to work for the Germans under the condition that they help her recover her properties in her homeland and locate her parents' burial site.[4] During this period, she operated in the areas of Tétouan, Ceuta and Tangier.[4] When her husband was transferred to Puente Mayorga, Andalusia, Swrisky began operating in the Strait of Gibraltar area.[4][7]
In 1943, through his sister Ala, a member of the French Resistance, she learnt about the crimes Nazis were carrying in the extermination camps and decided to switch sides, becoming a double agent for the British government.[2][6][7] Her superior in the British Intelligence Service was David Scherr, to whom she presented herself as the Queen of Hearts.[2][6] Her daughter, Liana Romero Swirsky, became the youngest Spanish spy in the Second World War, acting as a cover for her mother.[4] Together, they played a key role in preventing the Nazis from taking Gibraltar.[7][8][9]
She worked with then-member of the Naval Intelligence, Ian Fleming, and Clark Gable offered her an acting career in Hollywood.[2][10] Swrisky retired after Hitler's demise, fearing reprisals that could affect her husband, who was stationed in Seville.[1][3] She spoke six languages.[3]
She died in Seville on May 13, 1977.[3]
Legacy
[edit]Ian Fleming was inspired by Swirski to create the character of the first "Bond girl" Vesper Lynd, the female rival of James Bond, who appears in his debut novel Casino Royale.[1][2][11][12] Journalist Wayne Jameson talked about her in a chapter of his book Esvásticas en el sur (Swastikas in the South).[3]
In 2022, a documentary about her life titled Queen of Hearts was released, directed by Chema Ramos.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Guirado, Yolanda (2022-11-04). "El impactante testimonio de la espía más joven del mundo: "Me apuntaron con una pistola"". COPE (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cabanillas, Fermín (2022-03-16). "Larissa Swirsky: la ucraniana que espió a los nazis desde Andalucía e inspiró al padre de 007". ElDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ a b c d e f g "La Mata Hari del sur: "Soy la Reina de Corazones"". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ a b c d e f "La espía española más joven de la II Guerra Mundial cuenta cómo escapó de los alemanes: «Intentaron la última jugarreta»". Diario ABC (in Spanish). 2024-12-28. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ Milenio, Cuarto (2021-06-28). "Programas de tv, series y televisión en Cuatro.com". Cuatro (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ a b c d Gordillo, Teresa Lafita (2022-05-22). "Liana Romero: la hija de la espía". El Correo de Andalucía (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ a b c "Liana y una vida de película con acento andaluz: historia de la espía más joven de la Segunda Guerra Mundial". LaSexta (in Spanish). 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- ^ Badcock, James (2021-09-26). "'Seduction is a powerful weapon': The story of the woman who inspired original Bond girl". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ^ "Larissa Swirski, la agente doble que impidió la invasión nazi de Gibraltar e inspiró la creación de las chicas Bond". El Español (in Spanish). 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ^ Reviejo, Santiago F. (2021-06-19). "'Reina de Corazones', la historia de la espía doble que ayudó a impedir la invasión nazi de Gibraltar". www.publico.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ^ Badcock, James (2021-09-26). "'Seduction is a powerful weapon': The story of the woman who inspired original Bond girl". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ^ "Larissa Swirski, la espía que inspiró las «chicas Bond»". Diario ABC (in Spanish). 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2025-02-06.