Russian Politics Professor Joins Hollywood A-Listers for 2017 Pirelli Calendar

This year's Pirelli calendar will feature Russian university professor Anastasia Ignatova, who is the only non-actress to appear in the calendar.

German photographer Peter Lindbergh has begun shooting the 2017 Pirelli calendar, and has revealed it will contain photographs of some of the world's best-known actresses, as well as Professor of Political Science Anastasia Ignatova.

Ignatova, who reportedly met Lindbergh last year, is professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO); her courses include "Public Corporations," and "Image-Making and Business Communication."

"Everyone in this calendar, at one point in my life, I wanted to marry, and I didn't have the balls to ask them!" Lindbergh told Vogue.com, explaining his choice of subjects.

Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Dame Helen Mirren, Uma Thurman, Robin Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Alicia Vikander, Julianne Moore, Rooney Mara, Jessica Chastain, Charlotte Rampling, Zhang Ziyi and Lea Seydoux join Ignatova on the pages of the iconic calendar.

The star-studded list contains seven Oscar winners, and the actresses have an average age of 44. Lindbergh said that he wanted to present "a counter message to [the industry's] fake beauty idea."

"[Here] you have all the big names of actresses who are not known to do bimbo movies, but are known to do sensible films—most of them have got Oscars—and then let them be them."

The Pirelli calendar is a limited edition item, sent by the Italian tire company to a select group of customers and VIP's. Until last year's edition it had traditionally featured barely-clothed models, but the 2016 edition represented a radical shift. 

Photographer Annie Liebowitz took photographs of 12 women from various professions, chosen because they "have done something outstanding in their lives." The subjects included tennis star Serena Williams, and artist Yoko Ono.