Epstein files spark renewed debate over death of Kazakh model Ruslana Korshunova: What we know

Tengrinews.kz – The death of Kazakh supermodel Ruslana Korshunova — one of the brightest stars of 2000s global fashion — has returned to the spotlight nearly 20 years later. Newly published materials in the case of financier Jeffrey Epstein include documents where her name is mentioned indirectly.
Korshunova died on June 28, 2008, in New York after falling from a Manhattan apartment window. Police ruled it a suicide. No suicide note was found, and the model’s relatives said there were no obvious reasons for her to take such a step.
Among the released materials are messages involving people from the modeling industry and individuals from the circles around models of that period. The documents do not give a direct answer about what caused Korshunova’s death, but they point to conflicts and financial disputes involving people connected to this story.
A 2011 letter: financial disputes, pressure, and references to the model’s death
One of the documents is a letter dated January 10, 2011. It was written by modeling agent Ramsay Elkholei to his client Regina (the surname is redacted in the documents). Elkholei was not Korshunova’s agent.
In the letter, he explains the termination of cooperation by citing financial conflicts, pressure from third parties, and events he links to the model’s death.

“In addition, I did not know that you were involved in the Ruslana Korshunova situation through your relationship with Mark Kaminski. If I had known about this, I would not have agreed to represent you.”
“After the tragic events associated with the death of Ruslana Korshunova, I do not want to be involved in similar situations.”

The letter also mentions conflicts within the models’ circle and messages about drugs, but it contains no direct accusations.
A short email to Epstein
Another document is a brief email dated August 2, 2011. In it, an unknown sender addresses Jeffrey Epstein directly:

“Jeffrey, is it true that the agency didn’t pay Ruslana Korshunova money?”

Trip to Epstein’s island and the model’s death
Earlier, in January 2024, media outlets reported that Ruslana Korshunova had visited Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James. According to published materials, she flew there in 2006 on a private jet with a “wealthy admirer.” What happened on the island is unknown. Speculation about possible sexual abuse has not been officially confirmed.
Who Ruslana Korshunova was
Ruslana Korshunova was born on July 2, 1987, in Chukotka, and later moved with her family to Almaty. She entered the modeling world after representatives of the agency MODELS 1 noticed her photo. Because of her long hair, she was nicknamed the “Russian Rapunzel”.
By the mid-2000s, Korshunova became one of the notable faces in the fashion industry: she took part in advertising campaigns for DKNY, BCBG, Blugirl by Blumarine, Clarins, Kenzo, Moschino, Vera Wang, Pantene and other brands, and became the face of the fragrance Nina Ricci Nina. She also appeared on the covers of French ELLE, as well as Russian and Polish Vogue.

Alternative versions and investigations
Over the years, other theories about Korshunova’s death have also appeared. Journalist Peter Pomerantsev, for instance, suggested a hypothesis about possible influence from closed psychological training groups. There is no direct evidence supporting this version, but it was discussed after the model’s death. Representatives of the organizations mentioned denied the accusations.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently published new documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s case. Tengri Life reviewed the materials and found that Kazakhstan is mentioned more than 400 times — in connection with meetings with high-ranking officials, trips to Almaty and Astana, and a mysterious girl identified as “I”.