Russian contortionist showcases her incredible flexibility in eye-watering photos - because she wanted to 'emphasise her charms' after splitting from her husband
A contortionist who recently split from her husband says she hopes her new calendar featuring a series of eye-watering photographs will help heal her broken heart.
Russian-born former gymnast Zlata, 29, posed in leather and lingerie to adopt a series of poses that seem to defy every law of biology.
Zlata, real name Julia Guenthel, is 5ft 8ins and used every opportunity in the 12 images to demonstrate her incredible flexibility in the pictures which she hopes 'emphasise her charms'.
Former gymnast Zlata wears racy outfits and poses in an array of shapes for her 2016 calendar which see her showing her suppleness and is able to bend backwards at a 90 degree angle, so the back half of her hands touch her feet even while wearing stilettos
Her flexibility is demonstrated on each image of the calendar and many have glamorous outfits such as this latex lingerie with long tumbling plaits in her hair
Zlata, who now lives in Germany, is able to create astounding shapes with her body and is so flexible she can cram herself into a 50cm square box.
One of her favourite acts is to bend backwards at a 90 degree angle, so the back half of her hands touch her feet and she can also peer through her own legs from behind.
The calendar demonstrates the positions she can perform, she is seen with both legs behind her head and is able to perform the splits vertically in the air.
In another image she squats down just inches from the ground, with one leg on the floor and the other wrapped around the back of her neck.
Zlata's gift of flexibility was discovered when she was four years old and by six she was training as a contortionist at a circus school.
She has a rare condition which makes all her tendons extremely pliable, which helps in her profession.