In life
At the age of 18, a native of the Netherlands, Margareta Zelle (real name of Mata Hari), married Captain Rudolf McLeod. They had a son and a daughter, the boy died at the age of 2. After being married for 8 years, the couple divorced, and Rudolf deprived his wife of the right to raise a child.
In the series
Olga Ryashina, one of the directors:
The desire to return her daughter is the main driver for our heroine. This goes through almost the entire series until the moment when Margareta realizes that her daughter cannot be returned, since she is already a different person. How it differs from the real story: in fact, she was not very interested in her daughter.
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Photo Channel One
In life
Margareta becomes a dancer and takes on the stage name Mata Hari, which translates from Malay as “eye of the day” or “sun.” Her oriental-style dancing is similar to a modern striptease: by the end of the number she remained almost completely naked. As an artist, Mata Hari gained success in Paris and other European cities.
In the series
Olga Ryashina:
We did not try to recreate the dances with maximum accuracy. For example, in life Mata Hari did not bare her top, as shown in the series, because she did not have “weighty” breasts. She, in fact, was not very beautiful, but attracted viewers with her charisma and originality.
In life
Mata Hari was a courtesan and had connections with influential people in different countries. Despite the funds received from her lovers, she often experienced financial difficulties. Perhaps the money was spent on card games, which she enjoyed.
In the series
Olga Ryashina:
– The fact that Mata Hari was a courtesan is a well-known fact, and we did not focus on it. It was more important to talk about her inner experiences. Besides, there really aren’t that many men who influenced her in any way.
In life
It is believed that Mata Hari was a double agent: she worked for French and German intelligence.
In the series
Olga Ryashina:
Mata Hari's spy career is mysterious, we can only speculate here. For example, in the film, a maid helps her (she photographs documents while the mistress distracts the man. - Note: “Antennas”). We won't know what really happened. But she probably had assistants, including servants.
In life
Mata Hari's last love was Russian officer Vadim Maslov.
In the series
Olga Ryashina:
In the film the hero's name is Vladimir. The project is international, and we changed the name to something more recognizable to foreign viewers. I am sure that Maslov was the love of Mata Hari’s life. She got caught and confessed to some things largely because of him: they threatened her that they would kill him. By the way, almost all of our characters are historical figures. Drama only slightly changed their role in the heroine’s fate. Among the most significant differences: one of the villains of the film, Princess Kirievskaya, who is trying to harm Mata Hari, in life, on the contrary, helped her.
Vadim Pavlovich Maslov and Margareta Gertrude Zelle.
Did the little Dutch girl Margareta Gertrude Zelle think that she was destined to become one of the most famous women and live a short but incredibly eventful life? Having lost everything and being left completely alone, she managed to overcome difficulties and become an “eastern goddess”, driving men crazy and causing the public to go wild. But her last passion and love was a Russian officer.
Birth of Mata Hari
Mata Hari perfectly got used to the role of an Indian bayadère.
The exotic oriental dancer Mata Hari was “born” in France in the circus of Monsieur Mollier. The enterprising Frenchman was able to discern great natural talent in the modest horse-riding teacher and helped to come up with the image of an oriental dance performer. Margareta herself came up with a biography and got used to the role of an Indian bayadère. Transforming herself into an oriental dancer, the woman recalled life with her husband on the island of Java, dances of temple priestesses and lessons in the Malay language.
The daughter of an Indian rajah and a temple dancer - that's what the audience thought.
To attract the public, the posters indicated that the performer was the daughter of an Indian rajah and a temple dancer, who had studied the art of oriental dance from the best bayaderes from the banks of the Ganges. In fact, she did not know how to dance, and gained popularity only due to her beauty, charisma and performances almost naked. She became the first stripper in Europe. A global revolution in the dancer’s life occurred during the First World War. By a whim of fate, she met a Russian military man, who became her last true love.
This last Russian
And just a beauty.
Captain Vadim Pavlovich Maslov was a company commander of a rifle regiment of the Russian Expeditionary Force seconded to France. A native of the Kherson province was only 23 years old; he was old enough to be the son of forty-year-old Mata Hari. But when has this ever embarrassed a woman in love? Maslov came from a military family, spoke excellent French and had already smelled gunpowder during hostilities in his native land. He distinguished himself during the battles of 1916 on the side of France and was awarded the rank of staff captain and the Order of St. Anne of the third degree. For his faithful service on the battlefield, he received leave and decided to spend his free time in Paris. The fatal meeting took place in the most romantic city at the Grand Hotel. An affair began and the woman realized that she had fallen madly in love with a young Russian. He returned to the front, and she wrote him letters filled with love and passion. She addressed him as “my Di” and signed her name Marina.
Mata Hari in dance attire.
Vadim Maslov responded to the dancer’s letters, despite the large age difference, he was impressed by the attention of such a beautiful and famous lady. At that time, the dancer was already recruited by German intelligence. The woman was in dire need of money, and the fact that she was a member of high French society and a constant flow of lovers, including career military men, made her an ideal candidate for the role of a spy. However, a stormy romance with Maslov, who fought on the side of France, attracted the attention of French intelligence to the dancer. All her correspondence with the military man was intercepted and carefully read, and Mata Hari was always distinguished by frivolity and burned with passion for her lover. The French realized that certain benefits could be derived from the love affair between an incredibly popular dancer and a career military man.
Arrest of Mata Hari.
While Maslov was on the battlefield, Mata Hari received an offer to work for the French intelligence services. At first, the woman, who had already sent reports to the Germans, refused to spy for France. However, my loved one had sudden financial problems. He complained in letters about irregular pay and asked the woman for money. It so happened that Mata Hari herself, accustomed to luxury and prosperity, found herself in financial difficulties. It was then that she decided to accept the offer of the French intelligence services and become a double spy. Fate, taking pity on the woman in love, gave her two unforgettable weeks in the resort town of Vittel. There Maslov healed his wounds in a sanatorium and gained strength. Photos of the happy couple from Vittel would later be found in Mata Hari’s room.
The shooting of Mata Hari.
The dizzying romance ended suddenly. Vadim Maslov disappeared somewhere without leaving his passion even a couple of lines. Mata Hari was very worried about the disappearance of her loved one, and then she simply went into all serious trouble. She drank a lot and changed lovers every day. In February 1917, she was arrested and interrogated for several months. The investigation was unable to prove the guilt of the Dutch citizen and did not have the right to execute her. However, in October she was sentenced to death. She met death with dignity; the soldiers did not dare to shoot at the beautiful woman and fired bullets to the side. And only one person hit her straight in the heart.
The fate of Vadim Maslov
Vadim Maslov learned about the death of Mata Hari from the newspapers./photo: stripdir.com
Vadim Maslov, sent by the command from the hospital at the end of 1916, learned about the death of Mata Hari from the newspapers. It is not known whether he loved her as much, but after her death the military man became reckless - as if he was looking for his death. His future life was not easy. He fought and was seriously wounded. For trying to start a riot in the company, he was demoted in rank. During the revolution of 1917, he sided with the Provisional Government, then immigrated to France. What happened to him next? According to one version, he married and settled in Paris, according to another, he took monastic vows and became a monk.
Bonus
Sculpture in Leeuwarden.
It remains to be noted that Mata Hari is called the most famous spy of all time, which also successfully combined the roles of a courtesan and a dancer.
Mata Hari's star rose at the beginning of the 20th century in Paris. The Parisian public, spoiled by entertainment, was hungry for new fun and was ready to shell out any money for some unusual and sensational spectacle. Everyone who wanted to succeed came here. Among them was the unknown Margaretha McLeod, the wife of the Dutch officer Rudolf McLeod. After divorcing her husband, she came to Paris without money, having neither profession nor acquaintances. The girl made a pittance part-time job as a model, and often she did not even have money for bread. Walking around the city, Margareta saw posters for Isadora Duncan’s performances. Having captivated the audience with avant-garde performances in ancient Greek costumes, the “Queen of Dance” received her title in the French capital. This was a sign of fate - now Margareta knew that she would help her conquer spoiled Paris.
While looking through the newspapers, the girl saw an advertisement for dancers to perform at a charity ball. She decided this was her chance. Margaretha showed her dance to the organizers of the evening and they agreed to include it in the program. One of the guests liked her exotic performance so much that he rushed to meet the charming dancer. An influential industrialist and owner of the Museum of Oriental Art, Emile Etienne Guimet, fell in love with the girl at first sight. For Margaret's sake, Guimet forgot about everything. He abandoned his business and stopped communicating with his family. But one admirer was not enough for her; she wanted all of Paris to lie at her feet. 
Margareta set a condition - in exchange for her favor, Guimet gives the girl a private performance in one of the capital's salons. Soon a performance took place in the house of Baron Henri de Rothschild, where the entire Parisian world gathered. The performance was a stunning success. The guests were shocked - at the end of the sensual dance, Margareta appeared before them almost naked. The girl made the right bet - the public has never seen anything like this. Margareta's performance became a sensation - the very next day all the newspapers were full of enthusiastic headlines about the birth of a new star. Entrance into any society was open to the dancer. Men worshiped her, and women envied her and tried to be like her in everything.
It was then that she decided to change her name. From now on, her name was Mata Hari, translated from Malay as “eye of the day.” Soon all of Paris was talking about the talented dancer. Isadora Duncan lost her title, the French chose a new “Queen of the Dance”. Mata Hari comes up with a legend of her birth and becomes the new star of Paris. The best theaters in Europe open their doors to the ex-wife of a colonial officer.
However, Margareta understood that it was not enough to simply capture the attention of the public, it was much more important to keep it. The success story of a divorced woman was too commonplace and could soon bore Parisians. Mata Hari needed a legend. Something that would create an aura of mystery and cement success. During one of the performances, a man in oriental clothing burst into the hall. He threw himself on his knees in front of Mata Hari and began to beg her for something in an incomprehensible language. The servants immediately brought the stranger out. The amazed guests demanded an explanation, but the dancer calmly continued her performance.
At that time in Europe it was not difficult to find an Indian, a Polynesian or a Moroccan. Rich Frenchmen willingly brought exotic servants from the colonies. One of them was bribed by Mata Hari for the performance she had planned. After the speech, Mata Hari told the newspapers that this was a servant sent by her mother, an Indian princess, to bring her daughter home and marry her to the Rajah. But, Mata explained to reporters, she doesn’t love him and that’s why she had to run away.
This story naturally fueled the public's interest. The best Parisian theaters opened their doors to the heir to the Indian throne. The whole world whispered, from mouth to mouth, on the sidelines and salons, rumors were passed on about the life of an oriental dancer. Each time the story acquired new details. But not a single person doubted the truth of the royal origin of Mata Hari.
Mata Hari's popularity grew every day. The most powerful men competed for her affection. Expensive jewelry, social evenings. Enjoying such a life, the dancer completely forgot about her benefactor Guimet. He spent a lot of money to keep Mata Hari, but this was not enough for her. The leading musical theater of Monte Carlo offered the rising star a lucrative contract. Guimet was jealous, but could not do anything. The Frenchman had a bad heart, and he begged Mata Hari to postpone the trip. But she was not going to sit in Paris and wait for her elderly patron to recover 
Mata Hari left Guimet and went on tour with a new lover. The trip was a tremendous success. In Monte Carlo, Mata Hari plays in a theater where Prince Albert I of Monaco himself is among her spectators. The dancer performs on the same stage with world stars - Fyodor Chaliapin, Emma Calvet and Geraldine Farrar. And two famous composers are ready to write music for her dance numbers - Jules Massenet and Giacomo Puccini. Both musicians are passionate about Mata Hari. Puccini showers the young woman with expensive gifts, although he buys them with money intended for his theater troupe.
But Mata Hari is not interested in such details, she loves generous men. When Jules 
Massenet comes to the dancer to show the music that he composed especially for her performance, the beauty shows the loving composer to the door. The luxurious jewelry that Puccini sends is more attractive to Mata Hari than any music. The rejected Massenet will try to commit suicide, but the “Queen of the Dance” finds out about this already in Verona, where she is leaving with Giacomo Puccini.
In Italy, Mata Hari gives several concerts, but is soon forced to stop performing. Puccini gets into a car accident and can no longer support his mistress - all the money goes to treatment. And Mata Hari was used to living in luxury. She leaves Verona and abandons her famous lover. Mata Hari returned to Paris and opened her own salon. The richest men flocked here. The fame of the social events hosted by the dancer spread throughout Europe. The guests were amazed by the luxury, sophistication and, of course, the defiantly frank performances of the hostess herself.
Everyone who has ever visited Mata Hari's salon wanted to possess this dazzling woman. Now she 
lived on a royal scale. By the beginning of 1914, Mata Hari was considered the highest paid courtesan in Europe. The discoverer of Mata Hari's talent, Gime, barely survived the betrayal of his beloved. The industrialist's family, concerned about the fabulous expenses on the dancer, filed a petition to the court to transfer Guimet's fortune into trusteeship. Relatives claimed that the old man was out of his mind. He was stripped of everything and forcibly taken to the south of France. When Mata Hari received a letter from her benefactor about the meeting, she did not even consider it necessary to answer him.
Mata Hari had already conquered France and was now striving for world fame. She was applauded by the theaters of Milan, Vienna and Madrid. With the same ease as the stage of the world's leading theaters, she changed her lovers. Only the wealthiest and noblest men were included in her collection. In 1914, Mata Hari came to Berlin. Her new lover, a German officer, invited the dancer to a Prussian army training. The entire German nobility was present at the maneuvers. At the end of the teachings, Mata Hari was introduced to Crown Prince Wilhelm.
She knew that the heir to the throne was a patron of the arts and started a conversation with him about the theater. Wilhelm was so captivated by his interlocutor that he did not even notice the surprised glances of the courtiers. They had to greet the crown prince, which meant bowing their heads to his companion - a dancer and kept woman. Mata Hari reveled in everyone's attention. This is exactly the life she dreamed of. The heir to the throne easily succumbed to the dancer's charms and became her lover. By order of the Crown Prince, Berlin's Metropol Theater began hastily preparing a new play for production. Naturally, Mata Hari had to play the main role.
It was not enough for Mata Hari to play leading roles on stage; she wanted to play them in life. Wilhelm's patronage flattered the dancer, but she never remained faithful to anyone. There were many noble men at the Kaiser's court who attracted her with their position and wealth. And soon the crown prince discovered that he was not the only lover of Mata Hari. Arriving unannounced, Wilhelm found his cousin Duke Ernst August in his beloved’s room.
Mata Hari tried to save the situation and quickly sent the Duke out. According to her, Ernst August came by to offer her participation in a new tour. Mata Hari's voice sounded so sincere that Wilhelm believed his mistress. From now on, the dancer tried to be more careful, after all, her main goal was the crown prince. Mata Hari understood that any rash step could lead to a break. She hoped that a relationship with the crown prince would be her ticket into the royal family. But all plans were destroyed by the First World War.
The heir to the throne delved into military affairs. Mata Hari wrote him tender messages, but letters 
intercepted by German intelligence. The correspondence was reported to Kaiser Wilhelm. The emperor could not allow his son to become entangled with a courtesan and gave the order to immediately expel the dancer from the country. Colonel Werner von Mirbach was assigned to convey the Kaiser's decree. Mirbach came to Mata Hari not only to inform him of the emperor’s decision. The colonel had the task of recruiting the famous courtesan for German intelligence.
Mata Hari could become a source of invaluable information. Very influential people gathered in her salon, where Mirbach himself often visited when he came to Paris. And among the lovers of this charming woman there were many military men who held prominent positions in the French army. Mata Hari understood that the dancer’s fame would not last forever. Therefore, in the German’s proposal, she saw not only the only way to stay in Germany, but also an opportunity to play one of her best roles - the role of a spy. Without hesitation, Mata Hari agreed to Mirbach's proposal.
She returned to Paris and reopened the doors of her salon. Among those invited were many officers of the Allied forces. Mata Hari was not embarrassed by her new role; she knew how to use the trust of men to achieve her goals. At first glance, in the empty chatter of her lovers, Mata Hari skillfully sought out information that interested her. Often she managed to find valuable documents, which the spy copied and sent to Germany.
If previously the dancer's favor was enjoyed by rich and noble men, now she chose only those who could become a source of secret information. And yet, Mata Hari felt sincere pity for some of her fans - they loved her, and she deliberately doomed them to death. After all, according to the laws of war, anyone guilty of leaking important information will be shot. But there was no turning back, and the spy continued to enjoy the trust of her lovers.
Not a single man who visited her boudoir even knew what price he paid for the location of the seductive courtesan. Meeting with many French and British officers, the dancer obtained information that the best German intelligence agents could not obtain. Self-satisfied ministers who were proud of their position, generals who attended Mata Hari's performances in ceremonial uniforms, they all fell under the power of her beauty. And the conversations that the dancer had with them were so sweet and naive that they did not arouse any suspicion.
Russian officer Vadim Maslov idolized Mata Hari. But for her he remained just another admirer. 
The thought of this was unbearable, and one day Maslov loaded his revolver and wanted to commit suicide. Mata Hari rushed to Vadim and begged him to stop. Looking at her, one would think that she was not indifferent to him at all. Tears streamed down the courtesan's beautiful face. The Russian officer's heart trembled. However, Maslov did not even realize that Mata Hari’s prayers were not driven by love or pity. Captain Vadim Maslov served in the Russian expeditionary force and was in the retinue of Nicholas II. Such a high position of her lover at court could allow Mata Hari not to worry about her own future. After the war, Maslov, according to her plan, was to introduce her to the Russian imperial family.
In the summer of 1916, bloody battles took place in Champagne. The wounded were placed in hospitals in the front-line zone, where civilians were not allowed. The German command demanded information from Mata Hari from this area, and she figured out how to get there.
From the moment the dancer began espionage, she was incredibly lucky. Mata Hari has not yet made a single mistake, and such success has gone to her head. The courtesan understood the complexity of the task, but was confident that she could cope. With her persistent desire to get into a closed military hospital, Mata Hari aroused suspicion among the French command. They put her under surveillance. It turned out that the dancer 
left Paris and headed towards Champagne.
At the border checkpoint, the chief of French military intelligence, Georges Ladoux, was already waiting for her. He charged Mata Hari with espionage. Imagine his surprise when, instead of making excuses, the dancer completely calmly told him that she was going to the hospital to visit her seriously wounded lover Vadim Maslov. At the Battle of the Marne, a Russian captain came under a gas attack and lost an eye. Questioning Mata Hari about her connections with German officers, the chief of French intelligence, without realizing it, suggested her a new plan of action.
The spy immediately told Lad about her connection with Crown Prince Wilhelm and offered to send her to Germany. In this case, Mata convinced, she would be able to obtain information invaluable to the allies. On Ladu's instructions, Mata Hari went to Belgium to get from there to Verdun. But she did not have time to meet with Wilhelm; the crown prince was recalled to Berlin. At this time, the situation in the Mediterranean Sea sharply worsened. Both intelligence services, as if by agreement, sent Mata Hari to Spain.
The situation was heating up and the French command needed a loud scandal that would temporarily distract attention from the failures at the front. Ladu was looking for a suitable candidate for the culprit. A woman with a dubious reputation, Mata Hari, was ideal for this role. French counterintelligence officers had information at their disposal that the German agent operating in Paris was also a woman. In addition, the spy’s movements completely coincided with the route of Mata Hari’s trip to Europe. This was enough to charge her. In November 1916, the French command ordered the courtesan to return to Paris.
Mata Hari arrived in Paris in full confidence that she had been called to receive a particularly important task. But 
Ladoux never showed up, and in the evening French intelligence officers burst into the dancer’s hotel room and began a search. Mata Hari tried to stop them. “There was some kind of misunderstanding...”, she said, “Everything will soon become clear...”. But the officers did not pay attention to the woman’s protests; they carefully checked every item, paying special attention to the papers they found.
On November 13, 1916, Mata Hari was charged with espionage in the interests of Kaiser Germany. She herself denied any involvement and demanded to be released. The dancer insisted that her contacts with the Germans were exclusively amorous and she did not convey any information to anyone. Once in prison, Mata Hari first began to write letters to her friends in France and the Netherlands. Her messages were restrained, there was no hysteria or panic in them. However, Mata Hari was truly confused and for the first time in her life she asked for help.
The trial of Mata Hari was widely covered in the press. Journalists, who a few years earlier had gone crazy with delight just at the mention of her name, now took pleasure in trashing the former “Queen of Dance.” In the summer of 1917, Mata Hari appeared before a Paris military tribunal. At the trial, she behaved proudly, did not ask for anything and did not make excuses. The jury returned a verdict - guilty. The death penalty was imposed as punishment - execution.
The Mata Hari case lasted eight months. During this time, none of her friends, acquaintances or lovers visited her in prison. Many refused to come to the trial, fearing that their reputation would suffer. Mata Hari asked many of her lovers for help. Instead of the elderly Guimet, his relatives sent an answer; the composer Puccini did not respond to the letter at all. Vadim Maslov even sent a document to the court in which he called their connection an accident and claimed that he had long broken up with the dancer. And the officers, once her zealous admirers, were now vying with each other to justify themselves, presenting themselves as victims of an insidious spy.
After the verdict was announced, Mata Hari realized that she had nowhere to wait for salvation. Now all the strength of the great spy, courtesan and dancer was aimed at performing her last performance with dignity. Before her execution, Mata Hari wrote two letters - to her husband and daughter. But they never saw these messages; after the trial, all of Mata Hari’s correspondence was transferred to the prison archive. In prison, on death row, she could sleep peacefully only one night a week - from Saturday to Sunday. Because on Sunday they weren’t taken out to be shot. The rest of the time she was waiting for this moment when they would come for her.
On October 15, 1917, at 6 o’clock in the morning, Mata Hari was brought to Vincennes to the place of execution. She agreed to drink a sip of rum, which was reserved for the condemned, shook her head negatively in response to a question that could save her life - “Are you pregnant?”, and asked not to blindfold her. She wanted to look her executioners in the face.
None of Mata Hari’s many admirers ever plucked up the courage to demand her body after her execution in order to bury her with dignity. And only ex-husband Rudolf MacLeod, the first whom the “Queen of the Dance” betrayed on the way to her success, upon learning of Margareta’s death, said: “No matter how she lived, she did not deserve such a death.”
