What Grichka and Igor Bogdanoff Might Look Like Without Plastic Surgery According to AI

The French twin television hosts were born into royalty and died in the spotlight after a life marked by intrigue.

Grichka and Igor Bogdanoff gained international attention in the 1990s and 2000s for their distinctive appearance following the extensive use of Botox, lip fillers, and chin sculpting. Now, with the help of AI, images reimagine how the Bogdanoff twins might have looked without plastic surgery.

The brothers, who came from noble lineage, fascinated Parisian society with their eccentric mix of questionable quantum physics research and extreme plastic surgery. This combination captivated the public and alarmed the scientific community.

The controversial twins were born on August 29, 1949, in a castle in Saint-Lary, a town in southwestern France. Their father, Youri Ostasenko-Bogdanoff, was a painter who claimed descent from a Tatar prince and fled Russia as a child.

Their mother, Maria Dolores Franzyska Kolowrat-Krakowska, was the daughter of Bertha Kolowrat-Krakowska. Bertha was a former Bohemian countess who lost her title following an affair with American opera singer Roland Hayes, the first Black man to gain international fame as a concert performer.

The twins were largely raised by their grandmother in aristocratic yet unconventional surroundings. They claimed to have exceptionally high IQs from childhood, reportedly scoring 190 on early tests.

Igor and Grichka studied at the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) and the École Pratique des Hautes Études. Later, they pursued advanced studies at the University of Bordeaux before transferring to the University of Burgundy, where they conducted research in physics and mathematics.

Grichka earned a degree in mathematics from the University of Burgundy in 1999, while Igor received a doctorate in physics there in 2002 after revising his thesis and publishing additional papers.

Around this same period, in the '90s and 2000s, the twins underwent cosmetic procedures so extensive that they became nearly unrecognizable. Their dramatically altered appearances were often described by observers as almost alien.

By the mid-2000s, their facial transformations were largely complete and frequently mocked as bizarre or even grotesque. However, the brothers consistently denied ever having cosmetic surgery.

They claimed instead that their altered appearance was the result of their experimentation with unspecified "technologies." Over the years, the visual effects of their earlier procedures remained until their deaths.

The duo died within days of each other at a hospital in Paris — Grichka on December 28, 2021, and Igor on January 3, 2021 — both at the age of 72. Family statements released through the brothers' agent confirmed their deaths but did not specify a cause.

However, a lawyer for the twins told several French news outlets that they had died of COVID-19. Both had revealed in December that they were unvaccinated.

"They were both 72, they were in great shape, and they thought they were untouchable," said Amélie de Bourbon-Parme, Igor’s former wife. She added that the brothers had always been reluctant to face their own mortality. Death, she noted, "was a taboo topic for them, and at the same time it fascinated them."

Here is a look at the Bogdanoff twins before their use of cosmetic surgery, how their appearance changed over the years, and how they might have looked without the procedures, according to AI-generated images.

Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff on the set of their 1970s sci-fi show "Temps X," where they first rose to fame. The twins appear youthful, with chiseled cheekbones and thick, tousled hair as they pose in the studio.

French writer and academician Jean Guitton (center) is pictured with French scientific journalists Igor (left) and Grichka Bogdanoff (right), his co-authors of "Dieu et la Science," in Paris. The twins appear refined and youthful, their defined cheekbones accentuating their handsome features.

Close-up photos of Grichka and Igor Bogdanoff show their noticeably sharp and angular facial structure, particularly around the jawline. This look emerged around the time they were believed to have undergone cosmetic enhancements.

French journalists Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff laugh heartedly as they appear on the set of Canal+’s “Le Grand Journal” in Paris. Their faces display more noticeable transformations, with fuller lips, puffier cheeks, and a more sculpted chin.

French TV hosts Igor and Grichka Bogdanov pose before attending a lunch gathering of France's most-read writers in 2010 in Paris. As Grichka laughs, his eyes appear to sink into his noticeably tighter, puffier cheeks, while his brother faces him mid-conversation.

Grichka and Igor Bogdanov present their show "Big Bang" performed at Theatre du Gymnase, and their book "Le code secret de l'Univers" during the "Vivement Dimanche" French TV show at Pavillon Gabriel in Paris, France. They look strikingly different from their younger selves, not just due to age, as their hair is now brown instead of black.

Igor and Grichka Bogdanov attend "Les Fantômes De La Rue" at Theatre La Bruyère in Paris, France. The changes in their faces are striking, with noticeably fuller lips, altered cheeks, and a different nose shape as they mingle with other attendees.

In this AI-generated portrait, Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff radiate youthful energy, with their natural features still evident — slimmer noses, subtly defined cheekbones, and proportionate chins that reflect their original appearance. | Source: Gemini AI.

Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff display natural signs of aging, with gentle lines around their eyes and cheeks that appear when they laugh. Their faces look relaxed, with visible eyes and non-puffy cheeks that reflect the passage of time. | Source: Gemini AI.

Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff’s black hair has naturally turned gray, as have their eyebrows. As they smile, their lips appear natural without puffiness, and their cheeks form a gentle, natural curve — features reminiscent of how they might have looked without cosmetic surgery. | Source: Gemini AI.