Surely, every young girl at least once in her life dreamed of becoming a beauty queen. Miss University, Miss City, Miss City Library, etc. competitions. are held just so that as many beauties as possible have a chance to express themselves.
There are, however, competitions that are far from easy to get into. Participation requires solid experience in participation, truly outstanding appearance, endurance and other talents. And let them say that everything has been bought, the most prestigious beauty contests have not lost their popularity for years.
10. Mrs. World
This international beauty pageant has been organized for married women since 1985. In 2006, the winner was Russian Sofya Arzhakovskaya, a ballet dancer and actress. The final of the next competition will take place in May 2014 in Bulgaria.
9. Mister International
Beauty pageants are not just for women. The most prestigious among men's competitions is Mr. International, which has been taking place since 2006. There were no winners among the Russians, but this year Maxim Sorochinsky from Yakutsk participated in the final of the competition.
8. Miss Granny Brazil
The main condition required for participation in the competition is the presence of grandchildren. The age of the participants, as a rule, ranges from 40 to 60 years. The competition is famous for the extremely revealing swimsuits in which the beauties perform.
7. Beauty of Russia
This competition is traditionally widely covered not only by Russian but also by foreign media. The winner of the Beauty of Russia annually represents our country at the Miss Earth competition. The age of the participants ranges from 14 to 25 years.
6. Miss National Prestige
The annual French national beauty contest has been held since 2010. The competition is a qualifying stage for the more prestigious Miss International.
5. Miss America
One of the most famous beauty contests. The first Miss America pageant took place in 1921. In 1951, winner Yolanda Betbeze refused to pose in a swimsuit, allowing the competition to become more intellectual. In 1995, the winner was deaf and mute Heather Whitestone. Many winners are active in charity work.
4. Miss International
The fourth largest international beauty pageant was first held in 1960. Traditionally, the competition takes place in Japan and China. Russian women have never won the Miss International title in the entire history of the event.
3. Miss Earth
Among international competitions, Miss Earth leads in the number of participants. For the last 6 years, the competition has been held in the Philippines. In 2012, at the Miss Earth finals, a scandal broke out involving the Russian woman Natalya Pereverzeva. In her speech to the jury, Natalya called Russia a corrupt and poor country, which, however, one cannot help but love.
2. Miss World
An annual international competition that has been held since 1951. The competition finals are broadcast on TV in more than 200 countries around the world. Because The founders of the competition are from the UK; the winner of Miss World traditionally lives in London for a year. Among the Russians, the winners of the competition were Yulia Kurochkina and Ksenia Sukhinova.
1. Miss Universe
The most prestigious beauty contest was established in 1952. Every year the competition takes place in a new country - this year it was hosted by Moscow. Among Russians, only Oksana Fedorova received the title of Miss Universe, who won the competition in 2002 and refused the crown.
The first Soviet beauty contest was the “Moscow Beauty - 88” competition, and the first “officially” recognized domestic beauty was tenth-grader Masha Kalinina.
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According to the organizers, the main goal of the competition was to show that in our country, a Soviet woman is valued not only for determination, determination and strength, but also for beauty.
Among the six finalists of the competition was twenty-year-old Oksana Fandera (pictured left), a future actress and wife of director Philip Yankovsky. Despite the sympathy of the jury members, Oksana was prevented from winning the competition by her lack of Moscow registration - Fandera came from Odessa to conquer the capital. Nevertheless, the girl became one of the winners of the competition.
Another finalist of the competition, Irina Suvorova (pictured), faced an even bigger incident - she ended up married and with a child. It was no longer possible to remove her from the competition - after all, she was one of the finalists, but it was also impossible to give her the crown of the winner. Initially, it was planned to call the competition “Miss Moscow”, so the jury did not dare to give the victory to “Mrs.”
Her last name played a cruel joke on one of the finalists, Elena Durneva. According to the memoirs of Marina Parusnikova, the organizer of the first beauty contest in the history of the USSR, the jury did not dare to proclaim Lena Durneva (pictured) the first Moscow beauty, largely because of the dissonant surname.
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The first beauty contest took place in Ancient Greece: they forgot to invite the goddess of discord Eris to the wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis (whose son later became Achilles), where the entire host of gods gathered, and the offended celestial being, wanting revenge, threw a golden apple with the inscription “To the Most Beautiful” to the feasters.
The calculation was correct - a fierce dispute broke out between Hera (the patroness of marriage), Athena (the goddess of war, wisdom, knowledge and the arts) and Aphrodite (the goddess of beauty and love) for the right to own the apple.
History of beauty contests with illustrations. They turned to Zeus, but he refused to be a judge and ordered Hermes (the god of trade, dexterity and trickery) to take the goddesses to the second son of the king of Troy, Paris, who must choose the most beautiful of the three. Each of them began to convince Paris to give the apple to her, promising the young man great rewards. Hera promised Paris power over all of Asia, and Athena promised military victories and glory. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite, who promised to reward him with the love of any woman he chooses. At the same time, she described in enthusiastic terms Helen the Beautiful, the daughter of the thunderer Zeus and Leda (daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius) and the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, and helped kidnap her. Then heroes gathered from all over Greece, who had once claimed Helen’s hand and were bound by an oath to always help the one whose wife she would become. Thus began the many years of bloody Trojan War...
By and large, beauty contests nowadays follow the same scenario.
The tribes of New Guinea may well pass for the pioneers of beauty pageants. In one of them, similar events were held for many centuries. The competition lasted a whole week. The beauties lifted weights, ran against time and distance, fought against the elements of the sea, cooked for a whole tribe, etc. The ideal was a girl with long arms, wide hips and large breasts - for the safe birth and feeding of future offspring. As a prize, she received the best groom of the tribe, but the title of the first beauty of the African tribe Yoshio did not bring much joy. The most beautiful girl was fed to the lions.
Beauty is an abstract concept. Often it included not only external criteria, but also a set of specific skills and abilities. In ancient China, it was not enough for a beauty to be miniature, with tiny legs (the foot should not exceed 19 cm), graceful arms, luxurious hair and delicate skin. She also needed to perfectly know the process of cleansing the stomach.
In Russia, the main criteria for beauty were stature, good complexion and height. In France, grace, a thin waist, and white, delicate skin were valued. In Germany they liked a woman to “have something to grab onto.” In general, there are many criteria for beauty. But for everyone to like a girl, she really must be special, as close as possible to the universal standard.
The issue of the standard was resolved for quite some time. Recognized experts on female beauty suggested starting from the calculations of Leonardo da Vinci, who carefully calculated all proportions, bringing thin ankles and delicate oval bellies to perfection. But still, they took the statue of Venus de Milo as a model. It was she who gave the world the coveted 90-60-90 (though with a height of only 161 cm!).
The first beauty contest in history was held in Belgium in the fashionable resort town of SPA on September 19, 1888. 21 contenders for the title of “beauty queen” took part in the final part, and the girls were selected based on photographs sent to the jury. According to a reporter from one of the Scandinavian newspapers who covered the results of those unusual competitions, “the competition was extremely modest. Its participants had to remain unknown to the general public, so they lived in a separate house, access to which was closed to outsiders, and they were transported to competitions in a closed carriage.” Moreover, all the men present at the competition were dressed in tailcoats, the women in long dresses. The winner was 18-year-old Creole from Guadeloupe Bertha Sucare, who received a prize of 5 thousand francs.
Belgium's initiative was taken up by other countries. The first French beauty contest took place in 1904. The organizers cut out a stencil of an ideal figure from a thin wooden sheet, and everyone could try their luck by fitting into the “standard standard”. The competition was not successful because it failed to attract wealthy sponsors. At the second competition, which happened two years later, the unknown Nicole Forisier, a singer in a small restaurant, won. Not immediately fitting into the “standard,” the girl was not at a loss and pulled off her fluffy pantaloons. After this, girls were ordered to appear at beauty pageants in tight-fitting underwear, but bikini swimsuits were still very far away.
The history of beauty pageants on the banks of the Rhine goes back more than 90 years. The first competition of German beauties took place in the summer of 1909 in the Berlin Promenade cabaret. The winner was a cigarette saleswoman from East Prussia, 19-year-old Gertrude, who received a prize - as much as 20 Reichsmarks in gold! The jury awarded her not only the title of the most beautiful girl in Germany, but also in the whole world. It was this “Miss Germany Universe” who became a pioneer in the field of advertising: her photos appeared on postcards. True, this did not save Gertrude from poverty: at the end of her life, the former beauty had to sell artificial flowers on the street in order to somehow feed herself.
In 1918, the title of the first beauty of France was won by Irene Portanou, née Batmanova, an emigrant from Russia. A scandal erupted around her name: they refused to recognize her as a Frenchwoman. Of course, the prize fund of the competition was 20,000 francs, so many were ready to compete for first place. Irina Batmanova did not receive the money, but she received a position as a fashion model at the House of Gabrielle Chanel. At that time, this profession was just emerging. Over time, beauty contests became regular suppliers of fashion models to the most famous fashion houses.
In general, beauty contests have become the “first step, a springboard” for many famous actresses. In 1919, a very young Marlene Dietrich read about the Berlin beauty contest. "It's fate!" - thought the student at the music academy, who dreamed of fame, and took a risk. If everything went well with the neck, chest and waist, then the hips did not want to meet the standard. The competition was almost won by Eva Fogg, who fit perfectly into the “wooden blocks”, but had such a scary face that I couldn’t dare call her a beauty.
This is how the idea of preliminary qualifying rounds came about, which weeded out the “obviously wrong”. Greta Garbo participated in a beauty pageant only once, in 1921, in Stockholm. She was persuaded by her drama school friend Christina Chatone. Greta considered Christina much more beautiful than herself and agreed to participate only to support her friend. But Christina was “weeded out” after the first round, and Greta took only second place because she was “somewhat pale and anemic.”
“They didn’t understand that this was precisely how I attracted their attention and favor,” Garbo recalled many years later. She learned a lesson from her success. And when she needed makeup for her role in the film “Queen Christina,” Greta put a snow-white mask on her face and drew thin but bright black eyebrows. As a result, the eyes looked like fuzzy spots, and the face turned out mysterious and unearthly. Garbo created an image of incredible fragility and insecurity. All the men were at her feet, and everyone tried to guess the secret of the mask. Young Sofia Scicolone, before becoming Sophia Loren, also participated in a variety of beauty contests. One day, the title of "Miss Naples" slipped right from under her nose. The first two rounds went wonderfully for the debutante, she scored more points, but for the third round she needed a swimsuit, which she did not have. While Sofia and her mother ran to the nearest store and chose a cheaper swimsuit, the competition came to an end. Out of breath, with disheveled hair and flushed cheeks, Sofia found herself on the podium made of boards when the jury was already leaving. The distressed girl was given an incentive prize - she was enrolled in a theater studio (which determined her fate).
The very first Miss America was chosen by a representative jury on September 8, 1921, when the premiere of American beauty pageants took place. The winner was 16-year-old Washington resident Margaret Gorman, the daughter of an Agriculture Department official. By the way, this was the worldwide debut of a half-naked body - girls appeared in public in swimsuits for the first time in history. Miss America was supposed to set an example of chastity. During the contractual “promotional” year, the winners were not allowed to appear in hot spots or at any events where alcohol was consumed. The way they looked after themselves was carefully monitored. Failure to comply with these rules was punishable by breaking contracts and taking away prizes. By the way, about prizes. Interestingly, among other awards given to the winners, there is a grant to study at a college or university in the amount of up to 50 thousand dollars. The Miss America Company is said to be the world's largest provider of scholarships for women.
Russian beauties were first chosen among emigrants: elections of “beauty queens” from among our compatriots have been held since 1927 in Paris. The first to receive this title was 19-year-old Kira Sklyarova. In 1929, a jury created by the editorial office of the Parisian magazine Illustrated Russia developed the terms of the competition. The election of the “Russian beauty” was welcomed by Ivan Bunin, Konstantin Korovin, Alexander Kuprin, Sergei Rachmaninov, Fyodor Chaliapin. By the way, in 1931, the title of “Miss Russia” was received by the daughter of the great singer, Marina.
At some point it became clear that spontaneous competitions needed to be streamlined. And in 1947, the International Committee for the Selection of Miss Europe was born. The idea was simple: all countries could delegate their own beauty, chosen at a national competition, to compete at the European level. At the same time, they developed basic selection rules that allowed for discrepancies with the standards of Venus. The main criteria were correct proportional forms and naturalness. Girls were allowed only light makeup. Hair coloring and plastic surgery were not allowed. Naturally, scandals immediately began to arise on the basis of “naturalness.”
For example, in Holland, jury members once thought that the light ash hair of the main contender Oolef Habaar did not look very natural. Heated by the argument, the girl tore off all her clothes and showed off the natural color of her hair. Some of the spectators were indescribably delighted, while others felt insulted. Wallets full of money, vegetables, umbrellas, etc. were thrown at the girl. Law enforcement officers had to be urgently called. Oolef not only did not become Miss Holland, but also went to prison “for causing an insult with her entire appearance.” She didn’t sit there long, only 6 hours. It took that long for one of the jury members to post bail for her and propose marriage. So every cloud has a silver lining. And since then, special security has become mandatory at beauty contests. The next scandal occurred in France, in the city of Pyle. There, the finalist was caught having... silicone breasts! The secret was revealed by the surgeon himself, who implanted the silicone (in retaliation for refusing to marry him). The jury took a strict view of the deception. The beauty was disqualified for life, prohibiting her from participating in any competitions, and the doctor was sued for violating medical ethics.
The history of beauty pageants took on a new dimension and popularity with the advent of the “golden age” of TV. The Miss America pageant was first broadcast live in 1954. The broadcast broke all records: it was watched by 39% of TV viewers - more than 27 million people.
The first international beauty contest, Miss World, was held in 1951 in London: 30 contenders who appeared on stage in bikini swimsuits, which were not yet known in England at that time, created a sensation. The victory in the Miss World competition went to the hot Swede Kiki Haakonson, along with 1000 pounds.
In the USSR, the first beauty contest took place in 1988. The organization of the Miss Moscow-88 show was carried out by the Komsomol, but the sponsor was the Burda concern, whose magazines were just beginning to enter the Russian market. Tens of thousands of Muscovites came to the qualifying round. The victory was won by 16-year-old Masha Kalinina, who, after graduating from school, immigrated to the United States. The most “stellar” year for Russian beauties was 2002, when Svetlana Koroleva became Miss Europe, and 24-year-old Oksana Fedorova won the title of Miss Universe 2002. A 24-year-old graduate student at the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was able to beat 74 of the most beautiful girls in the world.
Throughout the history of beauty contests, society's attitude towards this event has not been clear. In the 1970s and 80s, a protest movement rose in waves in the West against the exploitation of female beauty for the purpose of profiting business tycoons. The negative attitude towards beauty contests is also facilitated by the scandals that flare up around these shows every now and then. Even the first German beauty, Gertrude, was accused of winning “through connections.” In 1972, a scandal erupted around the Miss World competition. It turned out that the representative jury is a fiction, and the fate of the crown is solely decided by the organizer of this spectacle, Eric Morley. Not long ago, the Miss Universe elections were accompanied by speculation about whether one of the participants changed her gender and, if so, what to do about it.
In 1996, Miss Europe came to Albania. The beauty contest in this country is considered almost a national holiday. On the day of the coronation of "Miss" the streets of Tirana were empty: the townspeople clung to their TV screens. By the way, for the first time in the history of such competitions, voting results among Internet users were broadcast during a live television broadcast. The title was won by Englishwoman Claire Mary Harrison.
A year later, the competition was again held in the former country of socialism - Ukraine. But almost a quarter of the applicants refused to participate, explaining this by uncertainty about personal safety, disgusting living conditions and terrible food. Western newspapers were full of headlines like “Beauties and Ukrainian Beasts,” and articles said that “...girl models from Northern Europe were forced to dance in a night casino.”
But, despite criticism and scandals, every year the most beautiful girl is chosen in almost all countries and on all continents.
In 1908, thousands of spectators gathered at the racecourse in the English city of Folkestone to see the stunning spectacle of the most beautiful girls from England, Ireland, Austria, France and the USA parading in evening dresses and swimsuits.
It is logical that the first place and the crown of the first beauty went to a local resident. 18 year old Nellie German When asked to say something for her fans, she barely uttered, stuttering with excitement: “My most ardent desire is peace in the whole world. And I also want a pig for my dad.” It sounded nice and spontaneous, the girl was applauded.
A year later, the city authorities again held the same competition. And this time the event became truly significant: it was covered by the press of many countries, and the whole world followed the development of the competition.
And on April 15, 1951, the first ever Miss World competition was held in London. This became the reason for the new status of the capital of England: it was now called the world capital of beauty. 30 girls from different countries took part in the event. At some stage they appeared in bikini swimsuits, which were just coming into fashion. This created a real sensation among enthusiastic spectators.
Robert Forsyth – the “father” of beauty pageants
In the form in which we know beauty contests now, they were created by Robert Forsyth- manager of the pier of the English city of Folkestone. He was the first to catch new trends in society, realized that a different time had come, and decided: it’s time!
In 1908, this man announced an international beauty contest at the city hippodrome and invited everyone to take part. There were 6 contestants. The best was chosen by the audience, who received special coupons to fill out (this is how they voted for their favorites). And therefore the competition turned out to be perhaps the most democratic in history.
However, even under such conditions there were scandals. One of the journalists published his article in the newspaper that the Englishwoman won unfairly, because, they say, local spectators voted for “their own”, which means that foreigners had no chance of winning.
In addition, a wave of indignation was caused by several stern feminists who sat in the front row of the racetrack and demanded that women be judged only by women. In their opinion, such competitions humiliate the dignity of girls, especially if men choose the most beautiful.
Be that as it may, the winner of the world's first beauty contest received fame and the main prize - an excellent piano, which at the beginning of the twentieth century every girl from a good family could play. And thanks to the initiative of Robert Forsythe, such competitions quickly became popular, and today they are more like bright, spectacular carnivals than a modest fashion show in front of an audience of several embarrassed girls 110 years ago.
How the cunning Barnum convinced prudes to show off their beauty
Of course, 1908 is called the year of the first beauty contest only conditionally. In fact, beauties have been evaluated at competitions before. Another thing is that everything happened completely differently.
In 1850, a famous showman of the time Phineas Barnum held an “exhibition of curiosities” in New York: viewers could admire the most beautiful creatures of nature, from flowers and decorative dogs to small children.
Five years later, thousands of onlookers gathered for a children's beauty contest. Barnum was going to organize the same competition for girls, but was unable to convince the ladies brought up in strictness to put themselves on display, like prize horses or thoroughbred poodles. Even the prize offered by Barnum - a precious tiara decorated with diamonds - did not help.
Yet Barnum would not have been a legendary showman if he had not figured out a way to circumvent Puritan morality and force women to demonstrate their beauty. He invited them to participate not in person, but with the help of photographs, which were then placed at the exhibition.
Ten finalists had to decorate the Parisian “International Magazine of Women's Beauty” with their photographs. That is, the event received the status of a cultural event, standing several steps above vulgar mass entertainment. And the women could not resist.
Photography competitions
Another 30 years have passed. A beauty contest was organized in Belgium - again through photographs. There were 350 participants in total, of which 21 girls reached the finals. They were assessed not only by photographs, but also “live”, however, not by the general public, but by a small jury consisting of competent men in tails.
Ladies living in secluded conditions were transported to the venue of the fashion show in closed carriages. In a word, everything was covered with a veil of mystery. An 18-year-old Creole was named the most beautiful Bertha Sucare. She was awarded the main prize - 5 thousand francs.
I must say that the women liked the idea with the photographs. She allowed both to maintain decorum and to satisfy her ambitions. In general, in the 19th century, it was difficult for women to let go of their desires and do something unexpected. According to society, their whole life should have taken place between family and charitable ladies' committees. Even those women who allowed themselves to travel were not approved: they had to stay at home, period!
So the ladies who decided to show themselves (even in photographs) to the general public showed serious courage, challenging strict society.
However, society gradually changed. The laws of capitalism came to the fore. To attract as many entrepreneurs as possible, the authorities of small towns began holding beauty contests, publishing photographs in local newspapers. The winner was declared the “Queen of the Fair” of a particular town.
Ambitious girls warmly responded to the offer to participate in such an event. In St. Louis, for example, in 1905, 40,000 photographs were submitted to the competition! All this made the annual fairs incredibly popular.
Were divorced women allowed to participate, how did the requirements for applicants change, why did the jury displease Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, and how did the fates of the first Soviet “Miss” turn out? - Bird In Flight recalled the history of beauty contests.
The idea of beauty contests arose at the dawn of human history: similar shows were held in Ancient Greece, Ancient China, and even in the Ottoman Empire (in the format of choosing the most beautiful wife in a harem). But the first close to modern competition took place in 1888 in Belgium, in the resort town of Spa.
Secret beauty
The competition was announced in the newspapers in advance; applicants were required to send a photo with a short story about themselves. There were few applicants: the organizers received only 350 applications, of which the judges selected 21. The finalists were evaluated live by a jury consisting exclusively of men.
The competition was quite modest by modern standards. A reporter from one of the newspapers reported that all the men present at the review were dressed in tailcoats, and the finalists themselves were in long dresses. According to the conditions, the participants did not have the right to appear to the general public: they lived in a specially rented and carefully guarded house, and they were transported to the shows in closed carriages. The winner was 18-year-old Creole from Guadeloupe Bertha Sucare. She received a cash bonus of 5,000 francs (two and a half worker's annual salary); However, they haven’t yet thought of crowning the main beauty. The further fate of the winner is unknown.
The winner received a cash prize equal to two and a half worker's annual salary.
Not immediately, but gradually the idea was picked up by other countries. So, in the summer of 1909, the first beauty contest was held in Berlin, on the stage of the Promenade cabaret. The victory, along with a prize of 20 gold marks, went to 19-year-old Gertrude (history has not preserved her last name), a cigarette saleswoman originally from East Prussia. Ten years later, young Marlene Dietrich tried to participate in the Berlin competition, but was unsuccessful: her hips did not meet the standard, which was literally tough - the applicants were measured using special wooden blocks.
Interestingly, another future film star, Greta Garbo, participated in a similar competition in Stockholm in 1921. And she took only second place: the jury found her face “too pale and anemic.”
Chastity in a swimsuit
The first Miss America pageant was held in Atlantic City in 1921, and it was there that the idea was first voiced that a beauty queen should have not only physical attractiveness, but also intelligence, elegance, chastity and integrity. This is confirmed by the set of prizes, which, among other things, included a grant for studying at a university or college of the finalists’ choice. In addition, over the next year, the winner was prohibited from even appearing in hot spots or establishments where they drink alcohol: this requirement was stated in the contract. But chastity is chastity, namely “Miss America - 1921” became the first competition in history where the finalists appeared on stage in swimsuits. The winner was 16-year-old Margaret Gorman, the daughter of an Agriculture Department official from Washington; the main prize was a gold figurine of a mermaid worth $1,500.
Since then, Miss America, with rare exceptions, has been held annually. It is interesting to look at the statistics of the competition by state: the leaders in the number of beauties (six winners each) were bohemian California and - suddenly - “rural” Ohio, followed by Pennsylvania (five), Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan and Mississippi (four each), then Texas, Minnesota, Colorado, Kansas and New York (three each).
For a year, the winner was prohibited from appearing in establishments where alcohol was consumed.
In the first years, girls were evaluated according to strictly defined external criteria, almost like at a horse fair: face (maximum 15 points for structure and 10 for attractiveness), eyes, chest, legs, arms, hands separately (10 points each), hair, lips , nose (5 points each) and grace (10 points). In the mid-40s, more complex criteria were added: proficiency in speech, timbre of voice, level of general culture, presence of special talents, ability to dress, health, character traits. At first there were no age limits, but in 1938 the age of participants was limited to 18-28 years, and later the upper limit was lowered to 25. Over time, new restrictions appeared: married and divorced women were not allowed to participate in the competition, as well as those who had children or had abortions. In 1954, Miss America was broadcast live for the first time, bringing the pageant to a new level of popularity. He was followed by 39% of TV viewers (27 million people!).
From Miss Europe to Miss Universe
The first pan-European show of beauties was held in Paris in 1929 at the suggestion of the Paris-Midi newspaper. 18 countries took part (including Russia, which was represented by white emigrants who settled in Paris); According to the conditions, only girls of European appearance could be applicants. The first competition was won by the representative of Hungary, Erzsebet Boeschke Shimon, who married wealthy businessman Paul Brommer the following year.
If the first competitions were held without clear criteria, then in 1947 a special international committee was established to select the Miss Europe finalists. He developed rules, the main one of which was naturalness: plastic surgery or even hair coloring was prohibited. Many funny things happened on this basis. So, when the jury doubted the naturalness of the light-ash hair of one of the contenders, the girl tore off her clothes to prove that her hair color was the real thing. If only these judges knew that half a century later the problem of naturalness would reach a new level: instead of applicants with dyed hair and silicone breasts, the jury would have to deal with beauties who had once changed their gender.
When the jury doubted the naturalness of one of the contenders' light-ash hair, the girl tore off her clothes to prove that her hair color was real.
The first Miss World competition was held in London in 1951 and caused a scandal. During one of the stages, the girls appeared on stage in bikinis, which at that time was considered unheard of debauchery (bikinis were invented several years ago, but had not yet entered into mass use). The winner, Swede Kerstin Håkansson, “finished off” the Puritan public by wearing a swimsuit even to the coronation, after which the Pope himself condemned her for shamelessness. Along with the crown, the girl was given an expensive necklace and 1,000 pounds.
The idea of international competitions was picked up by America, where already in the summer of 1952 they held a similar show - “Miss Universe”. 30 participants fought for the right to be called the first beauty of the Universe; 18-year-old Armi Kuusela from Finland took first place. Like many Misses, the competition gave her, first of all, a chance for a successful marriage: less than a year later, she married a wealthy Filipino businessman, with whom she gave birth to five children.
In the USSR, the first beauty contest was held at the height of perestroika, in 1988; The sponsor was the Burda concern, which had just entered the Soviet market. The line of those wishing to pass the selection stretched for several kilometers: according to the recollections of one of the organizers, “there were not only young women standing, but also mothers with children, with husbands, with some kind of string bags.” “Who sang, who danced, who read poetry, who talked about themselves - in general, “Come on, girls!”, Who was very good at what,” one of the finalists said about the casting. – Clothes were collected by friends, each contestant came in her own outfit. Only at the finals did sponsors dress us.”
The final was held on a grand scale at the Luzhniki Sports Palace; 36 participants were evaluated by a jury led by Muslim Magomayev. In addition to the beauty of the participants, their wit was taken into account: during one of the tests, the girls answered questions from the satirist Mikhail Zadornov. The inexperience of the organizers led to several incidents at once. So, just before the award ceremony, it turned out that the main contender for victory, the future film star Oksana Fandera, did not have a Moscow residence permit (in the end she was awarded only second place). Another of the six finalists, Irina Suvorova, was found to have a husband and child, which also contradicted the terms of the competition. The third, Elena Durneva, was eliminated because of her dissonant surname. As a result, the winner was a tenth-grader with the “correct” name Masha Kalinina, who was awarded a crown, a crystal vase, a Cartier watch and a Temp TV set. As soon as she graduated from school, Masha emigrated to the United States, where, according to rumors, even the famous lover of beauties, Donald Trump, sought her favor. She still lives in Los Angeles, goes by the name Mariah Kaylin and teaches yoga.
“Some sang, some danced, some read poetry, some talked about themselves - in general, “Come on, girls!”, some were very excited.”
A year later, the first all-Union competition “Miss USSR - 89” took place. The jury consisted entirely of stars: Irina Skobtseva, Muslim Magomaev, Ilya Glazunov, Ekaterina Maksimova; the presenters were Leonid Yakubovich and Alexander Maslyakov. Participation gave the girls a start in life: the finalists, mostly schoolgirls, instantly became celebrities on an all-Union scale. “The competition changed my life,” one of the participants, Marina Maiko, later said. – Before that, I lived in provincial Tiraspol and was going to become a primary school teacher. And after the competition I got into the cinema, where I met my future husband (Dmitry Kharatyan - Ed.).”
17-year-old Yulia Sukhanova was declared the winner. After the victory, Yulia also left for the USA: she was offered a job by a modeling agency. “I arrived with pomp, on the same plane with the Yeltsins - it was his first visit to the USA,” Yulia said many years later. – It turned out to be in great demand: it seemed that they were looking at me like an alien creature. The police were on duty around my house around the clock, I was invited to talk shows, and taken to press conferences.” Now Julia is engaged in business - she heads a company that produces “mountain” air generators. She says if she had a daughter, she wouldn’t let her go to a beauty contest.
At the same time, according to the recollections of the producer of “Miss USSR - 89” Yuri Kushnerev, the competition did not bring direct benefits: “Neither I nor my colleagues received a penny. The three finalists had to sign a contract in order for representatives of our country to take part in the Miss World competition. But no one knew how to compose it. They found some unprofessional lawyers who illiterately drew up a contract with which the girls were not allowed to participate in Miss World.”
Perhaps the main secret of the popularity of beauty contests is that they provide a legal basis for our tendency to evaluate others by external signs, which in a modern tolerant society is usually ashamed of. Therefore, despite the numerous controversies and scandals surrounding these competitions, they, apparently, will not disappear anywhere in the foreseeable future.
