Costume fight at the Miss Universe pageant: In this year’s beauty pageant, the candidates from Ukraine and Russia represented their cultures with their dresses.
The symbols chosen by the two competitors couldn’t be more different.
Miss Ukraine as Archangel Michael
Miss Russia, Anna Linnikova (22), chose an outfit that she believes should represent the Russian Empire. The young woman appeared in a skimpy dress studded with precious stones and a blood red velvet cape.
A crown completed her appearance. The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg had made the costume especially for Linnikova.
Miss Ukraine, Viktoriia Apanasenko (28), on the other hand, embodied Archangel Michael, who in Christian stories defeats evil as a “warrior of light”. Her costume consisted of a white gold dress paired with towering blue and yellow wings. Her facial expression and gait conveyed the image of a warrior.
Residence bombed by Russians
Apanasenko made no secret of the fact that the costume was inspired by the war in Ukraine. “I chose a warrior because it shows how Ukrainians are now fighting for the future, for their freedom, for their independence, for every inch of our country and for our history,” the model explains on Instagram.
Her costume was made in Ukraine “in four months under extreme conditions, with the sound of sirens, without electricity and by candlelight,” the graduate of a leading Kiev university said ahead of the competition. Her hometown of Chernihiv had been bombed by the Russians during the war.
Both Linnikova and Apanasenko still have a chance to win the title of Miss Universe 2023. Who wins the competition will be decided on Saturday.