Yulia Sukhanova, 17, a stately blond schoolgirl from Moscow, won the first-ever Miss USSR beauty contest Sunday in an American-style pageant that included a swimsuit competition.
The contest culminated two years of regional competition in beauty contests, which have become the national rage in an era of "glasnost," or openness. Pageants have been staged even in the smallest kolkhozes, or state farms, sparking a kind of enthusiasm normally reserved for soccer games.Sukhanova was selected over 34 other contestants in the Soviet Union's first nationwide beauty contest, broadcast live on television Sunday night.
She not only won the hearts of the judges but also the nationwide television audience, according to a telephone survey conducted during the final round. The high school student told interviewers her favorite subject was ecology but she also is keen on aerobics and prefers an extravagant style in fashion.
The contestants, whose gowns kept slipping off their shoulders and had to be continuously yanked backed into place, paraded in front of the judges to a medley of tunes in a U.S.-style contest that included an acting segment and a bathing suit competition.