Amidst the ongoing turmoil between Russia and Ukraine, the Putin-led nation seems determined to enhance its international reputation. In its latest attempt to do so, Russia has introduced a fresh beauty pageant called Mrs. Russia, hoping to redefine its global image. Recently, the winner of this pageant was announced, and the crown was bestowed upon 34-year-old Matalya Oskar from the scenic Russian city of Khabarovsk. However, instead of celebrating her victory, people are now mocking the beauty queen over her allegedly doctored photos.
Doubts have arisen regarding how Matalya Oskar secured her victory in the Mrs. Russia contest, with critics questioning whether she was the only contestant to enter the competition. Interestingly, it has come to light that Oskar is married to 45-year-old Roman Bezmaternykh, a Russian billionaire who deals in building materials and also happens to own a company that served as a major sponsor for the Mrs. Russia beauty pageant.
A renowned Russian Telegram channel named Topor raised the issue, stating, “The public is engaged in a fervent discussion about the outcome of the Mrs. Russia contest, which concluded with ambiguous results. People wondered how Natalia managed to obtain the crown of the beauty queen with her appearance. As it turns out, Natalia’s husband is the billionaire Roman Bezmaternykh, who possesses a vast business empire associated with the sale of building materials. One of Roman’s companies was a sponsor of the competition.”
It is important to distinguish between Mrs. Russia and Miss Russia, as they cater to different categories of women. Mrs. Russia is specifically designed for married women with children, while Miss Russia is aimed at unmarried individuals who may be open to the idea of marriage.
Sources have claimed that the actual name of the winner is Natalya Khudiakova, and she has a daughter named Monika, whom she shares with her billionaire spouse.
While carefully retouched photographs of the Mrs. Russia winner depict her with flawless features, a “real” photograph of the beauty queen reveals a less appealing image compared to her Instagram posts. This unflattering picture circulated widely online, shocking and appalling many individuals who couldn’t fathom why Russia would crown such a “plain” woman as the winner.
Numerous social media users, including some from Ukraine, left divisive comments about the Mrs. Russia winner, asserting that her appearance on Instagram and other social platforms does not truly reflect her actual beauty.
Critics argued that the beauty queen winner appears “completely different” in person, prompting sarcastic remarks such as, “If she’s the winner, I’m a little afraid to ask if there are photos of the runners-up,” and “Russia lies about everything, even looks.”
Responding to the public’s outcry, the organizers of Mrs. Russia attributed the unfavorable angle of the photo to its unflattering portrayal. Irina Kirsanova, the pageant’s organizer, defended the winner, stating, “She looks truly stunning in our official photos. I was taken aback by the public’s reaction. It was just a poorly captured image, from a low and unfavorable angle. In reality, she is completely different. All the members of the jury saw her and were captivated by her beauty.”
