This contest caused a lot of noise.
27 years ago the first all-Union beauty contest “Miss USSR-1989”, participants of which were 35 girls-winners of city, regional and regional competitions. At that time, and for organizers, and for models it was the first experience of events of this scale, and nobody had a clear idea about how things should be done. During happened many curiosities.
The winner of Ekaterina Mescheryakova, Yulia Sukhanova and Anna Gorbunova
The first in the Soviet Union was the contest “Moscow beauty-1988”, and after a year decided to hold a similar event in the all-Union scale. The contest was held from 19 to 21 may in the concert hall “Russia”. To participate allowed even the school girls of 16-17 years. The girls answered at the now standard questions about the cherished dream and were dressed in bathing suits – then this stage of the competition was called “Demonstration of beach ensembles”.
*Demonstration of beach ensembles*
The winner was 17-year-old Moscow schoolgirl Yulia Sukhanova, second place went to Anna Gorbunova from Zelenograd, third – Catherine meshcheriakova from Perm. For Yulia this was not the first contest a year ago, she participated in the first Soviet beauty contest “Moscow beauty-1988”.
The winner of the contest Miss of the USSR-1989* Julia Sukhanova |
Contestants in the concert hall *Russia*
As such activities were a novelty for Soviet television, during the organization of the happened a lot of incidents and difficulties. Komsomol Central Committee opposed the idea of a beauty contest. Producer Yuri Kushnerev recalls: “I was summoned to the Central Committee of the party, interrogating – and what am I going to do there? No using party organs, we did not have, but it is not needed by and large. We did everything on a whim, trying to borrow from modeling agencies. To these three major we turned – they taught us how to select candidates who to weed out (right out in the qualifying rounds full of fools – really did not want to disgrace in front of foreigners)”.
*Miss Supermodel* Echo Urbsalu from Estonia
To the competition the producer had to negotiate with the bandits: “the Only time we get a little from them has not suffered, is when they are drunk came to the boarding house to the girls. Wanted to entertain with them: “Where are the women delivered?”. Good that the candidates were guarded by the police. They are quickly removed,” admits Kushnerev.
Contestants
*Miss Kinases* Anna Portnaya
Then the Soviet audience first heard about the model parameters. Yulia Sukhanova is to meet them: growth – 172 cm, weight – 55 kg, volume – 91-59-90. Participants were evaluated by the audience and members of the jury: Irina Skobtseva, Leonid Yakubovich and Ekaterina Maximova.
Vice-miss Ekaterina Mescheryakova and miss USSR, Julia Sukhanova 1989
Yulia Sukhanova with singer sting
Yulia Sukhanova after the victory went to the USA and began her career as a model. She later went into business, and now heads the company that produces generators “mountain” air. Years later, Julia says: “I never thought of myself as beautiful. Since childhood was more friends with boys loved to jump-run. And then my sister learned that in Gorky Park being recruited girls to participate in the contest… Remember, I didn’t want to go, even cried. And preparing for the competition without much hope. And after the victory I went to the States, where the model Agency offered me a job. Started with advertising yogurt and ice cream, then signed contracts with American and Parisian agencies. The first time was very hard. Any gesture, and especially any defect was seen under a magnifying glass… there Were many reasons for tears.”
Miss USSR, Yulia Sukhanova 1989 worked as a model in the United States
Many girls after participating in a beauty contest successfully held their fate. “Miss Kinases” Anna Portnaya has not waited the promised training at VGIK, but became a model and now works as an image maker. Elena Silina, on which the participants were from Volgograd, became a model and married a wealthy Frenchman. Second Vice-miss Ekaterina Mescheryakova as a prize got a ticket to Paris. There she signed a contract with a modeling Agency, and even became the face of fragrance from Nina Ricci “L’air du Temps”. Today she is more famous abroad than at home.
The winner of the contest Miss of the USSR-1989* Julia Sukhanova
