Miss Russia has claimed she was ‘shunned’ by the other contestants in the Miss Universe pageant.
In an interview with Evening Moscow Miss Russia Anna Linnikova blamed her failure to progress to the competition’s last 16 on political interference, and said she was subjected to ‘negative comments from long-time acquaintances from Ukraine’.
‘Many others avoided me and shunned me simply by learning about my origins,’ she told the publication. ‘The girls from Ukraine and Switzerland simply ran from me like fire!’
Appearing not to acknowledge her country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Linnikova said it was a ‘pity’ that her Ukrainian counterpart Viktoria Apanasenko didn’t want to speak to her.
During one particularly awkward moment captured on camera, Linnikova tried to stand next to Apanasenko during a line-up at the event, prompting Miss Ukraine to ask some of her fellow contestants to switch places with her.
Linnikova said: ‘I tried to make contact, but all efforts were in vain. Everyone saw Viktoria’s demonstrative behaviour- this is her choice, and I do not hold a grudge.’
Apasenko meanwhile hit back at the claims made by Miss Russia and told the Daily Beast that she spent the morning of the finale watching the aftermath of a Russian missile attack which hit the city of Dnipro and killed 41 civilians.
The United Nations estimates upwards of 7,000 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine 11 months ago.
‘I am more than grateful to Miss Universe for their support, but I am not sure the organisers understood what it felt like for me to be standing and smiling on the same stage with Miss Russia who was wearing a red dress, the colour of blood,’ she told the outlet.
She said it was ‘absurd’ that Linnikova was able to take to the stage wearing a costume called ‘Crown of the Russian Empire’ while she had been forced to hide in a basement to take shelter from missile attacks just weeks before the pageant.
‘Until the very last moment I hoped that Miss Russia would come up to me and say sorry, but she only came up to me to get a selfie for what I think were propaganda purposes,’ she said.
‘Miss Russia did not say a word about the war. People told me it would be dangerous for her.’
Neither Miss Ukraine nor Miss Russia made it through to the final round, although Apasenko was awarded the ‘Spirit of Carnival’ accolade.
The worst part of the ordeal though, according to Apasenko, is that organisers refused to gice her a microphone for even 30 seconds.
‘I hoped so much I would have a chance to speak about the war. It was terribly painful,’ she said.
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