Oxana Fedorova
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Oxana Fedorova (Оксана Федорова in Russian) (born 1977) is a Russian woman who became the first Miss Russia to win the Miss Universe contest. She began in the entertainment business as a model and became Miss St. Petersburg in 1999 and Miss Russia in 2001, but declined to go to the Miss Universe 2001 pageant (where her runner-up Oxana Kalandyrets was a semifinalist).
Fedorova, a native of Pskov, Russia also held a job as a policewoman in Russia before contesting at the 2002 Miss Universe contest, held in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. After winning, she was showered with honors, awards and presents. Noted Russian doll designer Helen Yarmark even dedicated a doll to her.
Controversy soon loomed ahead for the Russian Miss Universe winner, however. She was rumored to date a Russian mafia boss and to be pregnant, news which made the headlines. Oxana denied the rumors and stated that she voluntarily gave up her crown for personal reasons. Officially, she was dethroned for failing to perform the numerous duties expected of a Miss Universe titleholder.
In an official video on the Miss Universe website, pageant co-owner Donald Trump shed light on the issue of Fedorova:
We had one problem. We had a Miss Russia. Totally beautiful but was a disaster. I actually said 'You're fired.' She was the most spoiled human being I've ever met and she was lazy, other than that she was the most beautiful woman I've ever met...And the one who took her place did a great job, Justine...(from Panama) Justine did a great job.
It was Panama's Justine Pasek, her first runner up, who became the new Miss Universe, and, at the same time, becoming her country's first Miss Universe. Fedorova also became the first Miss Universe who officially did not finish her reign (although Amparo Munoz of Spain was also dethroned in 1974).
Although the Miss Universe organization refuses to recognize Fedorova as a former Miss Universe, she is generally regarded as one by the public.
Fedorova has become very successful in Russia since the end of her reign. In addition to continuing her police and college professor careers and obtaining a Ph.D. in Civil Law, she has become active in politics, as a candidate for the Russian Party of Life in the December 2003 Party List parliament elections and the March 2005 Voronezh regional elections. She is also an advocate for Russian youth causes and became a co-chairman of the Russian youth movement, Energy of Life. Oxana has also achieved great success in the entertainment and television fields. She has hosted the number one children's television show, Spokoinoi Nochi, Malyshi since December 2002, and the reality television show Fort Boyard-Russian version in 2003 and 2004. Also, beginning in September 2004, Oxana will host the new television show, Subbotnik.
External links
- Miss Universe official website (http://www.missuniverse.com/missuniverse/yearinlife.html)