Candidates from over 80 countries compete for the title of the most beautiful woman in the world at the competition hosted by New Orleans, Louisiana.
The final gala of the 71st edition of Miss Universe is scheduled for Saturday, January 14, after midnight in Romania.
On Friday, in the first stage of the parade in original costumes, the most watched were Miss Ukraine and Miss Russia.
Ukrainian, like Archangel Michael
Viktoria Apanasenko embodied Archangel Michael, the leader of the angels who defeats evil as a “warrior of light.”
Her costume consisted of a dress with white gold inserts, towering wings in shades of blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian national flag, and the sword of justice.
Apanasenko made no secret that the outfit was inspired by the war in Ukraine. “I chose a warrior because it shows how Ukrainians are fighting right now for the future, for their freedom, for their independence, for every inch of land of our country and for our history,” the model explained on Instagram.
Her costume was made in Ukraine “in four months, in extreme conditions, to the sound of sirens, without electricity and by candlelight,” Viktoria explained. Her hometown of Chernihiv was bombed during the war.
The Russian woman, in the role of tsarina
Russian Anna Linnikova, 22, chose an outfit to represent the Russian Empire. The young woman appeared in a dress embroidered with Swarovski crystals and a red velvet cape, in the style of the Romanov era.
The outfit was inspired by Alexandra Romanova, Tsarina of Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia.
The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg created the costume especially for Linnikova.
According to Ukrainian media, Apanasenko simply ran away from Linnikova during the group photo.
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