Moscow's influx of foreign beauties came to an end on Saturday at Crocus City Hall with the finals of the Miss Universe 2013 pageant crowning Miss Venezuela Maria Gabriela Isler as champion . Before the event though, the 86 beauty queens vying for the title participated in a host of cultural, publicity, and pre-pageant activities.
Here's a small recap of the beauty queens' time in Moscow.
Miss Thailand arrives at the Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre. Contestants have been in Moscow since as early as Oct. 20. (Miss Universe)
Miss Italy and Miss Greece at a pageant pre-party held at the Soho Rooms club. (Soho Rooms / Instagram)
Miss Russia, Elmira Abdrazakova, and Miss Ecuador, Constanza Baez, got to speak with Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa about the topic of World Aids Day at the President Hotel. (Miss Universe)
Miss Russia speaks to The Moscow Times' Lena Smirnova after the semi-final. (Natalie Tsvirko / For MT)
Miss Great Britain Amy Willerton posing for a new hairdo at the CHI hair show at Atrium Mall on Oct. 27. (Miss Universe)
No trip to Moscow is complete without the customary photo on Red Square, and the contestants were happy to oblige. (Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters)
Miss Ukraine and Miss Ecuador getting prepped for a photo shoot for Italian label Yamamay in which they modeled the Miss Universe Collection, a swimwear line. (Miss Universe)
Miss Russia Elmira Abdrazakova walks in the evening gown competition held prior to the main event. (Natalie Tsvirko / For MT)
Miss Ecuador paints a matryoshka doll at Fashion Day held at Crocus City Mall on Oct. 27. (Miss Universe)
Miss Czech Republic Gabriela Kratochvílova, and Miss Canada Riza Santos attended a Kontinental Hockey League game between Atlant Moscow and Lev Prague, where they got to drop the first puck. (Miss Universe)
The competition for best national costume was held at Vegas Mall, and Miss Nicaragua Nastassja Bolivar walked away with the U.S. $5,000 prize. (Miss Universe)
Miss Poland Paulina Krupinska, one of the favorites to win the pageant, snaps a backstage photo of her getting ready before the semi-final. (Paulina Krupinska / Facebook)
The contestants posing for a group photo after the evening gown competition. (Natalie Tsvirko / For MT)
Read more about the pageant and the contestant's activities in Moscow here and here.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
