You're reading: Ukrainian wins Queen of Beauty Universe 2015 contest

A Ukrainian student and model, Karina Sokrut, 22, has won an international beauty pageant, beating out her competitors to take the title of Queen of Beauty Universe 2015.

After her victory in Malaga, Spain on March 19, Sokrut shared her joy with
an emotional post on her Vkontakte social networking page. “It
happened! I have become the Queen of Beauty Universe and proved that
Ukrainian girls are the most beautiful,” she wrote on March 20. “My
happiness has no limits! Thanks to everybody who believed in me and
supported me.”

Sokrut
had competed against participants from 21 countries in the contest.
In addition to the prestigious title, she got a silver crown and
3,000 euros as a prize.

Sokrut
used the contest to draw the world’s attention to the ongoing crisis
in Ukraine. “As part of the charity projects for the beauty
contest, I will direct the attention of the global community to the
most important topic for all Ukrainians – the undeclared war in the
east of Ukraine. I hope that my message will be heard and
understood,” Sokrut said in an interview with the Mykolayiv online
magazine NikLife on March 20.

The
beauty tournament saw the contestants compete in national costumes,
swimsuits and evening gowns.

For the
national costume demonstration, Sokrut opted for a folk-style white
dress with embroidered cuffs and chest by Ukrainian designer Oksana
Polonets. With ribbons in her hair in Ukraine’s national colors,
Sokrut’s authentic image was complete.

The
beauty queen wore dresses made by Halyna Krasnova, a Mykolayiv
designer of wedding and evening gowns, for the cat walk and final
award ceremony.

Sorkut
was chosen to represent Ukraine in the International Beauty Universe
Contest 2015 after becoming a favorite of a national casting
organized by the Mykolayiv modeling agency Glianec, where she
currently works. Oleksandra Volkova, the director of the Glianec
agency, told the Kyiv Post that she learned about the competition
only in January. “We sent 100 photos of our models and the contest
organizers chose Sokrut,” Volkova said, adding that her agency
provided financial assistance to the young disciple. “Karina
started training with our fitness trainer as soon as she found out
that she would be a beauty competition participant,” the director
said.

Sokrut
worked as a model at the Glianec agency for the past four years.
Volkova describes her as “professional” and “hard-working.”
Sorkut also recently worked in India as a model for two months,
according to Volkova.

Apart
from her modeling career, the beauty queen is enrolled at the
Mykolayiv Shipbuilding Admiral Makarov National University. This
year, she is expected to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in
economics.

A girl
of all trades, Sorkut will also be involved in charity work for the
whole year, Volkova said. Sokrut even donated her prize money from
the contest to the Spanish Red Cross organization.

Spain’s
beauty pageant contender has become Vice Miss in the contest, and the
second Vice Miss was awarded to a representative of Russia.

The
Queen of Beauty Universe 2015 was held for the first time this year.

Kyiv
Post staff writer Nataliya Trach can be reached at [email protected]