Elmira Abdrazakova
Elmira Abdrazakova | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 7, 1994 Zhelezin District, Kazakhstan |
| Occupation(s) | Model, beauty queen |
| Known for | Miss Russia 2013 |
Elmira Rafailovna Abdrazakova (; born 7 October 1994 in Zhelezin District) is a Russian model and beauty queen who earned the title of Miss Russia 2013. She went on to represent Russia in both the Miss Universe 2013 and Miss World 2013 competitions.
Personal life
Abdrazakova was born to a Tatar father, Rafail Abdrazakov, and a Russian mother, Olga Pshenichnikova, and grew up in Mezhdurechensk, Kemerovo Oblast. In December 2018, she played a role in organizing the inaugural Miss Central African Republic pageant in collaboration with the Wagner Group.
Miss Russia 2013
On 2 March 2013, Abdrazakova was crowned Miss Russia during the 21st annual event held at the Concert Hall Barvikha Luxury Village in Moscow. Measuring 1.75 m (5 ft. 9 ins.) in height, she was appointed as Russia’s official delegate for both the Miss Universe and Miss World contests. The finale was broadcast on NTV on 8 March 2013.
After securing the crown, Abdrazakova encountered racial hostility related to her Tatar background, which compelled her to deactivate her social media profiles due to ongoing harassment.
Miss World 2013
Elmira participated as Russia’s representative at the Miss World 2013 pageant held in Bali, Indonesia on 9 September 2013, though she did not advance to the Top 20 finalists.
Miss Universe 2013
She subsequently represented her country at the Miss Universe 2013 competition hosted in Moscow, Russia.
Public reaction to the victory
Her triumph triggered substantial negative responses across social media platforms. During a press briefing, Abdrazakova disclosed receiving thousands of messages criticizing her looks and ethnic origin. Upon examining her social media accounts, she was taken aback by the volume of disparaging remarks. The widespread circulation of satirical posts led her to temporarily remove her profile from the social network VKontakte, which she later reinstated.
External links
- Miss Russia Official Website
- The real life Cinderella: Russian Angelina Jolie
- "'A Gypsy Woman Cannot Be the Face of Russia'" by Alsu Kurmasheva, The Atlantic magazine, 6 March 2013