Beautiful Russian women at
Beauty Contest "Miss Gomel - 2002"

On the 17th of May in Gomel the competition "Miss Gomel 2002" was held. It was a great event in the life both of Gomel and the Gomel region. It was a great pleasure for our agency to appear as one of the sponsors of this holiday of beauty. 20 of the most charming ladies of Gomel aged 14-24 participated in this competition. One of these ladies was the member of our agency. Her name is Alina Koloskova. We have recently met Alina and she told us about the competition in her own words. She shares her worries and feelings before and after the competition. Some secrets behind the slips, that are always hidden from a stranger. Today we have a chance to get to know all this straight from her.

The idea to participate in the competition "Miss Gomel 2002" came to Alina very suddenly. One day, while walking along the street in our city, she met a friend of hers. Her friend had already decided to become a participant in this event. Alina immediately decided that she wanted to enter the contest herself. In 1998 she had entered a similar contest. Her parents agreed with Alina's decisions, as well as her friends and acquaintances. She felt that with this support, she could do quite well.

According to Alina's words the process of making a choice of the participants was very interesting for Alina because she should be better than the other girls.

On the 27th of February the agency "Gratsia", that was responsible for choosing the participants, arranged the final run-through of the ladies. Out of many the applicants, 20 final contestants were chosen. Alina was one of them. The ladies were examined by the agency specialists and they were given certain tasks. Most of them were told to lose some centimeters in these or those parts of their bodies. The girls were told that disregarding the agency demands may cause them to be removed from the competition. Alina had to loose three centimeters in hips and waist. She did it easily. She lost 7 cm in waist and 5 cm in hips. To achieve these results she was doing shaping, jogging and when it got warmer riding a bike for the months that remained before the competition.

So as to look well during the competition the girls were having three lessons a week at the agency starting from the 28th of February till the 3d of May. They were rehearsing all the details. After the 3d of May the lessons were held every day from 1 p.m. till 10 p.m. including holidays, weekdays and days off. According to Alina's words it was a very tough time. In addition to the daily rehearsal, they also had consultations with cosmetologists and hairdressers. They helped the girls to find their own style.

The main rehearsal was held on the 16th of May, and everything should have looked the same as during the competition itself. The atmosphere was very tense. The girls were worrying and nervous. The rehearsal was held in an empty hall but there was the feeling that an audience was present. The stage was already fully prepared and all the action didn't look like the previous ones. The portals that were hiding the sight of what was happening on the stage, were already placed as well. Before that the girls used to see the other participants' entries, but now they had to orient themselves on the music only. That was the main difficulty. The other difficulty was that they had to walk and move gracefully with high-heeled shoes on. On the rehearsals they used to wear more comfortable shoes. The tense atmosphere didn't influence Alina, it only made her concentrate. Alina was one of the oldest participants that is why she tried to calm down the other girls, and to clear the air. This day the girls were rehearsing in the agency till 11 p.m. After that they gathered at one girl's house to have a party and to relax a little.

And at last the 17th of May came! They woke up at 8 a.m. Then the visit to a hairdresser so as to have the base of the haircut done. When I asked her what she was thinking about during the visit to the hairdresser's, Alina said very simply: " The ache in my back caused by all curlers in my hair."

And only at 11 a.m. when she came back home from the hairdresser's she felt the first waves of anxiety. Her mother was worrying too but tried to support her. While at home she made adjusted her cosmetics. Then at 1 p.m. there was another visit to the hairdresser's to have the rest of the haircut done. And after that, the make-up.

At 3 p.m. all the girls arrived to the agency. Alina came with her mom and the hairdresser. Every participant was busy with herself. At 4.40 p.m. all of them were gathered together. That was the moment when everybody felt that the whole event was going to start. Everyone was overfilled with excitement. Behind the slips something crazy was going on: the participants' frenzy, everyone's nervousness, the stage director's remarks, and crowds of sponsors with flowers and gifts. When the energy reached it's top limit, someone opened a bottle of champagne and the girls drank it on good luck. It helped to relax just for some moments, but when they heard the first sounds of music that was opening the show, everything returned back. The girls, hardly breathing with excitement, stood in a queue at numbers. The designers were busy with the last corrections before the entry.

The show-group "Cocktail" was opening the show. When they finished the girls' turn was. And here was the first entry at last!

The first entry consisted of two parts. The participants were divided into two groups of 10. First went the one group, then the second. Every girl should appear on the stage twice. The first entry was one by one, when every participant should walk along the whole stage alone and disappear behind the stage. Then they would all appear together. But something unexpected happened: Alina went behind the curtain to went to look for her second dress. She completely forgot about the second part of the contest, , as they call it "the whole view". She already took off her first dress and didn't put on the second one yet when suddenly she heard her friend's voice: "Alina, the whole view!" Running to the stage she managed to button her dress and went to the stage. The whole audience noticed nothing.

Alina said that during her first entry she noticed practically all her friends and acquaintances in the hall. They were smiling and applauding to her. And it helped her much. "When the audience is supporting you, you feel a great burst of positive emotions and feel like smiling. Everything should be natural, especially your smile."- said Alina.

Then there were other entries, the shows of the other groups that were participating in the competition.

Now everyone was preparing for swim suit compettion. Many of the ladies are afraid of this section of the contest, and it the part that the audience loves most. Behind the curtains, there was much activity. The guard was standing near the door not allowing any strangers to come in. The stage director was giving the final remarks, and he was very nervous. The girls were changing and not looking at the photographers who were walking back and forth.

And so the entry in the bathing suits. It is the most pleasant moment and the most favorite part of the competition for Alina. When I asked her why, she said: "Joyful song "Lady Marmalade" from the movie "Moulen Rouge", high mood, support of the audience, and the opportunity to show yourself in this part is higher than in the other ones."

Next was the talent competition. After it the audience felt that they saw not only the demonstration of the swimming suits, but a show of some "sexy girls" dressed in stockings, corsets as it was in the movie "Moulen Rouge", but it now way should have looked vulgar – that was the best part of it. In this part there are no any certain postures and motions. You should move as you wish. Besides the entry in the bathing suits is the most decisive for the jury and the audience. That is where you should be at your best.

After the entry in the bathing suits there was a break. During the break the jury struck a balance, trying to choose the winners in different entries. Some girls were very agitated and one of them was even crying. During the break the participants were changing and fixing their hair. The next entry was in the wedding dresses. It was not decisive at all because the jury had already come to the conclusion. But it was the most beautiful part and all the participants loved it very much.

During the break I met Alina. I wished her good luck and said that we were all supporting her. And we took a picture.

The music started to play and the girls appeared on the stage. The audiences started to shout and to cheer. The hall was filled with applause and enthusiastic shouts. The girls dressed in the wedding dresses were wonderful! The audience was delighted! The participants walked along the stage and after a short break appeared there again for the award ceremonies.

Alina's opinion about the whole process of awarding: "From the participant's point of view the moment of awarding is the least interesting one. Everything is already decided. It is interesting only for the audience, but not for the participants. By the ceremony of awarding I was terribly tired that is why while standing on the stage I was thinking that in 30 minutes I would take off that heavy wedding dress and will have a party with my friends, that would last for the whole night. And at last, for the first time during the whole month I would have a chance to have dinner after 7 p.m., to drink a glass of champagne and to relax."

I asked Alina: "What did you wait for?" And she said: "Only to become Miss Gomel. Not less. I already got an experience in this kind of competitions in 1998. I took into the consideration all the mistakes of the previous competition and did my best to win, but the jury had another opinion. Well, it was their right."

Here there are some other questions about the competition, and on my mind they are interesting.

Me: "What do the girls think while walking along the stage?"
Alina: " While walking along the stage the only thought the girls have is not to fall down. This is the most terrible thing."

Me: "How did you feel during the competition?"
Alina: "I was feeling free and convivial during the competition."

Me: "What does this competition mean to you?"
Alina: "The competition is the opportunity to feel the moment of being on the stage, of being watched and to hear the applause."

Me: "What is your opinion about the level of this competitions this year?"
Alina: "I think the organization, the direction and the stage direction were all fine, but the most important thing is that the girls where very beautiful."

Me: "Was your life changed after the competition?"
Alina: No, the only exception is that after the reportage in the news program on TV many acquaintances called me and told a lot of nice words."

Me: "Why did you participate in this competition?"
Alina: "I now have something to tell to my children and my grandchildren. And it will be very interesting for me to remember the whole event, to see the pictures and the video in the future."

Unveiling of the show.

A little bit art and high fashion is always a good addition to the show.

Director of Model Agency "Cratsia" Viacheslav Mruk.

Lap of honour. Miss Gomel and vice Miss Gomel.

Competition of wedding dresses.

Even more wedding dresses.

Miss Gomel Masha Petrovskaya before rewarding.

Director of Ryerose Agency Alexey Ivanov presents winner of competition "The smallest model" Olga Moroz with diploma and valuable present from our agency.

The last photo of participants of the competition for a good memory.