The First Miss USSR Pageant In 1988 (20 Photos)

It was the first ever official, government-approved beauty contest in the Soviet Union.

According to English Russia:

In the times of Mikhail Gorbachev many things started to change in the country. That period might be called a period of imitation...The first beauty contest in the USSR became a sensation. Abroad the event called “Moscow beauty” was even called as loud as the flight of Gagarin into space.
Perestroika let any woman of the country who considered herself to be beautiful come and show herself. The casting took place in Gorky Park, the line was about two km long! Many women were accompanied by children and husbands, many of them were holding string bags. Those girls who were patient enough to stand in the line for some hours filled in forms.

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Woman at right has a nice muscular, proletariat back.

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Big Hair also made the trip across the Atlantic from New Jersey.

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"NO FOOD, ONLY WATER!"

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Lenin does NOT approve.

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Beautiful.

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The winner was Maria Kalinina.

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She was welcomed all the over the globe by world leaders. Later she moved to Hollywood, but failed as an actress. Today she is called Maria Kalin, and teaches Kundalini yoga in her own LA studio.