Gladchenko wins Russian Supermodel contest

Anna Gladchenko may not have earned the nod of the audience but her portrayal of American icon Marilyn Monroe in the simulation category must have been her lucky charm.

The 18-year old university student majoring in transportation studies won the first ever Russian Far East Supermodel Pageant that stunned an estimated 300 crowd that filled the Taga Ballroom of the Saipan World Resort on Saturday night. She herself was floored when eventually declated the winner.

“I was so surprised,” Gladchenko told reporters through an interpreter minutes after she was chosen as the best among the nine finalists.

The resort’s general manager, Hong Chul Shin, put the crown on Gladchenko’s head while first lady Josie Fitial pinned the sash.

Shin and Fitial were among the six members of the board of judges chaired by Red Star Modeling Agency general manager Svetlana Oksuzyan. The others were former Saipan beauty queen Jennifer White-Aguon, S-Building Construction Company of Russia manager Igor Shmakov and Russia’s PRIMO-TV general manager Svetlana Orekjova.

Gladchenko thanked the judges, audience and the people of Saipan, adding that Saipan is beautiful and very unique.

She said she would be back next year to defend her crown.

Organizers said they will be staging the finals of the second year of the contest in 2009 here on Saipan again.

Gladchenko, who stands 178cm, won 130,000 rubles (roughly $4,700) and a roundtrip ticket to visit Saipan next year.

Two other contestants left an indelible mark with the audience.

Tamara Jukova, who was the tallest of the nine contestants at 185cm, was undoubtedly the most applauded in her impersonation of Jennifer Lopez.

She stood silent for several seconds after she heard her name called out as the first runner-up winner. She managed a smile for the audience as Mrs. Fitial pinned her sash.

Not to be outdone was Olga Chichulina, who was adjudged as the darling of the crowd.

The Madonna lookalike said she’s in shock at getting this special recognition. She won a flat screen TV.

“I’m very proud,” she said.

Rounding out the finalists were Liliya Dubenskay, who impersonated Christina Aguilera; Dasha Berdnik, the youngest at 16 and a dead ringer for Catherine Zeta Jones; Alina Sobina (who impersonated Charlie Chaplin), Luba Meteleva (impersonating one of the Pussycat Dolls), Anna Pikulenko (who portrayed Avril Lavigne), and Natalia Akimova (as Liza Minelli).

The show’s emcees were NMC student and KSPN intern Heather Calderwood and Marianas High School teacher Chris Cabrera.

The Russian delegation will leave Saipan on Oct. 17.

Oksuzyan promised that they would come back next year with a bigger and more beautiful show.

There were some hitches during the show but the veteran promoter said it is normal in a beauty pageant for such glitches and they just have to deal with it.

Orekjova said it was a wonderful show and very interesting for the people of Saipan. The most important thing she said is to know more about the Russian people.

Several contract workers from Russia were seen in the audience.

One of them said there are about 30 Russians living here.