'My country is a beggar': Russian model in staggering outburst as she competes to be crowned Miss Earth
Natalia Pereverzeva sparks furious debate after blasting modern Russia
24-year-old calls her nation a 'beggar'
But she says she loves her country and believes in its future
A
Russian beauty pageant contestant sparked controversy by launching a
scathing broadside at her home nation during a competition, calling it a
'beggar'.
Astonishing Natalia Pereverzeva was competing in the
Miss Earth competition, an event similar to Miss Universe and other
pageants but with a twist - competitors are expected to be both gorgeous
and environmentally aware.
When Natalia, 24 was asked a
question about what makes her proud of her country, she initially used
glowing, if slightly odd, words about her homeland, according to Radio
Free Europe.
She said: 'My Russia, it is bright, warm, patched,
but it is so pleasant to slumber under it on a winter evening when the
storm rages outside.
'My Russia, it is a kind cow with very big
eyes, funny horns and always chewing its mouth oh, what sweet milk she
gives! Oh, how it smells -- meadow herbs and the sun.'
But then she suddenly and angrily rails against widespread corruption in the troubled nation.
'But
my Russia -- it is also my poor, long-suffering country, mercilessly
torn to pieces by greedy, dishonest, unbelieving people,' she said.
'My Russia, it is a great artery, from which the 'chosen' few people draining away its wealth. My Russia is a beggar.
'My
Russia cannot help her elderly and orphans. From it, bleeding, like
from a sinking ship, engineers, doctors, teachers are fleeing, because
they have nothing to live on.
'My Russia -- it is a winner which
has overthrown fascism but bought the victory at the expense of lives of
millions of people. How, tell me, how and why does nationalism prosper
in this country?
'My dear, poor Russia.'
But she also
spoke of her hope for the future and made an passionate call for her
countrymen to turn from superfluous consumerist wants and help the
country 'blossom'.
'Only we can improve the situation. We must learn to express ourselves and to show our best quality traits.
'We
should try not to live only as consumers, but to develop ourselves,
read books, listen to interesting music and be interested in scientific
achievements.
'When we seriously begin to take care of our country, it will blossom and shine brightly.'
Natalia's verbal assault caused much debate in Russia, with newspaper columnists arguing for and against her standpoint.
However,
her remarks appear to have resonated with the Russian public. More than
90 percent of the thousands who voted in an online poll on a newspaper
website said they agreed with her.
Natalia was Miss Moscow in 2010 and she won a Russia-wide beauty contest last year.
Paraguay: Egni Eckert (Top 25)
Cayman Islands: Lindsay Japal
Curaçao: Monifa Jansen
Belgium: Laura Beyne
Netherlands: Nathalie den Dekker (Top 15)
Russia: Elizaveta Golovanova
Lebanon: Rina Chibany (TBA)
Namibia: Tsakana Nkandi (TBA)
Gabon : Channa Divouvi
Mauritius : Ameeksha Dilchand (Miss Friendship)
Argentina: Camila Solórzano
Vietnam: Diem Huong ( Top 14)
Hungary: Agnes Konkoly (Top 20)
Canada: Sahar Biniaz (2nd Runner-up)
Montenegro: Andrea Radonjic
Costa Rica: Nazareth Cascante (Winner)
Haiti: Jacques Christela (TBA)
Dominican Republic: Dulcita Lieggi (as Caribbean)
Bolivia: Yéssica Mouton (1st Runner-up)
Uruguay: Camila Vezzoso
Botswana: Sheillah Molelekwa
Egypt
Kazakhstan: Aynur Toleuova
Portugal
Slovenia:
The main national pageant organizers "Delo Revije", a magazine company,
lost the franchise license due to company's bankruptcy filed in 2011.[89]
Turks & Caicos
U.S. Virgin Islands
Cyprus: Ntaniella Kefala was replaced by Ioánna Giannakoú the 2nd runner-up of Star Cyprus 2012 for undisclosed reasons.
Estonia: Kätlin Valdmets was replaced by Natalie Korneitsik, the 1st runner-up of Eesti Miss Estonia 2012 pageant due to Katlin not being able to travel to participate.[91]
France: Delphine Wespiser was replaced by Marie Payet, the 2nd runner up of Miss France 2012 due to Delphine being unable to attend both the pageant and Miss France 2013.[92]
India: Urvashi Rautela was replaced by Shilpa Singh,
the 1st runner-up of I Am She 2012 and originally scheduled to compete
at Miss Globe International 2013 pageant due to Urvashi further
acknowledges and agrees that she did not confirm the minimum age
criteria as required under the I am She pageant as well as the Miss
Universe pageant.[94]
New Zealand: Avianca Böhm was replaced by Talia Bennett the 1st runner-up of Miss Universe New Zealand 2012, after her New Zealand citizenship application was denied.[59]
