Russian Miss Earth contestant condemns her country in extraordinary outburst at international beauty contest

A Russian beauty pageant contestant sparked controversy by launching a scathing broadside at her home nation during a competition, calling it a ‘beggar’.

(L-R) Contestants Aisha Valy of Reunion Island, Natalia Pereverzeva, and Sara Pender of Scotland pose at the Miss Earth beauty pageant in Manila. Entrants are expected to be ecologically aware

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.’

Natalia, pictured before the news conference dedicated to her participation in the Miss Earth 2012 contest. More than 90% of Russians polled agreed with her comments

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.’

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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.

@MailOnline

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