Miss Universe Ukraine Welcomes Anna Filimonova as New National Director 

Miss Universe Ukraine (Miss Uлraine Universe) Organization Head, Oleksandra Ruffin has sold the rights of the Miss Universe Ukraine pageant to Anna Filimonova. The news was officially confirmed by the Miss Universe Ukraine Organization on their official website. Oleksandra Ruffin, who produced six commendable placements at Miss Universe in a short span of ten years, has passed on the rights of conducting Miss Universe Ukraine pageant to the new license holder, Anna Filimonova.

The new organization of Miss Universe Ukraine is a foreign-owned international company. Ukraine has been competing at Miss Universe annually since 2006. At Miss Universe 2006, Inna Tsymbaliuk became one of the Top 20 semi-finalists. In another consecutive year, at Miss Universe 2007, Liudmyla Bikmullina became one of the Top 16 semi-finalists.

Three years later at Miss Universe 2010, Ukraine cracked the Top 5 finalist spot for the very first time, winning the third runner up title in the courtesy of Anna Poslavska. In another successive year at Miss Universe 2011, Ukraine grabbed the highest placement at Miss Universe through Olesia Stafanko, who bagged the first runner up title.

Thereafter, Olga Storozhenko placed as Top 10 finalist at Miss Universe 2013 and subsequently the latest placement of Ukraine at Miss Universe came in 2014 through Diana Harkusha who became the second runner up at Miss Universe 2014.

Over the issue, the erstwhile National Director of Miss Ukraine Universe, Oleksandra Ruffin expressed: “When I created the “Miss Ukraine Universe” Pageant, I had to invest many efforts to make this contest the best in the country, and the brand recognizable and prestigious at international scale. We have achieved excellent results at “Miss Universe”, what I am very proud of. I am grateful to the whole team involved in these results and to all our winners for our cooperation! Time zips along, and there are new priorities and goals in my life related with new business projects. I wish prosperity to the “Miss Ukraine Universe” Organization”.

Do you think the change in the franchise and National Director of Ukraine will affect the results of Ukraine at Miss Universe 2016?