Overcoming barriers and uniting worlds: “Nevskaya Krasa” is accepting applications
From Yugra to Belgorod, from Finland to Kenya – all are welcomed. This Autumn, Saint-Petersburg is preparing to host the finalists of the V international contest “Nevskaya Krasa” (Beauty of the Neva”) which is held among women on wheelchairs who will come to the Northern Capital from different regions of Russia, different countries, even from different continents.
“Nevskaya Krasa” is a contest of beauty, talent and individuality founded by Saint-Petersburg social human rights organization “On a wheel-chair without barriers” for representatives of the fair sex on wheelchairs. First time the contest was held in 2016, its participants were residents of Saint-Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. In 2017, the contest hosted girls from other cities, and in 2018 and 2019, “Nevskaya Krasa” hosted the finalists not only from Russia, but also from Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and Finland.
the organizers told what the anniversary contest will be like
“Nevskaya Krasa” is more than a usual beauty contest, and that’s why it is so popular. It is not just evaluation of attractive appearance, talent and skills of the girls, but also an opportunity to tell you about challenging way of overcoming different barriers with which a person on a wheelchair faces. And each participant goes this way with dignity.
Natalya Scherbakova, an actress of theater and cinema, a long-standing juror and participant of organizational committee of “Nevskaya Krasa” in 2020, remarks: “Objective of the contest in general is to help girls be proud of themselves, and to encourage their loved ones to be proud of them. To change consciousness of girls and women on wheelchairs who go through challenging way of rehabilitation in the most difficult circumstances. We don’t want a wheelchair to be a limiter both of physical abilities, and consciousness.”
Ex-president of organization committee of the contest, Nadezhda Tsirkunova: “We’ve been holding this contest for several years without a break, because such events give the girls confidence, development and wings behind.
Anna Michailova, a stylist and hair-dresser of international class, has been working with the contest participants for a few years. “We connect the world of usual people and the world of people with disabilities, and a team of stylists, people with golden hearts who care about beauty, who are ready to give a part of their mastery, works for us so that our girls felt that they are beautiful.”
The organizational committee is accepting applications, then the contestants will have a qualifying round and two home works. The official website of the contest: https://vk.com/nevskaiakrasa
Traditionally, Saint-Petersburg is preparing a very eventful program for the finalists: photo-sessions with professional photographers and stylists and visagists, workshops on acting technique, consultations with stylists, as well as business meetings and excursions.
The final will take place on September 11th in historical park – “Russia is my history.”
The photos were provided by the organizational committee of “Nevskaya Krasa”
Translated by Anna Fomina