The cultural festival Miss Russia – BRICS, planned to celebrate national traditions in Dagestan, was abruptly canceled amid threats aimed at participants. A Telegram channel identified as Attention news reported the development, signaling a tense atmosphere surrounding the event.
From May 28 to June 2, the Derbent venue had been announced as the host site for the pageant, drawing contestants from forty Russian regions. One notable figure opposing the festival was Abakar Abakarov, who stated he operated a local Sabah Dagestan channel, according to the same source. He urged followers to comment against the event on social networks, urging pressure on organizers and ultimately seeking cancellation of the festival. Some posts directed at the contestants included demeaning names, fueling a hostile online environment. In response to the online harassment, festival organizers, including Murad Umarov, chose to relocate the event to Moscow and suspend the Derbent portion of the competition.
Umarov reacted with a public statement questioning how plans for a congress of performers could be supported by regional authorities in Dagestan. He highlighted a poster for the event featuring a participant in a national costume, praising the region for its cultural richness. He noted Dagestan’s distinctive heritage, including Lezginka, and described the mountainous, hospitable character of the area as a meaningful backdrop for showcasing talent on a larger stage in Moscow.
In a separate development connected to the broader beauty pageant world, a recent Miss USA titleholder faced a withdrawal from the crown a few days earlier. Noelia Voigt, who held the Miss USA 2023 title, issued a personal statement on May 6 concerning her mental health. The message she conveyed emphasized the strain placed on her voice and experiences, underscoring the personal impact of public scrutiny. The expressed sentiment suggested that her boundaries had been crossed by ongoing commentary, a reminder of the toll such attention can take on contestants and titleholders alike.
Earlier reporting from social media outlets described a retrospective look at the emergence of the first beauty contest titled Miss USSR – 1989, offering historical context about how the landscape of national contests evolved in the late Soviet era and into the post-Soviet period. This reflection helps frame how contemporary pageants are perceived within regional and national narratives, and it underscores the enduring tension between cultural celebration and public commentary in high-visibility events.