Oxana Fedorova (Oksana Fyodorova, Оксана Федорова in Russian) (born December 17, 1977) is a Russian woman who became the first Miss Russia to win the Miss Universe contest. She began in the entertainment business as a model and became Miss St. Petersburg in 1999 and Miss Russia in 2001, but declined to go to the Miss Universe 2001 pageant (where her runner-up Oxana Kalandyrets was a semifinalist). Fedorova, a native of Pskov, Russia also held a job as a policewoman in Russia before contesting at the 2002 Miss Universe contest, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After winning, she was showered with honors, awards and presents. Noted Russian doll designer Helen Yarmak even dedicated a doll to her.
Controversy soon loomed ahead for the Russian Miss Universe winner, however. She was rumored to be pregnant, news which made the headlines. Oxana denied the rumors and stated that she voluntarily gave up her crown for personal reasons, mainly because she wanted to finish her law degree. Officially, she was dethroned for failing to perform the numerous duties expected of a Miss Universe titleholder.
It was Panama's Justine Pasek, her first runner-up, who became the new Miss Universe, and, at the same time, becoming her country's first Miss Universe. Fedorova also became the first Miss Universe who officially did not finish her reign (although Amparo Muñoz of Spain was "unofficially" dethroned in 1974). Fedorova scored 9.88 in the swimsuit competition, the highest score ever during the swimsuit events in the history of Miss Universe Pageant.
Although the Miss Universe organization refuses to recognize Fedorova as a former Miss Universe, she is generally regarded as one by the public.
Fedorova, however, has become very successful in Russia since the end of her reign. In addition to continuing her police (she is now a police Major) and college professor careers and obtaining a Ph.D. in Civil Law, she has become active in politics, as a candidate for the Russian Party of Life in the December 2003 Party List parliament elections and the March 2005 Voronezh regional elections. She is also an advocate for Russian youth causes and became a co-chairman of the Russian youth movement, Energy of Life, as well as a representative of UNICEF in her country. Oxana has also achieved great success in the entertainment and television fields. She has hosted the number one children's television show, Spokoinoi Nochi, Malyshi ("Good Night, Kids") since December 2002, and the reality television show Fort Boyard-Russian version in 2003 and 2004. Also, since September 2004, Oxana has hosted the new television show, Subbotnik. 2006 marked Oxana's acting debut. In March, she appeared in the top-rated Russian television sitcom "If You Are Not Born Beautiful," and in September, her first film "Sofia" was released.
The Miss Russia organization has been embroiled in several controversies: after its original delegate to Miss Universe 2003 won the Miss Europe title, a series of replacements were appointed. Among them was an underage contestant and a former Playboy model, both of whom were disqualified by the Miss Universe Organization. Olesya Bondarenko, the first runner-up to Miss Russia that year, finally traveled to Panama where she did not place, prompting the Russian national directors to charge fraud. This series of events, combined with Russian charges that due to Oxana Fedorova their delegates would forever be at a disadvantage at the Miss Universe contest, prompted the Miss Universe Organization to strip the Russian license from the pageant and grant it to the Rambler organization. Since 2004, the new Miss Universe Russia group has held an online vote to determine the national representatives from Russia to Miss Universe.
