Severodvinsk beauty contestant weighs reinvestment after criticism
Yana Kreneva, a resident of Severodvinsk, returned from an international beauty contest with a new title. The final of «You Are Unique» took place in the United Arab Emirates. The 35-year-old from Severodvinsk competed for the queen title alongside representatives from seven countries.
Yana is the first participant from the Arkhangelsk region to go to the international stage of the «You Are Unique» contest. Competing for the crown is a hobby and a form of therapy for her. She first stepped onto the beauty contest stage six years ago and won the title «Miss Charisma.» At that time, this experience helped her cope with a difficult period in her personal life and go through a divorce. She started feeling better, and her life began to improve.
Offstage, Yana is a happy wife, mother of two sons, and a multiple beauty contest winner. She previously worked as a ship electrician and is now moving into another field that she keeps secret. Over six years of participating in beauty contests, she has won many titles, but along with the crowns, Yana faced a wave of criticism. The young mother has two sons: 4-year-old Andrei and 11-year-old Matvei, with the older child having an autism spectrum disorder.
«I»m often criticized for supposedly not taking care of my children and instead going to beauty contests. God forbid they ever know what it«s like to have a child with a disability. I wouldn»t wish that on my worst enemy, because it«s very painful and hard to live with. If I go to a contest, it means I need to. And it doesn»t mean that my children are sitting at home hungry and cold,« Yana explains.
The queen overcomes all doubts and criticism and moves towards new heights. After winning the all-Russian beauty contest «You Are Unique» in the plus size category, Yana went to the world level. She competed for the title with participants of different ages and body types.
«It turned out that the plus size category, in which I always performed, was disbanded,» Yana says. «And I ended up in the Miss category—with young, thin, beautiful girls. I»m a beautiful girl too, but, let«s say, a curvy woman. This surprise didn»t break me; I wasn«t scared of anything.»
Yana is sure that appearance is subjective, and everyone has the right to perceive others in their own way. For the mother of two sons, it«s important to love herself, even if other people don»t accept it. At the world contest, the Severodvinsk woman did not make it into the top three winners but received a special title «Northern Queen 2025.»
«Everyone tells me: »Yana, you didn«t win the title, you won»t stop!« I don»t think that far ahead; I have other plans for now. Right now, I«ll focus on myself, and I»m not ready to invest in contests yet. The investments required are big,« Yana explains.
For participation, all beauties pay an organizational fee—175,000 rubles (approximately $1,800 at current rates). Yana explains that this amount includes everything: from the flight to the costumes. She started preparing for the catwalk at home: rehearsing walks and getting herself in shape. And she invested additionally in her contest preparation.
«Everyone thinks that I»m like, «Oh, I»m sitting on money.« No, of course not. I took out a loan that I»ll be paying back. I«m from a simple family, an ordinary family, my husband is a military man, he doesn»t earn that much anyway. So I managed as best I could. It«s okay, I work myself, do something, save up. In any case, such a trip costs a lot.»
Although Yana did not become a finalist in the international contest, the title she received allows her to feel like a winner, highlighting her inner strength and self-confidence.
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