Miss Bulgaria 2015 Marina Voykova won recently the international beauty contest Miss Planet 2016 in a competition with 40 beautiful girls from different countries. I am extremely happy to announce that Miss Planet 2016 title went to Bulgaria. I am the happiest person on the planet, Marina said after the contest held in Georgia. Miss Planet is among the most-prestigious international beauty contests. It was established twenty five years ago in the USA. Its main purpose is to show the cultural, historic and tourist attractions in the host country. Marina Voykova presented a modern version of a traditional Bulgarian costume from the Shoppe region (Central West Bulgaria). Both the jury and the audience were highly impressed with her costume. The beautiful Bulgarian woman presented briefly the history, culture and nature of her motherland. She also sang on the talents night. Marina admits that she had not expected to win that contest, because she is a perfectionist and always demands more from herself. Here is what Marina told Radio Bulgaria about her emotions during the contest and after:

“I was feeling very proud, because I knew that I would be presenting Bulgaria at that contest as well. The talks we had during rehearsals were the most-pleasant part of the contest, because we had no spare time. Each contestant was telling stories about her own country. I was curious to learn how people live in Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines and Malaysia. They took me to a different world and the atmosphere was fantastic. The culture and traditions of those countries are extremely interesting. My biggest prize was the fact that I made many new friends. I have always been trying to be useful. Currently I am taking part at a mentorship program Parti-colored House with the Bulgarian Red Cross. I study Bulgarian philology and teach young people from that project Bulgarian language. I have no spare time at all. I am following the rule that people should work without sparing efforts for their future while they are still young.”

What inspires and motivates the most one of the world's most beautiful women?

“Doing Good inspires me the most. I am a positive person, but I often meet negative people. I am happy when I see even a single happy person a day. I am happy when I manage to complete all things on my To Do list. Kindness, rather than beauty shall save the world”, Marina further says.

When Marina Voykova returned to Bulgaria after the beauty contest she took part as volunteer in a series of projects in the field of medical tourism. Meanwhile, she continues with her university studies. She does not expect to stay in the world of fashion for long, because in her view it is quite transient, especially in Bulgaria. Marina is planning to have a nice and peaceful rest in a few months in her favorite Rhodope Mountains.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov