She was walking in a spotlight in a faraway Johannesburg, while the people of Tyumen, Russia and the whole world took pride in her. She became Miss of the World on the evening of December 15, 2008. Billion viewers had their eyes glued to 109 beauties from all over the globe. And a blue-eyed blonde Ksenia Sukhinova from Russia was the Queen among them.   

From the very beginning bookmakers staked on Ksenia, 21, as a favorite of the pageant. The girl made bright appearances during all preliminary competitions of the Miss of the World 2008. For instance, she won in the nomination Top Model and ranked 3^rd in Miss Beach.  

She started her starry way in Nizhnevatorsk, the center of Western Siberian oil region, from where she comes. She grew up, surrounded by oil rigs and people talking about "black gold". Almost every dweller of the town has something to do with oil productions. That is why Ksenia didn't have many hesitations, as she was choosing her future career. Having graduated from a high school in Nizhnevatorsk, she went to Tyumen, the Siberian oil capital, and entered Tyumen State Oil & Gas University. At the moment she is doing her last year and after graduation may work as maintenance engineer for instruments, automatic equipment and process control system or as an ACS design engineer. Only 5-10% of students receiving such specialization are girls.

According to deputy principal of the university Veronica Yefremova, Ksenia gets high grades on a regular basis. The student follows an individual curriculum. After victory at Miss Russia pageant, the university granted such an opportunity for a girl, whose preparation to prestigious beauty contest takes a lot of time and requires meeting a tight living schedule.  

Her first words after crowning were: "I am very happy, I am very proud for myself and my country". Then she confessed to the journalists that she had come to Johannesburg for victory and that her chic, womanly, streaming violet dress, embroidered with crystals, in which she defiled in the final was made to fit the crown.

The O&G University means much for Ksenia. Here she met her true love on the second year. The lovers separated, as the girl says, by a stupid train of events, but are keeping amity. At the university the girl made her first steps towards recognition of her looks. The Tyumen State O&G University has a theater of fashion named "sh'Atelier", which trains beauties for the corresponding contests. Ksenia came here in 2005. Any girl having the corresponding standards of figure (Ksenia's parameters are 83-60-91 with the height of 178) may take part in castings. Specialists of the fashion theater teach the girls to beautifully walk along the podium, use the make-up, pose during photo sessions. The head of the theater Victor Garabazhy puts his credo in the following way: "We help beautiful girls to look nicer!" "sh'Atelier" holds a university contest "Miss O&G". It became the first step in a row of beautiful (both literally and figuratively) victories of Ksenia Sukhinova: "Miss Image", "Miss Tyumen", "Miss Russia", "Miss of the World":

As soon as the victory of Sukhinova was announced, her mobile phone started ringing off the hook with everybody calling and sending SMS messages to greet her. In half an hour a PR manager of the contest called from Johannesburg to the reception room of the principal Nikolai Karnaukhov and passed Ksenia's words of gratitude to teachers, students and all, who supported her. Ksenia assured that no matter, where she is staying, she remembers and loves her university!

Tyumen was looking forward to seeing Ksenia again, but only in late December the most beautiful girl of the world managed to visit her native university, decorated with photos and posters in her honor. But the principal surprise waited her ahead: Ksenia's groupmates and other university students greeted the girl on the victory, having lined up on Tsvetnoi Boulevard in a big inscription made of people. 150 people took part in the action. Right at 15:00 LT well-readable words appeared on the Boulevard: "We are Number One".  

Tyumen State O&G University commended Miss of the World 2008 right before the New Year.

While opening the press-conference senior deputy principal Vladimir Novoselov pointed out that the victory of the university student at such a prestigious contest is not accidental: "Any eventuality is a well-staged regularity. Our university provides good opportunities for development of any talent. Our Miss of the World used them and won in regional and national Russian beauty pageants. But she kept on progressing and hitched her wagon to star and won once again. I think that Ksenia's personal qualities played a big part here. Her persistence, sense of purpose and Siberian endurance most certainly contributed to the victory".

"Thanks to my dear university and fashion theater "sh'Atelier", - replied Ksenia immediately. I am very happy I have finally returned to Russia, to Siberia. I'm very grateful to all, who sincerely supported me. During those days your backing did helped me a lot".

On behalf of the deputies of Tyumen Regional Duma (Parliament) the most beautiful girl was greeted by the President of Tyumen State O&G University Yury Konev. He publicly expressed his joy of the victory of his countrywoman and pledged all-out support of the university in the future.

A fragile and charming beauty, without a slightest touch of snobbery, felt confident at the press-conference, unlike journalists of practically all regional media. They tried to present minimum of question and maximum of understanding. It was clear that unexpected glory may be not that easy. A student of TSOGU, which is now famous all over the planet, admitted that she is very straitened for time. Also, according to the terms of the contract, she can't walk in the street in jeans and jogging shoes and has to come to terms with the bodyguard and security for the crown. It turned out that she takes jokes about herself rather easy. "I accept jokes, when they are funny and clean".

According to the terms of the contract, the winner of the world beauty contest should visit about 30 countries in order to collect as much charity money as possible. And in early summer she will have to defend a diploma of the petroleum engineer.