Miss Russia Kseniya Sukhinova has won the Miss World 2008 crown in a glittering pageant at Johannesburg."And Miss World 2008 is Russia," announced Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event.
An international jury decided the winner.
Trindad and Tobago's Gabrielle Walcott was second runner-up while India's Parvathay Omanakuttan was first runner-up, from among 109 contestants.
Hailing from Nizhnevartovsk in the north west of Siberia, Sukhinova was dressed in a purple gown, with a decorative neckline and flowing skirt.
She is a student pursuing an engineering degree from the Tyumen Oil and Gas University.
Sukhinova becomes the second Miss Russia to win the global event after Julia Kourochkina in 1992.
Johannesburg sought to use the event to boost its image as a world class city, despite being known for its high crime rates, while the country also hopes to benefit from the publicity ahead of staging the football World Cup in 2010.
Beauties from 109 countries were whittled down to 15 semi-finalists with India, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Angola and South Africa among the five finalists.
The winner of the event, broadcast live to millions of viewers in 187 countries, has to espouse "beauty with a purpose" with charity being one of the main focuses of the pageant.
The 51-year-old competition was originally scheduled for October 4 in Kiev, but was delayed in September over security concerns due to the conflict between Russia and Georgia.
