While President Volodymyr Zelensky has been hailed a hero amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there’s another public figure who’s also winning international praise for her bravery.
Anastasia Lenna, Ukraine’s 2015 representative in the Miss Grand International beauty contest, has gained almost 200,000 new Instagram followers since reports over the weekend that she had taken up arms against Russia.
Lenna, 25, garnered global attention after she shared a message to social media Saturday declaring that “everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed!”
A photo of herself brandishing an airsoft gun also went viral.
New fans quickly clamored to learn more about the Kyiv-born brunette whose Instagram account is full of photos showing her in skimpy swimsuits and glamorous gowns.
According to her Miss Grand International profile, Lenna speaks five languages and has worked as a translator.
The brainy beauty graduated with a degree in marketing and management from Slavistik University in Kyiv, before pursuing public relations work.
However, the stunner said she longed for more excitement in her life, stating: “I worked in Turkey as a PR manager, and I got so bored. I asked myself, ‘Will my life be so boring all the time?’ “
The intrepid Ukrainian decided to quit her career and pursue modeling full-time. She now travels around the world, having recently jetted to Dubai before returning to Ukraine prior to Russia’s invasion.
Lenna took to Instagram Monday, telling her hundreds of thousands of new Instagram fans that she wanted peace for all.
“I had a normal life just on Wednesday, like millions of people,” she explained in a post. “I am not military, just a woman, just a normal human. Just a person, like all people of my country.”
She explained that the images of herself holding weapons were not intended to promote violence, and that they were snaps taken while she was playing airsoft (a game similar to paintball and laser tag).
“All pictures in my profile [are] to inspire people … I don’t do any propaganda except showing our women of Ukraine — strong, confident and powerful. I appreciate all attention and support to my country, all people in Ukraine we fight every day against Russian aggression.”
Lenna said Ukranian people “have no guilt” about defending their country, but added: “Stop war in Ukraine! No people should die. We can stop all this together.
Share information about situation. Ask @nato close sky! Help us Ukrainian people to stop Russian aggression.”
With her bravery and her newfound international fame, Lenna is leading the push for peace, making this 2015 quote she gave seem all the more prophetic — “God give me this beauty for a reason.”
