Two lucky Russian beauties have gained worldwide internet fame by winning the coveted Miss Russian Internet (‘Miss Runet’) and the Miss Intelligence and titles. But it’s not just beauty that allowed them to beat 3,000 virtual contestants.

The online contest highlights intelligence and personality along with beauty – making it somewhat different to most pageants.

‘Miss Intelligence’

26-year-old Svetlana Mazova has a PHD in economics, a top accounting position in the energy field and now a worthy title: ‘Miss Intelligence’.

Svetlana found the Miss Runet web site by chance. She registered and posted several photos and eight months later she was chosen as the Queen of Intellect.

Svetlana's online admirers liked her sharp sense of humour and her blogs.

‘Miss Intelligence’ confesses that she’s a workaholic.

The contest spotlights not only beauty but also intellect and personality

Svetlana's boss Elena Klimashevskaya had nothing against one of her top managers competing in a beauty pageant.

“A woman has to do twice as much as a man in business, but being beautiful helps. When a woman is beautiful and smart to boot, men are spellbound, at least the majority of them,” Elena thinks.

‘Miss Runet’

Seventeen-year-old Ekaterina Savchuk from Siberia won her first beauty pageant when she was 11. She not only gained the title of Miss Runet-2007, a new car and a crown – but also new friends.

“It brought me lots of new friends and positive emotions! The contest was fun and honest,” Ekaterina said.