It’s officially OK to wrap yourself in Russian flag. If you’re a pageant winner

The District Attorney’s Office in Sverdlovsk region investigated the publication of photos featuring Sophia Nikitchuk, the winner of the 2015 “Miss Russia” beauty pageant, wrapped up in a Russian flag. The inspection did not yield any violations of the law.

[photo]

Photographs of Sophia Nikitchuk wrapped up in the Russian flag were published in the May issue of the magazine Stolnik. The issue was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Soviet victory in World War II. In early May, it was reported that someone had been offended by the photo series and filed a complaint to the authorities. In late May, authorities began an inspection regarding the publication.

Igor Usenko, the photographer who took the pictures for the magazine, said that Nikitchuk was wearing a dress featuring the colors of the Russian flag and used a flag as the background, and thus she was not actually wrapped up in a flag. Another version of the magazine cover was made in which Nikitchuk is wearing a red dress.

The oversight procedures conducted by the District Attorney’s Office in Yekaterinburg sent the materials to Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin for inspection for violations of the law on national flag use. The inspection did not yield any violations or reasons to prosecute.