One Day in the Life of... Miss Gulag?

Russia may have seen a terrific rise in crime since the breakup of the Soviet Union, but a women's prison in Siberia has been making the most of it. For almost 20 years now, prison UF-91/9 has held an annual beauty contest in which inmates compete for a tiara and the title of "Miss Spring."

Maria Yatskova, director of a documentary film about the prison and its pageants, describes the event:

The prison decided to invent its own rules with three categories - "Greek Goddesses", "Flower Gowns", and "Imaginary Uniforms", which lets inmates design their ideal prison uniforms of the future. Many women have never heard of the Greek myths or exotic flowers they portray onstage, but they learn from books provided by the staff… Several guards and unit chiefs judge the contestants on their appearance and creativity, crowning the winner with a tiara "Miss Spring" and two runners-up "Miss Charm" and "Miss Grace." News crews even broadcast the event on local TV."

In her film, aptly entited Miss Gulag, Yatskova tells the story of three inmate-contestants. Through their words, Yatskova explores the hardship and struggles of women from post-Soviet Russia's first generation, who were caught up in the side effects of Russia's market transition.

Miss Gulag premiered last year and has been appearing in festivals from Milan to Maine ever since. Check out the trailer here: