'Miss Hitler' beauty pageant removed from Russia social network site

A competition on Russia's leading social network reportedly encouraged contestants to wear Nazi regalia and praise Hitler.

VKontakte is Russia's largest social network
Image: VKontakte is Russia's largest social network
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A "Miss Hitler" online beauty pageant has been blocked in Russia following an outcry over its glorification of the genocidal leader, according to reports.

The competition, which appeared on a page on Russian social network VKontakte, asked young female contestants to post pictures of themselves in Nazi regalia, making Nazi salutes or expressing devotion to Hitler.

According to a report in the Times, the contest aimed to "promote Hitlerian culture; encourage interaction between the Hitlerian community; clear the image of Hitlerian culture; show beauty of Hitlerian culture".

The page, which was hosted by the Russian equivalent of Facebook, is believed to have attracted thousands of views before it was removed following a complaint by an Israeli watchdog.

The Times reported that government agency Roskomnadzor replaced the page with a message reading: "This community has been blocked because of calls to violence".

Women put themselves forward for the competition under names including Miss Edelweiss and Miss Marta, writing in praise of the Nazi dictator and including antisemitic rants in their entries.

A similar competition in 2014 was criticised by the Anti-Defamation League, which noted that the contest required entrants to be a "woman who hates Jews" and encouraged them to "post a sexy Nazi pic".

"For us, the fact that the contest took place is a reminder of the importance of continuing education about the lessons of the Holocaust and the legacy of antisemitism in Russia," ADL national director Abraham H Foxman said.