Lobodina: Despite the war, Ukrainian women are doing many good deeds and making the world a better place.

In September 2025, the prestigious international beauty pageant Miss Freedom of the World 2025 will take place in the Republic of Kosovo and Albania, with Lidia Lobodina representing Ukraine.

Lidia Lobodina is the winner of the titles Miss Freedom Ukraine 2025, Ms. Top Ukraine 2024, 1st Vice Miss Charity Queen of Ukraine 2023, Mrs. Top Animal Saver 2023, World Citizens Peace Ambassador and member of the National Association of Human Rights Defenders and Lawyers of Ukraine. Lidia is also a veterinarian, animal psychologist and philanthropist.

In a special interview with The Geopost, she talked about hatred from Russians, helping animals, and how she can remind the world of Ukraine through beauty pageants.

Watch the full interview here:

The Geopost:  Good afternoon, Ms. Lidia. We are happy to welcome you. Let's get to know each other better. Can you tell us a little about yourself? You represent Ukraine, in which competition and how did you achieve this?

Lobodina: Good afternoon. My name is Lidia Lobodina, I am Ukrainian, 27 years old, and I am representing Ukraine in the Miss Freedom of the World 2025 beauty pageant, which will be held this fall in Kosovo and Albania. My work also covers many areas. I am a veterinarian, animal rights activist, volunteer, peace ambassador, actress, and I also hold a title – winner of the national beauty pageant Miss Top Ukraine 2024, so I have become a representative of Ukraine on the global stage, something I am very, very proud of.

The Geopost: And you're a veterinarian. As far as I know, you're also involved in charity work. Can you tell us what exactly and why it's important to you?

Lobodina: In general, I have been involved in charity work since childhood, as my parents and I would take in the dogs we had. Since I am from Donetsk, there were a lot of stray dogs near the city exit, and we adopted many of them.

In fact, that’s why I chose this profession. And when the full-scale occupation caught up with me – let’s just say when I became a professional in my field – I still conduct charity consultations. Currently, I think I have conducted about 500 charity consultations for animals, both for internally displaced persons and for families who unfortunately do not have the means to visit a veterinary clinic.

And, of course, I also volunteer at Big Heart Animal Shelter. I help walk the dogs, I send money, and I also bring food. And I started a charity initiative called Paws of Hope, where we paint with dogs using their paws. These pictures can be used in future auctions, and the funds can be used for the needs of the animals, yes, or for something else to raise as much awareness for animals as possible.

Also, I am currently in the process of starting my own organization. It is called “Kingdom of Good,” so it is currently focused on providing information services, but I am working on that right now. I want to create both a unique shelter for dogs and the first animal rescue service. Again, for pet owners who unfortunately do not have the means, for example, so that they can go directly to a service, maybe an app, and find the most important information there. That is why I still work with animals; that is my priority.

The Geopost: Yes, as you said, you will represent Ukraine in an international beauty contest in September 2024. This event will take place in Kosovo and Albania. Please tell us what your feelings, premonitions and emotions are regarding this performance. What do you want to convey? How do you see your participation in this contest?

Lobodina: I am extremely happy to be taking part in such a competition, because not only is there a mission of beauty and victory, but the participants must also engage in some kind of social activity. So I have exactly the right combination to make the world listen to me. Yes, my mission is primarily to help animals. And right now, helping animals in Ukraine is a unique experience, so I want to help not only animals in Ukraine, but also, let's say, find a way out in the world.

To make sure the world hears me, maybe I can find sponsors to help us develop and help, because the current state of animal shelters is unfortunately not very good. So, it's not just about charity, but also about the fact that dreams can come true. I never imagined that one day I would participate in a beauty pageant, but since 2023, my life has changed. While preparing for the competitions and now for the global beauty pageant, I received a lot of support from all over the world. I have friends in different countries, including Latin America and Asia, and I received a lot of support from people in India, which surprises me a lot. I hope to convey the message that beauty is not just about looks, but that Ukrainian women are noble and smart, that they do charity work and, despite the war, do a lot of good deeds, making this world a better place, despite everything.

The Geopost:  And you said you're in touch with people abroad, but are you also communicating with Ukrainians? You're traveling to Kosovo and Albania. Have you found any Ukrainians living in those countries who would like to meet with you and your team?

Lobodina: Yes, I have a lot of connections, unfortunately professional, with the United States and Europe, but in Kosovo, as it turns out, there is a very good diaspora, our Ukrainian diaspora. I am extremely grateful that they support me and I am extremely happy to meet them and I look forward to our joint charity events. And again, to remind the people of Kosovo that they are also very good people who accepted our Ukrainians and gave them a home. And so are the children, who attend excellent schools. And I hope that we can organize some activities to remind ourselves of this and to express our gratitude to the Balkan countries for their hospitality and for establishing cultural and perhaps even diplomatic ties.

The Geopost: And please tell us if you think now is the right time for Ukraine to hold beauty contests? You have probably heard that there are various discussions, for example, about Eurovision. Is it important to support such beauty contests in a country at war? Do you think it is appropriate for Ukraine to participate in a beauty contest?

Lobodina: I think it is appropriate, because again, many women have lost their husbands and many Ukrainians have lost their families and friends. Therefore, a woman now appears not only as a Ukrainian woman, but also as a guardian, a protector of good, of all that is bright. Therefore, I am sure that we, Ukrainian women, should participate in competitions to remember ourselves.

We need to establish cultural contacts so that not only Europe and America, but also Latin America and Asia, know about us. From my experience, unfortunately, people in Asia are not very aware of our problems. Therefore, I am sure that these competitions will be just a beginning. And now many Russian women are participating in competitions. Several representatives of the Russian Federation may participate in one competition. That is why we need to be even more present in this arena, in these competitions, so that we are not forgotten, so that people do not think that we are afraid of them or that we have given up. For example, in my Miss Freedom of the World competition, I am very grateful to the organizers who not only included a charity section for Ukraine for the first time, to support our people. But this year Russia will not participate in the competition.

So, I am absolutely sure that this competition is about kindness, about humanity, and I am grateful that Ukraine is understood and heard. So I will do my best to represent our country with dignity. And I hope, of course; I really believe in our victory, because unfortunately, Ukraine has never won the main crown. That is why I am working as hard as I can to achieve the result, and I am doing my social work now being in Kiev. That is why I believe that we will succeed, and I am very grateful to everyone for their support.

The Geopost: Thank you. Coming back to the Russian influence, have you encountered any disinformation from Russia in your professional life, as a Ukrainian, as a person, as a philanthropist? Maybe propaganda, have you been influenced, have you experienced any pressure in your life, pressure from Russia?

Lobodina: Yes, of course. At the beginning of the large-scale occupation, I personally received a lot of bad things written on my Instagram page, wishing death. I think many Ukrainians experienced this.

For example, while I was preparing for the contest, someone wrote me a hateful comment. Even though it was written in one of the Slavic languages, I think there is something there, some clue, because I did a little research. So, of course, they will put obstacles in our way, but, again, this builds character. I understand that I am on the right path. That is why I think we should not pay attention to it. If, for example, a beauty contest presents a contestant from Russia or Belarus, I think the best tactic is to simply ignore them and avoid them, because they like to provoke conflicts. Therefore, it is better to present yourself with dignity, not to fall prey to provocations and remember your goal, your purpose and what you are fighting for. If this is the field of beauty contests, you should strive for the main crown.

The Geopost: Thank you very much. We wish you the best, we wish you victory. And we are sure that we will see you soon in Kosovo. Thank you very much.

Lobodina: Thank you, see you soon.

/The Geopost/