It’s not every day that 12 grandmothers from across NYC, representing a range of backgrounds and boasting a combined 33 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren, sing and dance together on a small thrust stage, dressed to the nines in pearls, feather boas and finery.
But at Sunday’s 25th annual “Your Highness, Grandmother” pageant, Brooklyn’s most vivacious matriarchs took center stage at Brighton Beach’s Tatiana Restaurant, singing, dancing and dazzling some 100 guests.
The glitzy, family-friendly tradition celebrates the women at the heart of the community — and the culture that brings them together.
“A grandmother is the head of the family,” Raisa Chernina, the pageant founder who immigrated to the US from Minsk, Belarus, in 1979 and is a proud babushka to 6 grandchildren, told The Post. “It was the tradition in former Soviet Russia and Jewish tradition. If it’s good in the family, it’s good in the country.”
Yesterday’s silver-anniversary pageant featured contestants ranging in age from 47 to 90, with women under 80 competing for the “Your Highness, Grandmother” title and those 80 and older vying for “Your Highness, Queen Grandmother.”
Throughout the ticketed event — the crown jewel of Chernina’s nonprofit, Be Proud, which supports NYC’s Russian-speaking community — the saucy seniors performed an array of songs, dances and comedy skits, all judged by a jury composed entirely of, you guessed it, grandfathers.
This year’s pageant queens had three chances to shine: a “Secret” round that put their smarts to the test (including naming the first US president), a “Homework” portion built around the theme “We’re 25!” and a “Talent” round that let them show off their stuff through themed songs and dances.
Awards were handed out in each age category for Most Creative, Best Talent, Most Inspiring, Best Appearance and the coveted People’s Choice.
But taking home the top tiaras of the day were Nelli Ivankova, 75, crowned “Your Highness, Grandmother,” and Busya Soltsov, 89, who claimed the royal honors of “Your Highness, Queen Grandmother.”
“I cannot find the words, this is amazing…I’ve been singing all my life,” Ivankova told The Post, having wowed the crowd with an upbeat Russian pop hit (complete with a group of friends dancing behind her) and a cheeky performance of “Bei Mir, Bist Du Schon.”
“When I dance, I don’t see the people — I just listen to the music,” added Soltsov, a retired engineer who dazzled with a sung Russian skit.
Soltsov told The Post that she’s rediscovered her love for performing at her local day center, joking that when she’s on stage, she feels “not [almost] 90 — at least 18.”
“The movement comes from inside,” she continued. “For me, it’s important for people to enjoy.”
And while Ivankova and Soltsov may have claimed the top titles, every grandmother had reason to feel like royalty, as nobody went home empty-handed.
The contestants, all of whom live in or near Brooklyn and hail from around the world — from Ukraine and various parts of Russia to Kazakhstan and Cuba — each walked away with a crown, a “25 & Fabulous” sash, a bouquet of flowers and a goodie bag stuffed with trinkets and treats, courtesy of the competition’s generous lineup of small-business sponsors.
After all, at this pageant, every grandmother deserves her moment in the crown.
Highlights included Galina Baturina, 85, making it rain — literally — with a spirited rendition of ABBA’s “Money, Money, Money,” flinging fake bills across the stage alongside her enthusiastic entourage.
Diana Margarita Rojas, 72, brought balletcore to Brighton Beach with a graceful dance to Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers,” complete with slippers, a leotard and tutu.
And Anna Malkina-Shumayeva, 89, proved she was a pageant staple with her rendition of “Que Sera, Sera” — marking her 22nd year performing at the event.
The grandmas had their own cheering sections, too. Many performances were accompanied by enthusiastic “fan groups” of friends and family, waving colorful signs that read, “Age is just a number, and life is what you make it” and “Let’s go grandmas, shining bright!”
Since its founding in 2001, the “Your Highness, Grandmother” pageant — typically hosted by Chernina’s husband, Alex Sirotin-Lakhman — has brought together around a dozen contestants each year, many from Brighton Beach’s Russian-speaking community.
But as Chernina emphasized, the beloved quarter-century tradition has always welcomed everyone, growing into a community-wide celebration that extends far beyond the grandmas on stage.
“The more I go to the pageant, the more I admire these amazing ladies who look so young [even] in their 70s and 80s,” head juror Alec Teytel told The Post, having helped with the pageant for the last decade. “They leave all their problems, health issues, worries at home. [They] come once a year and stream their energy and enthusiasm to everyone in attendance.”
In past years, Marin has also been reminded that, for some of these women, joy has been hard-earned over a lifetime.
“Once, right after the award ceremony, one of the participants whispered [to me] that she had just been diagnosed with cancer. I was in shock. Just moments ago she was all smiling, singing, full of joy…These women are courageous, young in heart, talented and beautiful.”
Chernina takes great pride in the beloved tradition she’s built, inspired by a memory of watching the Miss Universe pageant with her late mother more than a quarter-century ago.
“My mom saw [the pageant] and said that it would be great to have the same thing for grandmothers — except for the bathing suit contest,” Chernina quipped, her bright pink-red hair matching her trademark, fiery spunk.
She also emphasized that the annual affair gives these women the opportunity to showcase their unique talents and passions — and to step into a spotlight that’s different from their day-to-day role of taking care of others.
“These grandmothers are artists, they’re actors, and they love applause,” she added. “They love attention, especially from their own family and grandchildren…These women need respect. Grandmothers very much need respect and applause.”