Photo Gallery of MISS UNIVERSE 2009 STEFANIA FERNANDEZ

MISS UNIVERSE 2009 STEFANIA FERNANDEZ

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Stefanía Fernández Krupij (born September 4, 1990, in Mérida, Venezuela) is a model and the Miss Universe 2009. Fernández is of Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, and Galician origin. Her father José Luis Fernández was born in Galicia, Spain but emigrated to Venezuela 45 years ago. Her mother is Nadia Krupij Holojad, whose Ukrainian father immigrated from the Soviet Union during the period of communist rule. Fernández's father was kidnapped in 2005 in the Venezuelan state of Barinas for five days.

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Fernández won the Miss Venezuela 2008 title in a pageant held in Caracas on September 10, 2008. She was crowned by the outgoing titleholder, Dayana Mendoza, Miss Venezuela 2007 and Miss Universe 2008. Fernández also won the "Miss Elegance", "Best Body" and "Best Face", titles. She became the second Miss Trujillo to win that title since the Miss Venezuela pageant first began in 1952. The first was Bárbara Palacios, Miss Venezuela 1986 and Miss Universe 1986.

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Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza, also from Venezuela crowned her as Miss Universe 2009 on August 23, 2009, in Nassau, Bahamas. This marks the first time in Miss Universe history the same country won the crown in consecutive years. Her prize package includes cash, a year contract promoting Miss Universe, world travel, a rent-free, prestigious New York City luxury apartment and a gift bag stuffed with designer shoes, dresses and beauty products, a US$100,000 stipend for a two-year course at the New York Film Academy and free access to famous fashion houses and beauty parlors. Fernández intends to spend her year-long reign traveling the world to lecture on humanitarian issues and to promote education regarding HIV/AIDS.

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