Grandmothers Honored At 2013 Your Highness Grandmother Pageant

The Be Proud Foundation crowned the 2013 Your Highness Grandmothers in the quirky, colorful Brighton Beach pageant last Sunday, awarding Anna Malkina-Shumayev the title in the Queen Grandmother category and Bella Deleu the title for the Grandmother category.

The event marked the 11th year of the pageant, celebrating the lives of grandmothers across Southern Brooklyn. Regaling audiences at National Restaurant (273 Brighton Beach Avenue), Malkina-Shumayev and Deleu joined approximately a dozen other contestants for the good-natured competition. A panel of grandfathers rated the contestants on their handmade costumes, singing and talent abilities, and even belly dancing.

The pageant spanned four generations, involving the children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren of the contestants, who ranged in age from… well, a lady never tells.

Anna Malkina-Shumayev, who took home the Queen Grandmother title, was born in Russia to a family of 10 children. She move to America, and has been singing at events around the community, and translates Russian songs into English. She was attended to at the event by her four grandchildren and great-grandson.

Bell Deleu won the Grandmother title, a separate category for the younger batch of grandmas. Deleu graduated from Beltsy Teachers’ Training Institute and worked as a day care manager. She sings, dances, paints and gardens in her spare time. She has four grandchildren.

Congratulations to Malkina-Shumayev and Deleu and all of the event participants!