In 1966, the whole of Yugoslavia was abuzz with the news that a Yugoslavian woman had been crowned one of the most beautiful at the Miss World contest in London. That girl was the beautiful Dubrovnik native, Nikica Marinović, who, as the first representative of the then SFRY, sensationally won second place and became the first runner-up to Indian contestant Reita Faria.
Nikica’s participation in the competition happened entirely by chance – the women’s weekly magazine “Bazar” took on the responsibility of organizing the Miss Yugoslavia contest. When the editor-in-chief was not satisfied with the candidates, she decided to search for unknown beauties herself.
In her search, she came across Nikica Marinović, who was still an underage high school student at the time. The editor had a difficult task convincing her conservative parents to let her showcase her beauty to the whole of Yugoslavia. Nikica herself was shy and hesitated for a long time about appearing in a two-piece swimsuit.
In London, she was received like a goddess – she was the first beauty queen from a socialist bloc country and a pleasant surprise. Everyone expected a woman of rough appearance, maybe even masculine, but Nikica was the epitome of a lady and angelically beautiful. There are still speculations today that she lost the title of the most beautiful woman only because she came from a communist country, and it is said that the audience visibly disapproved of the decision that Nikica was not the winner.
After captivating the world with her beauty, Nikica moved to Belgrade. Interestingly, she turned down the famous director Roberto Rossellini, who offered her a role in his film, believing she was not ready for the harsh Hollywood industry.
She was married to two well-known artists – director and critic Vuk Vučo and director Zdravko Šotra. She had a son from each marriage and divorced both times quickly.
She worked in a boutique on Knez Mihailova Street, where many came just to see her and to believe she was real. She graced covers, columns, and advised women on fashion in “Bazar”… She did not seek fame and avoided the media, retreating into solitude without the desire to impose herself…
In recent years, she reportedly suffered from chronic depression and took her own life at the age of 61.
