Almost twenty years ago, the region was shaken by the tragic news of the death of Nikica Marinovic, one of the most famous participants of beauty pageants from this area.
Few could have guessed that the beauty who became the first Miss Yugoslavia in the Miss World pageant back in 1966 would end her life by suicide.
She participated at the Miss Yugoslavia pageant when she was only 19 years old and won convincingly, and at the Miss World pageant in London, she was declared the most beautiful European and the first runner-up of Miss World.
The victory that narrowly escaped her was taken by Indian Reita Faria, and many believed that the only reason was that she refused an invitation to travel to Vietnam to visit American soldiers if she won.
That was the highest ranking that Yugoslavia ever won at the Miss World pageant.
After achieving worldwide success, Nikica found herself on all the covers of the time and all the doors in the fashion world opened for her, so she continued to build a modeling career.
At that time, she met Belgrade director Vuk Vuco, whom she married in her native Dubrovnik and with whom she had a son, Djordje. After divorcing him, she started working for the show “Koraci noci” where she met her second great love, director Zdravko Sotra, with whom she stayed until 1980 and with whom she got her son Marko.
Later, she withdrew a little from the public, although she was still involved in fashion and for a while had a boutique in Knez Mihailova Street in Belgrade. Towards the end of her life, she withdrew into seclusion, cut off contact with friends, and it was rumored that she had mental problems and was struggling with depression.
The once famous Yugoslav beauty found herself in all the newspapers again, when she was found in her apartment in 2008 after committing suicide.
Since she left behind no explanation or farewell letter, her death remains a mystery to this day, Klix.ba reports.
E. Dz.
