Fast Confession - the director of Miss Czech Republic Taťána Makarenko: I don't want a guy to be a millstone around my neck

Táňa, you look better than ever. Is your new boyfriend to blame?

Thank you. I hope it applies in real life too, and not only on Instagram, where we all use filters. (laughs) I'm happy, but it's definitely because I've calmed down, got some clarity about a lot of things in my head, and I have time to sleep, because life used to be a lot more hectic and stressful than now during the coronavirus. Overall, it's also the positive energy that I have around me, whether it's my friends or my partner.

Where and how did you meet?

We hadn't known each other at all until we had our first date, and we'd connected through Instagram, where I posted a photo of myself playing golf, which I had started back then. He told me that before he wrote me about golf, I would often appear in his main stories, and when the media announced that I'd broken up with Zdeněk, his friend told him to contact me since he had liked me the whole time. So he commented on my golf stories, saying that I'd made a wrong swing and at the same time he invited me over because he has his own golf course.

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What did he impress you with?

He got me with his maturity. At 28, he is very mature, responsible and stable, which I need because I don't want a child by my side and to need to hold his hand or solve his problems. I don't want a millstone around my neck and at the same time I don't want to be one for him, I need my partner to give me freedom and I like to give it to him too. I don't want anyone jealous, but someone who lets me work and understands my work, and on the contrary, I also let him work in peace. So I needed someone like myself, because my partner has to respect that I'm not a classic wifey who has some job but I spend endless hours a day on it, and not every guy can stand that.

You used to live with the hockey player Zdeněk Bahenský for 8 years, who was older than you. However, your new partner is 3 years younger. Was it ever a problem for you?

At first I wondered if he was mature enough, because some 28-year-olds still lived with their parents until recently, because they'd finished school at the age of 26, so they know nothing about adult life yet, while me, at the age of 28, I had already gone through several years of running my own company, a few setbacks and downfalls, competitive struggles, and it's not easy especially for the female psyche, so I needed someone who is mature and has gone through some downfalls and experiences himself. Fortunately, he had gone through these things too, so I wasn't afraid anymore.

So you didn't find a single flaw?

Well, after some time I was annoyed that they'd had a cleaning lady at home, so he often made a mess at home, while Zdeněk hadn't been like that, because he was used to cleaning and taking care of himself from when he was staying abroad. In addition, Martin is from the gastronomy industry, so it seemed he'd never even gone grocery shopping, because he'd always had his lunch and dinner served to him, so I had to teach him those things, but on the other hand, every young man is quick to learn, especially when it comes to this stuff. And with me, being older, he can pick it up faster than he would have with a younger partner, so it will help him too, and he is happy for it.

Are you considering the possibility of him being the father of your children?

Definitely yes. I will soon turn 32 and I don't have time to be picky with guys anymore, and most of all I want to be certaub that he is the right one. Moreover, it's not just about physical matters, but also about intelligence and character. You also have to make sure that the guy won't make your life hell, because I saw it myself with my ex-boyfriend's ex-wife. Even if you break up, that person will be close to you until the end of your life, because you will be dealing with alternating care and suchlike. Another important thing for me is that a guy can take care of his family.

Do you talk to Martin about children?

Yes, and I told him at the beginning that if he didn't want children for another 10 years, it would mean that I would be 41-42 years old, and that's nonsense, because I want children in a year or two, so he listened to it, accepted it and will simply have no choice! (laughs).

What was your most romantic date so far?

Not exactly a date, but rather a trip abroad. We've been on vacation three times by now and we've been together since May, so it's sort of a covid love. (laughs) We always managed to go on a trip when the situation got a little better and our second trip was to Italy. I was originally supposed to go there for work, but then it fell through, so Martin said we would go there together instead. We took the car and went on a spontaneous trip, where we stopped at various places and stayed in beautiful hotels, so I consider it the most romantic experience. It was also where we agreed we would try it together after three months of dating, because due to my age, I wanted to be really sure about it and not waste the time that I don't have.

Let's move on to Miss Czech Republic. How challenging is the coronavirus pandemic for you as director of a beauty contest in terms of finances or sponsors?

We had the finals in 2020, we finished the contest on-line. We were supposed to have them in May, but of course it couldn't be arranged at the time, so we moved it to the green screen without audience, which was a novelty for us, but we wanted to go into that risk so that the girls themselves wouldn't be nervous that the finals were being postponed. So last year it wasn't too difficult for me, because probably only one of the sponsors gave me 200,000 CZK less, which didn't affect me much, since the budget is millions. We didn't even start this year, because it wasn't possible, but we'll start casting in September, so I'll see if the sponsors will affect me in any way, and since I don't have employees, only contracts, I don't have any expenses. Additionally, now my girls earn more money on Instagram through commercials than they would have through modelling.

Last year, you resolved a dispute with the organizers of the Czech Miss competition, who filed a lawsuit against the use of the name Miss Czech Republic. But you won the dispute, so is everything okay?

We changed our name from Miss Face to Miss Czech Republic on January 3rd, 2018, but it had been in the works since the middle of 2017, and I also obtained a license for Miss World, which the Czech Miss had lost, so that was basically the trigger of the problem. I never got a ban and I didn't come into contact with anyone in court, because everyone had a representative and I didn't even go there. We won the first dispute, they appealed, but we also won the second one in full, so I don't have to pay any damages or court costs. I came out of it with the best possible results, because we don't have the same partners, sponsors, finalists and it only remains as a fact that we work in the same field but we each have our own intentions, so in that case, why not? There are also BMWs and Audis, so why wouldn't there be two competitions, I was sure of my steps and didn't feel threatened at all.

So it was beneficial for you in the end?

I don't know if it was, but it definitely didn't hurt me. Moreover, most of the people who follow these things have at least finally started to recognize that there are two competitions and that Makarenko is in Miss Czech Republic, not Czech Miss. Plus a lot of sponsors have seen that the media are interested in this topic.

In an interview with the current winner Karolína Kopíncová, we talked about breast surgery. What do you think about it?

Of course, it depends on how I look at it. If I look at it from the point of view that she is a model and we want to send her abroad, then she doesn't need breasts, because tall slim models don't have them by nature. As far as the commercial point of view is concerned, she simply doesn't fill the dresses and in that respect, it would give her some extra curves. Then, of course, there's Karolína's view. She's always wanted it and she wanted it even long before the competition, so of course, even if I said I didn't want it and let's make her a model and not just a commercial beauty, then on the other hand when she longs for them and we'd have a chance to make up for it with a collaboration somewhere, why not go for it, if they don't turn her into Dolly Buster and it will be natural-looking breasts. But the decision is up to her.

What do you think about the government measures and the chaos that is often associated with them?

On one hand, I agree with people that there is confusion, but now, thanks to the DOG system, we already know how we are doing. Either there are people who don't wear masks and don't believe in the coronavirus, or they're used to it by now and don't mind wearing them. My personal opinion may not be the best one, but I think it's a kind of an economic bubble, and the economy suffers the most, because I know a lot of terrible stories of people who had been trying to build something. Of course, vaccinations will help, and I am only for it so that the economy can return to where it had been and we can travel and do business. I still think that they will force us to be vaccinated, because things like mass events and travel will only be for the vaccinated. But it's useless for us young people, because we don't normally die from it. I don't want to downplay it because some people still have difficult courses of the disease, but it's an exaggeration for me.

Did you watch the US election?

Yes, of course, because it's a global affair, and the people who don't care about it are complete boors. For me, Biden is okay, but he's sort of bland. Of course, Harris also helped him, because there was the Black Lives Matter case, but a lot of celebrities no longer wanted Trump and celebrities are the biggest influencers. We all know that those who went to the polls voted for Trump, but electronically, which was the young people, there Biden won. Perhaps this choice will help our republic.

Would you vote for Trump or Biden?

I would choose Biden because I don't like a lot of the things Trump did. Sometimes it was too directive for me, and maybe sometimes he did things only for himself.