Some might say it was Poklonskaya's fate and now she will always celebrate her birthday together with her beloved peninsula as a part of Russia. Others say it was probably just a coincidence. Perhaps so, but one thing is clear — under the watchful eye of Poklonskaya, the cute yet tough Prosecutor General of Crimea, accidents don't just happen.
When a RIA Novosti correspondent asked what she feels about the fact that her own birthday is now on the same day Crimea reunited with Russia, Poklonskaya said:
"For me it means happiness and pride. Moreover, my dream came true and we returned home and now live in the most wonderful and the best country in the world — in Russia and it all happened on my birthday. Of course, I'm the happiest person. Words can't convey all my feelings and emotions."
Today, Poklonskaya held a live video-conference with journalists at the Rossiya Segondya International News Agency, during which for the first time in public she switched from her prosecutor's uniform to a beautiful red cocktail dress.
"Because it's a day off and the republic's [Crimea] holiday, I allowed myself for the first time during a press-conference to be without my uniform, and to wear a beautiful dress," Poklonskaya told journalists.
Before Poklonskaya could feel safe and happy living in Crimea, she had to make a series of bold and life-changing decisions during the Euromaidan crisis. Sputnik compiled 7 facts you probably didn't know about the Crimean Prosecutor.
Fact 1: Before the Maidan protests began, Poklonskaya worked at the Ukrainian General Directorate of Internal Affairs in Kiev. However, on February 25, 2014, Poklonskaya handed in her resignation letter, stating that she was "ashamed to live in the country where neo-fascists freely walk about the streets." She left Kiev for Crimea and on March 11, 2014, was appointed Prosecutor of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Fact 2: After Poklonskaya returned to Crimea she harshly criticized the Euromaidain protests and the new coup-installed Ukrainian government, which resulted in a criminal case against her in Ukraine and she was stripped of the rank of Counsellor of Justice.
Fact 3: On March 25, 2014, Poklonskaya was appointed as acting Prosecutor of the Republic of Crimea, the new office was created after the peninsula's reunification with Russia.
Fact 5: In addition to her strong leadership qualities, toughness and professionalism, Poklonskaya is known for her youthful looks and attractiveness. After videos from her press-conference in Crimea were uploaded on YouTube, Poklonskaya grabbed the attention of Internet users around the world.
Poklonskaya immediately became an icon for many Japanese cartoonist and animators who were struck by her beauty. Many of her fans created anime-style images and videos which were uploaded to the Internet and attracted attention from international media outlets. Russian anime fans nicknamed Poklonskaya "nyasha" (a cute, adorable person).
Despite her popularity on the Internet, the Crimean Prosecutor said she'd "rather be appreciated for [her] work" than her good-looks.
Fact 6: Poklonskaya has a daughter, Anastasia, from her first marriage. Both of her parents live in Crimea to where they moved from the Lugansk Region in 1990, when Natalia was 10-years old.
Fact 7: Poklonskaya is fond of sports and likes to keep active whenever she can. "Prosecutors should be fit and in good shape — she's an officer," Poklonskaya said after passing the all-Russian physical culture training program, abbreviated as GTO ("Ready for Labour and Defense").
