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It’s not about freedom – it’s about pain: what lies behind the romanticization of escorts

The disappearance of a Ukrainian model in Dubai exposed a deeper societal problem: the pop-cultural normalization of prostitution under the slogans of freedom, beauty, and success. The story of 20-year-old Ukrainian Maria Kovalchuk, who was found in a Dubai hospital with broken bones and a lost voice after 10 days of disappearance, went far beyond a personal drama. It opened the door to a painful question: why do more and more young women today perceive escorting not as a danger, but as a way to a “successful life”?

Maria is a Lviv-born model who disappeared in Dubai after a party on March 9. She was found only on March 19 in a hospital, in an extremely serious condition: without a phone, documents, and numerous fractures. She underwent three complex surgeries and still cannot speak. The police are investigating the case as a possible case of human trafficking – the proceedings have been opened under Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

What is known about the incident with the model in Dubai?

What happened to Maria Kovalchuk between these dates is still unknown. There is a version about a fall from a construction site, which was voiced by the Dubai police. However, the girl’s family believes otherwise – that Maria was a victim of abuse, and possibly sexual slavery.

A friend of the model told rosmedia that on March 9, Maria attended a party and met two men who introduced themselves as representatives of the modeling business. The next day, she told her mother that she would stay with them for the night. on March 11, Maria was supposed to fly to Thailand, but the connection with her disappeared. on March 19, the girl was found in a hospital in serious condition, without a phone or personal belongings. According to her mother, Maria has numerous fractures, has undergone three surgeries and cannot speak.

Later, new disturbing details emerged in the case of Ukrainian model Maria Kovalchuk. An anonymous eyewitness, who, according to him, was in the hospital during the girl’s hospitalization, claims that the girl’s condition indicated not only a fall, but also possible ill-treatment. This was reported by OBOZ.UA. This information cannot be confirmed at this time. The comment was provided anonymously to Russian media. According to the “insider,” Kovalchuk’s body was covered with bruises that are not typical of a fall from a height. Therefore, the version that the 20-year-old girl may have been beaten and humiliated for a long time should not be dismissed.

“The police are covering their tracks. A friend of mine who works in the same hospital where Kovalchuk is hospitalized saw with his own eyes that when she was brought in, her mouth was covered in Dubai chocolate and her teeth were stacked, how to put it, in her Birkin (Hermès bag – Ed.),” the “insider” said.

At the same time, the victim’s mother refused to give any comments until the investigation is over.

“There is the name of the hotel where she was seen. And there is the penultimate place of residence – also a hotel. There is an assumption that she went to a party. But the promoter who organized these parties did not see her. Today Masha was found in the hospital in a serious condition. She had no documents, no phone, no nothing. She has undergone three surgeries. And she cannot speak,” the woman said earlier.

Maria was last seen on March 9 at a party with two men who allegedly represented a modeling agency. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that the investigation is ongoing, and representatives of the consulate are in contact with the girl’s family.

What is known about Maria Kovalchuk’s life?

Maria Kovalchuk positions herself as a model, but her social media posts include erotic photos. She is active on a platform popular among porn stars, OnlyFans. In 2023, the girl became known to the Ukrainian audience because of the scandal that erupted around her best friend, Russian Angelina Doroshenkova. She made headlines because she wanted to come to Lviv.

However, the incident is a reason to think more deeply: why do girls who show candid photos and talk openly about sex automatically fall into the risk zone? Of course, no nature of publication justifies possible crimes. And no model should go missing and then turn up in a hospital.

The question we have to ask ourselves is: why do these stories repeat themselves? Why do platforms where young women are looking for a way to make money become potential traps? And is society ready not only to consume a beautiful picture, but also to protect those behind it?

“The glamor of prostitution is an illusion”: a psychologist on why girls romanticize escorts

Olha Rudyaka-Petrychenko, a psychologist, trainer, lecturer, member of the Ukrainian Psychological Association and the Ukrainian Union of Psychotherapists, interprets the romanticization of prostitution and escorts as a complex social and psychological phenomenon that occurs at the intersection of several important processes: distorted self-esteem, the search for safety and recognition, the influence of social narratives, and adaptation to traumatic experiences. She answers a number of important questions in an exclusive blitz interview for Komersant ukrainskyi.

• Why can girls perceive this as something attractive?

At a young age, identity is not yet stable, and the need for quick recognition, financial independence, or even basic safe space can prevail over a rational risk assessment. Contemporary culture often conveys a simplified or “glamorized” image of women who are “in control”, “using their resources” and supposedly independent.

In psychology, this can be seen as a cognitive distortion (the habit of thinking in a certain way, sometimes far from logic), when positive aspects (money, travel, gifts) are exaggerated, and negative ones (objectification, loss of personal boundaries, psychological trauma) are supplanted, the psychologist emphasizes.

• What exactly is romanticized?

It is often not the process of prostitution itself that is romanticized, but the illusion of an “easy life,” external brilliance, attention, and intimate power over men. In the psychological dimension, this may be due to unsatisfied affective or other needs: the need for love, acceptance, stability, which a person tries to compensate for through the commercialization of intimate relationships.

• Why is it dangerous?

From a psychological point of view, the objectification of one’s own body-when a person begins to perceive themselves only as

a means of pleasing others – reduces self-esteem, causes chronic emotional stress, anxiety, etc., and later, under the yoke of accumulated negative experience, depression, mental disorders, etc. are possible, emphasizes Olha Rudyaka-Petrychenko

• Why is it so widespread now?

A significant role is played by the influence of social media and trends, which often present escort activities as a “successful case.” There is also social normalization through repetitive images and stories where there are no critical consequences, which leads to a decrease in vigilance.

• What can help?

Preventing the romanticization of prostitution and escorts requires in-depth educational and psychotherapeutic work:

• talking about emotional boundaries, self-worth, and trauma;
• support for a safe environment for young women where they can realize their needs for recognition and self-respect in other ways;
• debunking myths through personal stories that honestly describe the consequences of such experiences.

As a result, the romanticization of prostitution is not a manifestation of “free choice,” but often a reaction to psychological trauma, lack of resources, and social distortions that are disguised as external attractiveness, the psychologist summarizes. The task of society and, of course, psychologists is not to condemn, but to understand the mechanisms and help find alternative ways to self-realization that do not traumatize or devalue the individual.