Users first exploded with excitement after Australian journalist Alex Bruce-Smith first published a compilation of Petrenko and her impressive 'do, the tweet garnering over 57,000 likes and generating over 22,000 comments.
have just discovered Russian federation senator Valentina Petrenko's hair and need to share this news pic.twitter.com/vPXaolG0lV
— Alex Bruce-Smith (@alexbrucesmith) 1 марта 2018 г.
The tweet prompted others to spread awareness of the Russian politician, with users quipping that her hair was "the greatest thing [they'd] discovered this week," saying they wished their countries' senators were so cool, and calling Petrenko "cinematic."
Russian senator Valentina Petrenko’s hair is the greatest thing I’ve discovered this week pic.twitter.com/CJLklxKjxN
— Ted Stansfield (@ted_stansfield) 2 марта 2018 г.
When your hair makes you look like a cross between a James Bond villain and a Star Trek character…Meet Russian Senator #ValentinaPetrenko Wish our Senators were this cool! #CurlyHairProbs solved! pic.twitter.com/Y0zgCs9dZP
— Melissa Zsiga-Cox (@melissazsigacox) 4 марта 2018 г.
valentina petrenko is so perfect, so cinematic, i can't take it pic.twitter.com/ZQX3OlTGGN
— rahel aima (@cnqmdi) 2 марта 2018 г.
Others struggled to think what Petrenko's hairstyle reminded them of, recalling a stream of characters from movies and television shows, or hairstyles of antiquity.
Russian politician Valentina Petrenko's hairstyle really reminds me of those complex 'up-dos' from the #Flavian period as here from the Glyptothek (l) & Met (r) pic.twitter.com/LyTTA4ECN1
— Carolyn Perry (@CarolynPPerry) 5 марта 2018 г.
“May the odds be ever in your favor.”#russianhungergames? #ValentinaPetrenko #hairscare pic.twitter.com/uzXsFndBNf
— Meredith Park (@themerepark) 4 марта 2018 г.
In her home country of Russia, Petrenko hasn't been very keen on sharing the name of her extravagant hairstyle, or the secret behind it. In a rare comment on the subject for Moscow Radio, she said that she was tired of being asked the same questions again and again. "I simply have curly hair, and hold it up with a few pins. That's all!"
On a more serious note, a few users, perhaps thinking that Petrenko was being made fun of, recalled that the politician has a record of personal bravery as an impromptu hostage negotiator.
On December 23, 1993 terrorists took hostage 17 children in Russia's Rostov-on-Don school. MP Valentina Petrenko volunteered to negotiate with terrorists,offering herself as a hostage instead of kids. She was awarded a medal "For Bravery". Oh, let's laugh at her hair, shall we?🤐
— Ластик и Абырвалг (@ValLisitsa) 2 марта 2018 г.
Serving as a senator since 2001, Petrenko has focused her legislative agenda on social policy, health care and youth issues.
