The famous figure skater, who celebrated her victory at Olympic Games ah of the third millennium, Elena Berezhnaya glorified on the ice not only St. Petersburg, which had become her home, but also the Fatherland. On October 11, the birthday of the Honored Master of Sports, we will talk about her career on the ice.
As a little girl, Lena stood on the ice in her hometown Nevinnomyssk. To school figure skating she was brought in to get stronger physically, and no one imagined that she would grow into a champion. The trainers appreciated the girl’s extraordinary flexibility, her ability to work and considered that for single skating she's no good. Nina Ivanovna Ruchkina offered her her son Alexander as a partner
The coach really wanted him to become a champion. Their duet was noticed, and the coaches made every effort to ensure that the girl continued her further studies at the CSKA figure skating school. So Lena moved from the distant Stavropol region to Moscow and trained with Vladimir Zakharov. However, she did not like the lanky and clumsy Sasha, and besides, he was no skater. Lena found a new partner, a promising athlete from Latvia Oleg Shlyakhov.
Since 1993, the Berezhnaya-Shlyakhov duo became pair No. 1, but at the European and World Championships they could not rise above 5th–7th places.
They were noticed by Tamara Nikolaevna Moskvina - that’s how Lena and Oleg ended up in St. Petersburg, starting to train at Yubileiny.
The relationship between the partners was very complex, the mentally unstable Shlyakhov was rude and merciless, sometimes he lost his temper, and could hit for the slightest mistake, but patient Lena did not complain about anything: she had long noticed that cruelty in sports is the norm. But one day the fragile Thumbelina had a real defender - Anton Sikharulidze, who trained with them on the ice. Oleg became terribly jealous, and literally overnight he took Lena back to Latvia to prepare for the European Championship.
But the outcome of the couple’s relationship was decided by a gross blunder that almost cost Berezhnaya’s life. In 1996, during training, performing the most difficult element of rotation,
the narcissistic Shakhov didn’t even think about his partner, accidentally(?) hitting her head with his skate. As a result, the skater was severely injured: the temporal bone was pierced, and fragments damaged the lining of the brain. Berezhnaya underwent two neurosurgical operations, after which she learned not only to walk, but also to speak and read.
She learned to skate again with a new partner, Anton Sikharulidze, who immediately rushed to Latvia and supported her throughout the postoperative period. After the hospital, Elena returned to Nevinnomyssk.
Soon Anton arrived there. They went to Pyatigorsk to visit his grandmother and spent a whole month there. Now they realized that they could not live without each other. Elena and Anton return to St. Petersburg and continue training. And in 1999 T.N. Moskvina transported them to America.
At the first championship, the couple took third place. Their performance “Charlie Chaplin” captivated the strict jury and audiences around the world.
True, a surprise awaited them here: shortly before the competition, Lena caught a cold, but for some reason the couple was disqualified at the World Championships, explaining this fact by the presence of ephedrine in the skater’s blood in a high concentration - 13. It turned out that it was part of the drugs that Lena was treating cold. The athletes could not prove anything, and the medals had to be given away. After this incident, the minimum coefficient value was raised to 25, but... the championship could not be returned.
The couple was intensively preparing for the Olympic Games. In 2002, they became gold champions, taking first place.
After the competition, Elena and Anton were offered a five-year contract by the American company to participate in the “Stars on Ice” show. Then a similar project began to be implemented in Russia. Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze returned to St. Petersburg. In 2006, Elena participated in the Channel One show “Stars on Ice” together with actor Alexander Nosik, and in 2008 – in the RTR program “Star Ice” with Dima Bilan.
Sikharulidze decided not to return to big sport, and Berezhnaya was left without a partner. She tried to perform solo, but it was already clear to everyone that she was not a single skater.
In 2009, she performed in the 3rd season of Ice Age. Her partner in the show was Mikhail Galustyan. In 2010, in the show “Ice and Fire” the audience was delighted with the Berezhnaya-Ugolnikov duet. In 2011 she participated in the Canadian
TV show “Battle of Blades” paired with hockey player Curtis Leshyshin.
Elena Viktorovna Berezhnaya. Born on October 11, 1977 in Nevinnomyssk. Russian figure skater ( pair skating), Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2000), Olympic champion(2002) paired with Anton Sikharulidze. Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
The father drank and when the girl was 5 years old, her parents divorced.
I grew up as a very sick child. At one year old she weighed seven kilograms and was diagnosed with dystrophy.
In order for the girl to develop and improve her health, her mother decided to send her to a section or club. At first they tried to enroll Elena in ballet or dance, but they didn’t take her - she was very small and weak.
And at the age of 4, the girl was still accepted into the figure skating section. As Elena said, she was very flexible and enthusiastically raced around the skating rink.
She was trained by Nina Ivanovna Ruchkina, who paired Elena with her son Alexander. As Elena recalled, the trainer used methods that were too cruel - it happened that she beat the girl. One day, the stepfather saw the bruises and went to sort it out with the coach, after which Ruchkina didn’t touch her anymore.
Soon Berezhnaya became the best in the group. The coach suggested that she go to Moscow to train at CSKA. She sent Elena there along with her son, believing that they could become Olympic champions. She was 13 years old.
In the end, it turned out that Elena was left to train at CSKA, and the coach’s son was sent back.
Berezhnaya doesn’t have very good memories of the CSKA figure skating school: “The hazing was terrible. The girls especially got it: “How are you standing, you scarecrow? Get out of here, next time you’ll stand correctly!”, “Somehow my partner is painfully fat, I need to hit her on the head."
She was trained by Vladimir Viktorovich Zakharov, who soon paired Elena with Oleg Shlyakhov, who was 4 years older than her.
Shlyakhov was a strong and experienced athlete, everything began to work out for them right away. They skated well and took prizes. But, as Berezhnaya recalled, at some point she noticed: the higher the status of the competition, the more aggressive her partner became. He allowed himself to shout at Elena and even use his hands. “One day during training, a jump didn’t work out, I turned my back to Oleg, I was driving, resting, and suddenly - bam! - I received a fist between the shoulder blades! “Where are you going? Let’s do it!”, she recalled.
Since 1993, Berezhnaya has been paired with Oleg Shlyakhov for Latvia.
With Oleg Shlyakhov they were eighth at the 1994 Olympics. At the 1994 and 1995 World Championships they finished seventh. In 1995 they finished fifth in Europe. They took prizes at Skate Canada International, Trophee Lalique, Skate Israel.
Elena Berezhnaya's injury
On January 6, 1996, a tragedy occurred during training in Riga - a week before the European Championships. Elena recalled: “We went out for morning training. We started to warm up. And suddenly, very close to me, I saw Shlyakhov’s skate. I wanted to shout: “What are you doing!” - but I didn’t have time. A blow to the temple, I fall: a scarlet bloody stain spreads on the ice... There was no acute pain, I remained conscious and watched everything as if from the sidelines.”
She was sent to the hospital. She couldn't say a word. It turned out that the skate, having pierced the right temple, touched the speech center. Immediate craniotomy was necessary.
Although they suspected that Shlyakhov hit Berezhnaya on purpose, she herself noted: “I’m sure Oleg had no malicious intent. The injury was an accident, a technical error. No one will recognize him or mine, but it changed our lives.”
The figure skater spent a month in the hospital. Then there was a long rehabilitation, she had to learn to walk and talk in a new way. As Elena admitted, the consequences of the injury remained for life: “If I’m worried, the word doesn’t work, and I can’t do anything.” No one could imagine that she would take to the ice again, much less become an Olympic champion.
Since 1996 she has performed in tandem with St. Petersburg. Trained with. She played for Dynamo St. Petersburg.
Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze won the Russian championship 4 times - in 1999-2002. They won the European Championship twice (1998 and 2001). They became world champions twice - in 1998 and 1999, and also won silver in 2001.
At the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano they became second, and at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City they became champions.
From 2002 to 2006, together with Anton Sikharulidze, they toured the United States with the show “Stars on Ice”. At the end of the contract, both returned to St. Petersburg.
Due to the fact that Anton Sikharulidze finally decided to stop performing, Elena, left without a partner, made attempts to start performing in professional ice shows as a single player.
In 2006, she took part in the show “Stars on Ice” on Channel One of Russian television, where she performed with the actor. In 2008, she participated in a similar show on the RTR channel “Star Ice,” where she was paired with the singer. In 2009, she participated in the third season of the Channel One show “ Ice age"paired with Mikhail Galustyan. In 2010 - in the Channel One show “Ice and Fire” paired with. In 2011, she took part in the Canadian TV show “Battle of the Blades” together with hockey player Curtis Leshyshin.
In 2012-2016, artistic director of the St. Petersburg State Ice Theater.
In 2016, she announced plans to create a figure skating school in St. Petersburg. “I have long wanted to open a school and train children myself, and I finally decided. You need to start working with children as early as possible. Retraining them is three times more difficult than teaching them from scratch. And there are children who did gymnastics or ballet, and You can already feel that they control their body and are ready to work. Of course, it’s easier with them,” said Berezhnaya.
Political activities of Elena Berezhnaya
In 2007-2011 - deputy of the Duma of the Stavropol Territory on the list of the A Just Russia party on a permanent basis, chairman of the Duma Committee on physical culture, sports and youth affairs.
On May 11, 2016, she received the mandate of a deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation from the Stavropol regional group, where she was the last ninth number in the 2011 elections from United Russia. This happened after Yuri Em was deprived of his deputy mandate.
Elena Berezhnaya. Alone with everyone
Elena Berezhnaya's height: 154 centimeters.
Personal life of Elena Berezhnaya:
Although Elena herself does not talk about this topic, she, apparently, was in a relationship with Oleg Shlyakhov at the time when they performed together. The couple lived in the same apartment, and during the competition - in the same hotel room.
Alexey Yagudin was in love with Elena. She recalled: “Lesha was 18 years old then. Who didn’t fall in love at that age? I, one might say, was his girlfriend. Everything went wonderfully and cheerfully: hee hee, ha ha. And it ended as quickly as it began ".
Since 1996, she has been in a relationship with Anton Sikharulidze. They lived in a de facto marriage, but it never became official, although everyone expected a quick wedding. As Elena recalled, they began to move away from each other after the 2002 Olympics.
She spoke about the reasons for the breakup: “I think sport is to blame for everything. It itself is very tough, angry. Everyone wants to achieve victories, win medals, but not everything comes easy. You have to work painstakingly, monotonously day after day. Many disagreements arise , friction. This cannot but affect the relationship. Over the years, Anton and I have gotten to know each other so well that we have gradually become relatives for him - good or bad, it doesn’t matter anymore. And he is practically mine. brother with his flies and cockroaches. Anton and I have always had a normal relationship and still do. He, for example, consulted with me more than once and asked me to evaluate his girls.”
In 2006, she began an affair with English figure skater Stephen Cousins. The athletes met at the famous ice show “Stars On Ice”. Although we had seen each other several times before. Berezhnaya recalled: “All the skaters know each other. At least by sight. We always meet at tournaments in different countries. I don’t even remember when and where I first saw Stephen. Most likely it was at the European Championships in 1993. But neither then nor years later could I even imagine that our paths would intersect with him. Cousins was a single skater, I skated in pairs with Anton Sikharulidze. I never paid much attention to Steven: well, he’s a figure skater and a skater. We didn’t even say hello to him... And so we ended up on the same tour - we traveled around the cities of the United States for four months. Almost every day there are performances, travel, flights, new hotels...".
At the time they met, Cousins was married, but this did not stop either him or Elena.
On October 7, 2007, the couple had a son, who was named Tristan. On June 21, 2009, their daughter was born - Sofia-Diana.
In 2012, the couple separated.
Sports achievements Elena Berezhnaya:
paired with Oleg Shlyakhov (for Latvia):
Winter Olympics: 8 (1994);
World Championships: 14 (1993), 7 (1994), 7 (1995);
European Championships: 8 (1993), 8 (1994), 5 (1995).
paired with Anton Sikharulidze (for Russia):
Winter Olympics: Silver (1998), Gold (2002);
World Championships: Gold (1998, 1999), Silver (2001);
European Championships: Bronze (1997), Gold (1998, 2001);
Russian Championships: Silver (1997, 1998), Gold (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002).
Despite the fact that the skater is approaching his fortieth birthday, children of Anton Sikharulidze are not yet part of his plans, although last year he had an unplanned son. Olympic champion Victoria Shamanskaya gave birth to little George. She is four years older than Anton, runs a business, lives in St. Petersburg. Victoria met Sikharulidze in Moscow, at one of the parties. A spark of sympathy ran between them, they spent a wonderful time together, as a result of which a child was born.
In the photo - Anton Sikharulidze with ex-wife Yana Lebedeva
There was no serious romance between them, so Anton is not going to marry his friend. In addition, after talking with Victoria, for whom George became the long-awaited first-born, he learned that she would have kept the child in any case. Despite the fact that neither one nor the other is yet going to start a family, the first of Anton Sikharulidze’s children will not be left without attention and care on his part.
The figure skater introduced Victoria, who moved to Moscow after the birth of George, with his parents, and often comes to visit her and her son. Anton met Victoria shortly after his divorce from Yana Lebedeva, which came as a real shock to everyone. Family life The relationship between the thirty-six-year-old skater and the twenty-six-year-old daughter of a billionaire lasted only two years. Their marriage seemed ideal to everyone - both are beautiful and already successful people, they love each other. Yana, the daughter of the co-owner of the Sintez group Leonid Lebedev, has been accustomed to living in luxury since childhood, but in a bride Olympic champion It was not her rich dowry that captivated her.
According to him, despite the eleven-year age difference, they understood each other perfectly. By that time, Anton had become involved in government activities - he was the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, and planned to go into business so that his family, including the future children of Anton Sikharulidze, would not need anything. However, they lived with Yana for only two years, and things never came to the birth of children.
Pairs figure skating- this is always the story of the relationship between a man and a woman told on ice - love, attraction, passion, suffering. According to experts, among Russian figure skaters there are three couples who conveyed the whole gamut of such feelings in their programs - Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergey Grinkov and, of course, Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. In every movement of this St. Petersburg couple one could read love and reverent attitude towards each other.
Today Elena Berezhnaya turns 39 years old.
Everything is grown up
Lena Berezhnaya was born in a small southern city - Nevinnomyssk. Despite the fact that she moved to St. Petersburg a long time ago, in her homeland she is considered the most famous person, and local residents are proud of their fellow countrywoman.
She started figure skating at the age of 3 and immediately made a name for herself. Her extraordinary talent was noted by her coaches. In particular, the famous Russian mentor Stanislav Zhuk drew attention to Elena. Already at the age of 13, the figure skater moved to Moscow to devote herself entirely to ice dancing. Lena left for the capital all alone; her family remained in Nevinnomyssk. The parents were very worried, but they let their daughter go.
In a Moscow dormitory for athletes, Elena was the only girl. But she didn’t pay attention to the boys’ sidelong glances, concentrating on figure skating.
“My life was scheduled minute by minute,” Berezhnaya recalled. - The school is a sports boarding school where I lived and studied for a long time. Then the first competitions began, constant traveling - moving, it was no longer possible to remain there as a teenager. Everything was adult."
In every movement of Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze one could read love and reverent attitude towards each other. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Her first partner was the Latvian figure skater Oleg Shlyakhov. The athlete was four years older than Lena, and their relationship on the ice was not easy. The guy was rude and treated the fragile girl without due respect. In 2014, the sports drama “Champions” was released, where the relationships of the skaters were fully revealed. Any mistake by Lena ended in a scandal, Shlyakhov even raised his hand against her. Berezhnaya’s friends tried to stand up for her, even giving Lyakhov a “dark” treatment. Among the defenders was Anton Sikharulidze. But these “educational measures” had no effect on the aggressive guy. He took Lena to Latvia, where their skating ended in a terrible tragedy.
With a slight movement of the skate...
This happened during one of the training sessions in 1996. The guys perfected their program for the European Championships. While performing a parallel rotation, Shlyakhov did not calculate the distance and hit Elena in the temple with the blade of his skate. Her temporal bone was pierced, and fragments damaged the lining of the brain. Berezhnaya's life hung by a thread. Today she recalls with a smile that terrible moment: “...and with a slight movement of his foot his skate hit me in the head...”
She had to undergo two complex neurosurgical operations, and she forgot how to walk and talk. During this difficult period, 19-year-old Anton Sikharulidze was constantly next to Lena. The guy in love ran away from training camps and training sessions and rushed to the intensive care unit with a huge bouquet of flowers to hold Lena’s hand and speak kind words to her.
“At first I didn’t understand for a long time what happened,” the skater admitted in one interview. - When they told me that they had surgery on my head, I thought: well, I’ll have to skip a few training sessions. But when they said that I would have to lie down without getting up for at least two weeks, I realized that everything turned out to be much more complicated.”
Elena recalled that she was terribly worried because the doctors shaved her off long hair. Then she saw herself in the mirror and was shocked: a bald head with a huge scar, bruises under her eyes. According to her, part of her face was paralyzed.
Soon she began to feel severe depression, but Anton was nearby, who taught Lena to walk again, and then held her hand during her first steps on the ice. Experienced doctors frowned and unanimously said that we could forget about sports and ice skating in general. Three months after the unfortunate injury, Lena and Anton moved to St. Petersburg, where the legendary Tamara Moskvina became their coach.
Unprecedented pressure
This couple became silver medalists 1998 Olympics in Nagano. Inexperienced viewers, seeing the interview with Lena and Anton, chuckled, saying that the figure skater is a true blonde and cannot put two words together. They did not know that Berezhnaya simply could not speak; her speech was impaired. And Anton courageously took the fire upon himself, answering all the tricky questions of journalists and not allowing his partner to be offended.
Every year the guys skated better and better. Twice they became world champions, once they took second place at the world championship. They went to the Olympics in Salt Lake City, America, as undisputed favorites.
Elena Berezhnaya is completely immersed in work, heads the St. Petersburg State Ice Theater and trains talented St. Petersburg children. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
World figure skating leaders have long been irritated by the decades-long dominance of the USSR and Russia in figure skating. And in the USA, behind-the-scenes games began, the victims of which were a St. Petersburg couple. After performing a short and free program The Russian couple won gold, and the boys were awarded long-awaited medals. Immediately, US newspapers published devastating articles denouncing supposedly “corrupt” judges. The jury was subjected to unprecedented pressure, including threats of physical violence. And the judges wavered. They reviewed the results and an unprecedented repeat award ceremony took place. Not only Sikharulidze and Berezhnaya, but also the Canadian couple Sale-Pelletier climbed to the top step of the podium.
Happy mother
After that Olympics, the athletes left amateur sports. They became stars, they were invited to television, radio and newspapers. Then, in 2002, Lena still experienced serious problems with speech. But she courageously came to all interviews and, unlike Anton, was never late. It's time for her to take the rap in front of the journalists for two. But no one asked Lena tricky questions. Without exception, all the people who interacted with her immediately and irrevocably fell in love with this charming girl.
The irresistible couple skated professionally for four years and took part in ice shows. Their personal life has cracked, Anton is an addicted person, and Elena did not hold back her loved one.
Today Elena Berezhnaya is a happy mother, she has two children Tristan and Sophia-Diana from English figure skater Stephen Cousins. She is completely immersed in her work, heads the St. Petersburg State Ice Theater and trains talented St. Petersburg children.
Only at the age of 35, one of the most eligible bachelors in Russia proposed to one of the richest brides - the daughter of billionaire Leonid Lebedev.
Only at thirty-five, one of the most eligible bachelors in Russia proposed to one of the richest brides - the daughter of oil billionaire Leonid Lebedev, Yana.
Anton Sikharulidze and Yana Lebedeva. Photo: PhotoXPress.ru.
At the age of nineteen, Anton took custody and looked after Lena Berezhnaya, who received a severe head injury at the skating rink (during training, partner Oleg Shlyakhov hit her with his skate). Six years later, in 2002, the Sikharulidze-Berezhnaya couple won gold at the Olympics in Salt Lake City. The test of life's difficulties gave way to the test of glory. Then - with power: in 2007, Anton headed the relevant committee in the State Duma. And finally - money.
Anton, if you remember the beginning of your journey, did you have a “ruined childhood”?
Anton Sikharulidze:“Now, when I look at children who are doing something professionally, going to training several times a week, I feel sorry for them, I say to myself: “Lord, how can they do this?!” And then this to me It seemed like an ordinary life; I couldn’t imagine any other life. Of course, I was not the guy who was tied to the piano or forcibly sent to the section, while he stomped his feet and shouted: “I’m not going there!” Although my friends and I spent five to seven hours on the ice, but at the same time They played football and ping-pong while they waited for new training sessions, read together, and prepared homework. It was all friendly and fun. I thought it was like this for all my peers. Later I realized how lucky I was to immediately get into an interesting social circle, where everyone was striving for something.”
In general, you have nothing to regret, you didn’t miss home, since you didn’t learn figure skating in a boarding school, your parents are nearby...
Anton:“Yes, my mother took me to training every day. It took a lot of time to get there by tram, with transfers, and at a certain point my dad decided that it would be better if she left work and devoted herself entirely to my schedule. My parents, shipbuilding engineers, received a salary of about one hundred rubles, as many did then, and to immediately lose half of the family budget was decent. Now I understand that they managed to get by on my father’s salary with great difficulty. My father flew to construction brigades to earn money so that he could provide for us for a year... I will never forget my father’s boots from the Salamander company - someone got him somewhere, he wore them for about twelve years. But I had everything I needed to develop and look good. I was always fed both meat and vegetables (although at one time it was difficult to even buy them in our stores), I always had new and long-lasting clothes, and costumes for performances. I think the parents and the coach also paid something extra... All these worries were far from me, life seemed wonderful and amazing. Although I still think so.”
What about the older sister?
Anton:“Marina studied very well at school, went to some clubs, but our life together took shape with battles. Of course, I was the family member who shouldn’t wash the dishes: Anton came tired from training and went to bed. And Marina, of course, was jealous and indignant all the time. But I didn’t stand on ceremony with her: “Woman, go to the kitchen!”
I know that envy of the neighbor’s boy brought you to the skating rink...
Anton:“My mother and I were returning from a walk and saw a neighbor, a little older, who had skates hanging over his shoulder. I immediately needed the same ones, although I didn’t really understand why: since he had them, let me have them too. He came to dad and said: we need skates! Well, and dad: if Anton needs something, then so be it. We went to the store, and my father bought me two-slide skates that were attached to felt boots with leather straps. And the next day we went together to the skating rink... And so it began. By the way, dad always managed my time very wisely so that I didn’t do something unclear: I watched a movie - that’s it, let’s either read or do my homework. The only thing is, if I sometimes caught a cold and remained “on sick leave,” then my mother did any concessions for me: I lay around at home, got sick, watched TV endlessly, and she looked after me ... "
At some point, was it your father who kept you from quitting the ice?
Anton:“Yes, I’m already older, I had to not only enjoy skating, but also get involved in the work, do what doesn’t work out. But in childhood we are all lazy! And I started saying: “Why is this necessary? I have bruises. Nothing is working out for me and will never work out...” Dad sat with me in the kitchen, explained, showed me clippings from the newspaper “ Soviet sport“, where our great athletes said that they also didn’t succeed in many things, but they overcame themselves. Of course, half of it was a lie, but the essence remained correct, and so my father set me up for a real fight. My brain switched, the very next day I went to study completely calmly, not perceiving any of my failures as a death sentence.”
And your mother was probably on your side? Still, figure skating is a traumatic sport.
Anton:“It was like that. Mom often said: why is all this necessary, it’s so difficult, you’re torturing the poor child... But somehow they found a common language. By the way, about injuries: when you have been involved in sports since childhood, falls or bruises are no longer perceived so wildly. This is everyday life. On the contrary, it seems strange when you don’t have a bruise!”
You said that you regret the lives of children in sports. What will you do when your own people appear and the time comes to think about their future?
Anton:“Either way, my kids will be busy. After all, what could a four-year-old child want? Well, play something, nothing more. He is not able to think strategically, many years ahead. Therefore, the main trick of a parent is to open up some possibilities in their children, to guide them. And then see what they like best: sports, science, art... And support.”
Would you offer ice?
Anton:“Why not? I wouldn’t “pinch”: hockey, or ice skating, or archery. You just need to see the child, feel his character, his thoughts - and based on this, understand what you can offer him. Although, of course, everyone should do sports, it shapes your character, body, and well-being. And this is not a bluff. Sport makes it clear: everything you do is possible only through work, through failure. As the outstanding coach Tamara Moskvina, Tamarochka (I am her first student to whom she allowed to call herself that), says: “Lucky is the one who is lucky.”
From kitten to man
Psychologists believe that every crisis situation gives us opportunities for growth. When we are uncomfortable, we begin to think about what to change, what to do. What moments in your life can you say that tested your strength?
Anton:“For a person from the world of sports, such situations arise every day. Every single day you overcome, you try to do something better. Such thoughts, conversations with yourself begin early in the morning when you wake up, and continue even at night until you go into deep sleep. And sometimes in a dream all these topics come up ... "
Nightmares: you are on the ice, but you forgot your skates!
Anton:“I’ve never had any scary dreams. But in reality, it’s like in a nightmare: you see your mistakes, you start walking around them, digging around, pulling out some extra parts from this life’s burden... And only then can you breathe a sigh of relief, move on, having become a little more experienced. This is the only way you begin to grow internally and become so... lump. This is the whole story of the athlete. But it’s not just about improving and analyzing some technical elements. Without a healthy, sports-appropriate psyche, it is impossible to achieve results.”
What is the “correct psyche”?
Anton:“This is a specific psyche. There is calmness and the ability to gather oneself at the right moment. And insolence: if not me, then who?! Fearlessness and cowardice are together, because you can achieve a lot with both... I had my first partner who, when she jumped, made such throws, I just didn’t understand how you could decide to do this. I asked: “Well, how did you do it?” And she answered: “Because I was afraid, I was scared, I had to do everything quickly and forget!”
So, for you, the main points of working on yourself were connected specifically with work, in the sense of being on the ice?
Anton:“But my whole life I’ve had a job. And when you sit with champagne, have fun with friends in a circle beautiful girls, well, what is there to work on yourself? Everything is clear there.”
If we take people, for example, from the world of literature, there, in addition to the torment of creativity, there is also love suffering, which turns everything in a person upside down...
Anton:“In sports there is also suffering: when you lose, you have no fun. You know, it’s impossible to tear yourself into two parts: here I am an athlete, but here I am just a person. Previously, I could often lose my temper; this happened both in everyday life and in sports. And I chopped the ice, drove the heels of my skates into the sides...”
Can you say that meeting Lena Berezhnaya brought you to some new level, internal?
Anton:“Yes, Lena is my great success. The fact that we met and rode together completely changed me. The injury she received in one day turned me from a kitten with the characteristics of a man into a man who must teach a person to speak, take care of him, must bear responsibility. It was a terrible event, but, on the other hand, fantastic: it changed my entire structure and general understanding of how I would develop further. Before this, I thought: well, now, everything is little by little, little by little. And then suddenly it happened that little by little, there is no tomorrow, there is today - and that’s all.”
Dowry wedding
Anton, after turning thirty, you once admitted: “Finally, everything fell into place in my head, I can get married in a month, I can get married tomorrow, at any moment, I’m ready for this.” What happened in your head that “fell into place”?
Anton:“This is interesting... I think that any man goes through such a process of evolution: at first he is a monkey who sometimes even walks on four legs, but over time, development makes itself felt, he becomes a man who has a core, about which we can say that “this person will gladly take on the functions of the head of the family”, “you can rely on him”, “you can be behind him like a stone wall”... Every person feels when this moment comes. And I also felt: I no longer have wind in my head, but very clearly formulated thoughts - how to create a family, how to relate to the family, who I am in this family, how a family can find a place in the world...”
Parents played their role: they say, thirty years, is it time?
Anton:“No, my parents had nothing to do with this. Moreover, from the age of fourteen I spent very little time at home, which is why their influence was already quite small. We have very warm feelings, I love them, adore them, just as they do me, but, of course, they did not have a direct impact. Just… matured.”
Here is your friend Pavel Bure, who at about the same time as you decided on his own marital status...
Anton:"...a little earlier..."
...said that it is difficult for a well-known, wealthy person to meet sincere love, and then I quote: “For the time being, I was simply satisfied with this situation, and I allowed myself to be used.” Can you repeat the same thing or did you initially avoid such relationships?
Anton:“It's very difficult! After all, you never know for what purpose someone is communicating with you. And if we are talking about gender relations, then it is very difficult! It may seem like one thing to you, but in reality it’s something else. I personally cannot say anything on this issue. I wouldn't speak like Paul. Another thing is that I myself, perhaps, was not ready to see: yes, this is mine, my love. I myself had wind in my head. And it is quite possible that another person immediately feels this attitude and begins to treat you the same way. Philosophical question."
That is, the attitude towards women has also evolved?
Anton:“Of course. I began to look at the girls I met and got acquainted with, not superficially (they just sat down, chatted, danced and ran away), but with the understanding that ultimately I needed a family. At a certain point the switch was switched.”
What is the list of what you expect from a woman?
Anton:“I never had such a list at all. A person cannot be divided into component parts: what arm, what leg, what character. Kind, good, beautiful, sweet, affectionate - this is too simple. I expected that upon meeting I would simply be able to feel some kind of bundle of happiness inside me.”
Outwardly, you and your wife are very suitable for each other. You said that you remember every detail of your first meeting, how she was dressed... It seems like a spark ran right away?
(Yana and Anton met in a company where Sikharulidze was brought by his friend, Comedy Club resident Tash Sargsyan. Yana’s father Leonid Lebedev is a senator, an oil magnate and part-time producer of the film “Hipsters” and others. - Author’s note.)
Anton:“Yes, in the first hour and a half I began to take great interest in Yana, and, of course, the feeling that this was my little bundle of joy loomed somewhere. Naturally, I could not yet say unequivocally: “Exactly, I got it!” - but it was already there: this is something of mine.”
When information about the wedding appeared, it was heatedly discussed on the Internet, people said: “It’s a good match!” We tried to decide for whom it was more profitable - for you or for Yana. Your wife once said: “My greatest pride is that a person like Anton fell in love with me.” What thoughts did you have on this matter? The girl has a huge fortune, and you achieved everything with your hard work...
Anton:"It's very difficult question. There's always a lot of talk about this. Especially, I think, here in Russian society, it is fashionable to discuss who has what condition...”
...why, and in America...
Anton:“...but at the same time I will note the following: the condition of any person has nothing to do with you. As with all other people on earth. This is the first. Second. I think that no guy is interested in saying: “Now they’ll give me money, I’ll go buy a bottle of champagne and a fur coat for my wife.” I wonder when you earned this money, bought this bottle, this fur coat. This is what should warm you inside, and this is what warms me personally. Besides everything else, of course, it’s wonderful that the girl lived in abundance all her life, her head was “formed” differently. She already treats people around her, potential suitors, completely differently. She does not talk about the fact that she needs tights, that she has no choice - she needs to find a breadwinner. No, she wants to love, wants to live, feel, and everything else is trifles! This makes me very happy."
Haven’t you now canceled out the sympathy for you of thousands of girls who are thinking about how they can earn money for tights?
Anton:“Well, I didn’t think about that... So, going back to the “huge fortune” issue, we are very calm about it. Moreover, I now have a good example of a person who achieves success in business. And I always admire those who achieve success in any industry, because no success comes for nothing, it is a colossal work. This means that you can always learn something from such people. This is the whole point - I really love learning! Now I want to create my own business and develop it. It’s great that you can use someone’s experience, because in business every mistake is money!”
You prepared your marriage proposal with imagination: you delivered a huge decorated box in which almost a hundred others were hidden, one smaller than the other, and in the last one they hid a white gold ring with a diamond. Is this accumulated romanticism or a tribute to a sophisticated bride?
Anton:“I just wanted Yana to find it interesting and not be trivial, so I came up with something that, in my opinion, was funny. Nothing complicated, but at least we laughed, there was a moment of intrigue. I like surprises, I like giving gifts, and I do it with great pleasure.”
When the idea came up to have a wedding in Barcelona, in a castle, were you afraid of the scale of the event?
Anton:“And we didn’t have a big scale, we noted everything in a very narrow circle and calmly approached everything. Yana herself did a lot of organizing together with her friends, it turned out to be a very warm and memorable event.”
They say that during the wedding ceremony, your coach and friend Tamara Moskvina made a toast that literally made everyone cry. What did she say?
Anton:“Tamara is a fantastic woman. In many ways, meeting her on the path of life shaped me... But during the wedding ceremony, you are so in a state of some kind of abstraction that I cannot remember Tamarochka’s specific words. Plus, of course, in such cases everyone says very good words, you can tear up from every congratulation.”
You and Yana have an age difference of eleven years. Was there a “generation problem”?
Anton:“Personally, I generally think that my wife and I have an ideal difference, so I don’t even understand the essence of the question.”
Well, let’s say Yana listens to one type of music, and you listen to another, and you don’t overlap in any time layers...
Anton:“And you don’t have to listen to just music! Why? Yes, on the contrary, it’s great to discuss something new for yourself. I'm interested in what she likes. I don’t understand stories where everything should be the same in your head. Why then does she wear a skirt, but you don’t? The main thing is that we generally listen to music and read books. What we have in common is our energy, our understanding of each other. Just imagine: a family sits and reads two identical books before going to bed. This is complete nonsense!”
Speaking of books. I was surprised: in one of the interviews you said “my favorite Kant”, you even quoted something. How did Immanuel Kant become your favorite author?
Anton:“I was just interested in him, and then he was my favorite...”
Have you really read the “Critique of Pure Reason”?!
Anton:“And now I’ve already forgotten about him!”
So you studied philosophical literature?
Anton:“Yes, I really like her. Although there is not always enough time. And probably, nevertheless, I was more interested not in deep scientific works, but in “desktop” philosophy, more simplified, acceptable to me: I read some interesting American book, brochures of Chinese philosophers (something like Confucius), the Indian Osho - how to live without fear, jealousy and anger... At different periods of your life, different thoughts appeal to you.”
You said somewhere that your pastime with Yana now is scrabble, backgammon, cinema. Is that so?
Anton:“Well, when we are, like, lazy and don’t want to do anything else, this also happens. And in winter, for example, we skated on the outdoor skating rink every day.”
Have you put Yana on skates?
Anton:"Yes. We also go skiing, take care of the house, meet friends...”
By the way, Yana’s friends are Dasha Zhukova, Abramovich’s friend, Nastya Virganskaya, Gorbachev’s granddaughter... How close was this circle to you?
Anton:“I communicate with everyone, but... with no one. That is, when some company gets together, I can happily sit and talk about anything with Yana’s friends. But I treat with great warmth those people whom I have known for many years; with them I feel more comfortable, more comfortable. Well, it’s great that there are two different circles! And I like this too, you don’t have to constantly drag each other into your company. I’ll sit here, you’ll sit there, great, see you at home.”
That is, you let Yana go somewhere without you?
Anton:“What do you mean, ‘letting go’? How can you not let someone go somewhere?! I don't even think about it!
Still, Georgian blood...
Anton:“No, I haven’t had this for a long time, probably since I was a junior. Again, this is good: she discusses something with her friends, I discuss something with mine, then we’ll share something, I don’t see any problems.”
What happened during your junior years?
Anton:“Well, all sorts of hot things, jealousy turns on, and as you grow up, you realize that this is stupidity.”
Who is in your circle of friends?
Anton:“People from sports - Pasha Bure, for example. From business, politics. All of them are tested, loved, reliable. Very few people from outside come into our field of vision and into our team; we do not expand our circle.”
By the way, how did you meet Pavel and did your wives become friends? Alina Bure is also from a very wealthy family.
Anton:“No, we mostly communicate together, Yana and Alina have seen each other, of course, but I can’t say that they are friends. And I have known Pasha since the Olympic Games in Nagano, since 1998.”
Knight at the crossroads
You say that in life you have a craving for learning and development. A year ago, heading the Committee on Physical Education and Sports in the State Duma, you stated: “I feel that I am useful and effective here.” And what? It’s all over, are you tired, gaining strength?
Anton:“Well, you need to understand that for my lifestyle now and for the family that has appeared, the salaries that are paid in State Duma, is no longer enough.”
Two million a year?
Anton:“In my opinion, less. In any case, it's not enough. When you dream of children and have to acquire housing in Moscow (I’m from St. Petersburg), the question of completely different expenses arises. So I have to wonder where I can make money. And money is now earned only in business. And in at the moment I’m just at a crossroads, deciding which direction to choose for myself. It would be interesting to organize professional figure skating tournaments or shows at a qualitatively different level - I don’t mean directing, but finding a budget, implementing some ideas. Sports management (although there is no way to earn a lot in the civil service) is also very interesting to me: I can do it, and most importantly, I feel the need for it. Sports in Russia are now really developing, and in order to push it further, we need active young people who will slowly squeeze out the “pensioners.”
How is your restaurant business doing?
Anton:“The restaurant in St. Petersburg closed long ago, I already forgot about it.”
Has politics deprived you of any illusions?
Anton:“I had no illusions, because I very clearly understood that politics is a massacre of interests, defending one’s point of view; in principle, the same thing happens in sports. It didn't seem to me that everything was very simple or sweet. Moreover, I realized that politics should be carried out by people who love this business, understand it and do not need funds. As soon as people come into politics to earn money, everything immediately stops. And I think that is one of the deepest reasons why we have many problems in this country.”
Bleak House
One Spanish psychoanalyst, distinguishing between the words “to fall in love” and “to love,” said: “To fall in love is to love the similarity of a partner to you (my person). But when you are ready to accept those traits that distinguish him from you, this is true love.” Have you already identified those differences that you accept in Yana unconditionally?
Anton:“You know, let the Spanish psychoanalyst worry about such questions himself, I don’t want to think about it. I know that I love my wife, I feel very cozy, comfortable and reliable with her. Of course, a lot changes in your behavior when you already live as a family, and the notorious “making concessions” often really works. But what does it mean to “make concessions”? It’s one thing if you understand that not only your interests should be taken into account in the family, and you find a balance. Let’s say that Yana and I have some funny everyday inconsistencies. Yana loves it when the room is cold, really cold. Of course, sometimes it’s annoying: you come back from a walk, you want to warm up, especially in winter, when you can’t get too much teeth on the street, but at home it’s seventeen degrees cold! And you think: “Damn, I’m about to tear everyone apart!” But then you calm down and understand: well, really, this is not a fool, but this is the heat exchange in a person! It’s okay - you put on a jacket, a hat, felt boots, gloves, a padded jacket and sit and watch TV at home. No problem! And if every time you treat this as a concession, then one day you’ll just get fed up with everything and you’ll say: “Listen, how much can you give in? I’ll go with Marusya for another day, I’ll live for a month, there’s no need to give up anything.”
