On 7th September, during a plenary session of the State Duma, the people’s deputies were informed of the loss of the ice hockey team from the Lokomotiv club in Yaroslavl. The guys were flying to their first match of the season. My heart was simply bursting with pain and my inability to change what had happened. The kids had only just said goodbye to their loved ones and friends, laughing and replying to their good luck wishes…It’s frightening when death turns out to be not somewhere far away, but right around the corner. I don’t want to talk now about who is right or wrong, I just want to ask whether we remember that we all live on the same planet, that we are human beings, that we live alongside one other, that we’re not on this Earth forever, and that these are not other people’s children and loved ones dying on the Bulgaria cruise ship, the Yak-2 aircraft or the Nevsky Express…?
It’s very hard to talk about this tragedy and I’ve spent a long time choosing the right words…which is probably why I’m only writing about it now. When such sad events happen it’s hard to express your sympathy and support in mere words…and in any case, can such words really provide comfort?
It’s painful to think that so many people died, and even more painful to realize that this tragedy could have been avoided if it weren’t for the irresponsible, indifferent, greedy and cynical people in charge of the cruise, of the ship, the crew and, in effect, of the lives of all the passengers.
I’d really like to hope that this tragedy will force us all to think not just about ourselves all the time, but about the possible consequences of our actions. Nothing in life is too small to matter! Any situation or problem that might seem insignificant at some particular point in time could lead to a disaster of these proportions…and you can’t give these people their lives back…
My condolences to all the relatives and friends of those who died. For my part, I’m going to do all I can to support the little kids who have lost their parents. More than anyone else, they are now in need of help, support and the strength to keep going.
I’d like to congratulate the young people of Russia on their national holiday. For me personally, this holiday is a reminder that youth is a time for starting things and achieving dreams. And it’s a time that everyone lives through. It all depends on us, on our attitude, on the strength of our wishes and efforts to make the world a better place. This is the main resource, and without it no assistance or support will help us take even one step forward.
This holiday also reminds me that young people are the hope and future of any nation. If the hope is strong and bold, and the dream is audacious and noble, then we can look to the future with confidence. The success of our country, its reputation in international and domestic politics depends to a large extent on the upcoming generation. With all my heart I want Russian youth to believe in its own abilities, to understand that life is not just about looking after No.1, and that the activity and energy of our young people should serve the entire country! Believe in yourself!
In late September and early October, I was lucky enough to attend the birthday celebrations of the wonderful artists and actors Vera Vasilyeva and Armen Dzhigarkhanyan.
The party thrown by the Satire Theatre for Vera Kuzminichna Vasilyeva was simply amazing. But the birthday girl herself was even more amazing! So beautiful and slender, such poise…and what a great hat! Verochka Kuzminichna (that’s what everyone in the theatre calls her) is exceptionally feminine, but without a hint of affectation, and I think that’s the secret of her eternal youth, charm and beauty. She played a very active role in the party, including four (!) costume changes.
Aleksandr Shirvindt, the theatre’s chief director, looked at Vera Kuzminichna and exclaimed “Verochka, what can one say about you?”, his whole appearance demonstrating how helpless words are to describe feelings. And then he told the guests that whenever the theatre has some difficult but important problem to solve, they send Vera Kuzminichna off to do the talking for them, because it’s impossible to say “No” to her – she’s like a saint.
There was a very moving message of congratulation from the S.V.Obraztsov Puppet Theatre, where Vasilyeva stars in the show “The Curious Savage”. There were extravagant congratulations from Vladimir Zeldin, who has been a friend of Vera Kuzminichna’s since 1947 (!), from Yuriy Solomin, the head of the Malyy Theatre, and from Yevgeniy Mironov, who rushed in from the airport and was very apologetic that he wasn’t wearing a suit. The atmosphere was very warm, sincere and happy, largely thanks to Vera Kuzminichna herself, who bowled everyone over with her performance of “Madame Lulu, I Love You”.
Armen Borisovich Dzhigarkhanyan combined his own birthday party with that of his theatre, which he truly loves and cherishes. It was as if the whole of Moscow had come to congratulate him and his theatre – people of different ages, professions and social status. The first to speak was Tatyana Vasilyevna Doronina. The great actress found some amazing and astoundingly subtle and touching words of congratulation, and her speech set the tone for the whole party. The actors from Dzhigarkhanyan’s theatre had prepared a series of scenes from Armen Borisovich’s favourite plays, linking them together in a chain that skillfully led to the hero of the day sitting in the hall. There were lots of kind words, poems and funny jokes, smiles and gifts everywhere, including a film about his favourite cat. Armen Borisovich’s replies to the cheerful good wishes were relaxed and humorous and he enjoyed the practical jokes, laughing along with everyone else and even trying on a bath robe somebody gave him as a present. But we, his guests, only realized just how moved and emotional he really was when he got up on to the stage: the actor who had played so many different roles and lived so many different lives was hardly able to pronounce the words “I can’t talk now. I’ll say it later. The next time”.
It isn’t the best known or most celebrated day in our calendar. In fact, many people aren’t even aware that it exists. And it’s perhaps for that reason that I want to draw attention to it, to express my admiration and say thank you to these amazing people. For their commitment and love of life, their ability to enjoy things that ordinary people often don’t notice. I really like the expression “people with limited abilities but unlimited willpower”, because these are not just fine words – it really is true.
This year, one of my “Steps towards Success” programmes was about the winners of the Paralympic Games in Vancouver who came first in the medals count. I had dreamt about doing a programme on them for a long time. I wanted to say a huge thanks to the paralympians for giving us all the opportunity to be proud of our country, of beauty and spiritual strength that really know no bounds.
I think this day is not so much for people with disabilities as for all of us; so that we don’t just worry about our own endless problems all the time, but remember that there are people amongst us with different starting opportunities. People who need our support and who live alongside us – in the same country, the same city, the same street…
First day of the school year. The joy that this event brings to the lives of adults and children is tarnished with the sorrow, tragedy and grief of Beslan, which struck a chord in the heart of our nation. It’s hard to talk about that tragedy, about the helplessness of children living alongside us…But I’d like to say a few words about something else – about our attitude to life in general.
This spring, when we had the terrorist attacks in the metro, there were so many people who came to the aid of the victims! Some just dropped what they were doing and drove the victims home or to hospital; others took them into their own homes and helped them get over the shock; and some, with no thought for their own pain, carried out those who were unable to walk. People came together and became very sort of genuine. But that was in a moment of difficulty…in normal times, we’re more and more obsessed with ourselves. We don’t trust one another and don’t really help one another; all we see is our own problems. We often can’t be bothered with other people; we don’t know and don’t want to know who our neighbours are.
I grew up in Tashkent. It wasn’t all that long ago, but times and attitudes were completely different. We all got along well and spoke to one another, we could visit a neighbour to borrow some salt or sugar and we knew that the neighbours would always be willing to share. If there was a celebration in our apartment block or someone was getting married they used send round some plov – the Uzbek national dish – to every apartment. A celebration in your neighbour’s house really was a celebration for everyone. I’m not saying they still live like that in Tashkent now – lots of things have changed there too. All I’m saying is that so many good things are disappearing from our lives, being lost through our own fault.
There used to be a Greek quarter in Tashkent, and a Jewish one too - people of all sorts of nationalities were friendly, socialized and were interested in one another. No stranger could appear in our courtyard without us asking who he was: we knew our friends’ friends and our next door neighbours’ friends. And we didn’t know them just out of curiosity, but because we were friends and loved one another and projected those feeling on to those around our friends and neighbours.
I’m not idealizing that life: we used to have arguments and trouble in those days too, but they were never the most important things. We lived for what united us, not for what divided us. We understood the familiar saying “My home is my castle” in a much broader and more selfless way, and our castle was our district, our city, our country.
Nowadays, we don’t even know who lives on the other side of the wall from us. And when you don’t know who your neighbour is, how can you ask him for help or go to him with a question? In fact, he wouldn’t even open the door, because he doesn’t know who you are.
We’ve probably got lots of problems and are always rushing to get somewhere or do something. Life seems to set a crazy pace and we absolutely have to get everything done. But there are some days when we realize (though not for long) that this pace is just a rate race that’s making us miss something very important. We’re letting the most important thing in our lives pass by or we’re rushing past a place where we need to stop. We’re ceasing to value life and planning it too rigidly. We’re forgetting that it’s unpredictable and complex and that whatever we plan could just disappear in a single second.
P.S. I keep using the word “we” because indifference has almost become an epidemic. But – and I particularly want to emphasize this - if some people have the strength ALWAYS to act not out of indifference, but out of love, then THANK YOU to those people! Perhaps we still EXIST because there ARE such people.
On 20th June I was at the Crystal Turandot awards ceremony http://www.tyrandot.ru/. I even had the honour of presenting the prize to Armen Borisovich Dzhigarkhanyan, which was a surprise and great pleasure for me. I admire Armen Borisovich’s talent and have the greatest respect for his work. Though actually, to be precise, it’s not so much “work” as “Service to the Arts”. And he does it with no fuss, with such calm and dignity, with all his talent and all his life. It’s wonderful that the most prestigious Turandot prize - For Valorous Service to the Theatre, Honour and Dignity - this year went to Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, People’s Artiste of the USSR.
The Crystal Turandot is one of the top awards in the world of theatre, alongside the Golden Mask. Everybody who is anybody in Moscow theatre was there. I presented the precious figurine together with Vladimir Zeldin. And that’s how I ended up alongside two wonderful actors – so talented, courteous, wise and dignified…the pride of Russian theatre!
By the way, during the ceremony I invited Vladimir Zeldin to star in my TV show Steps towards Success, and he accepted. The show was actually filmed last week and will be shown on Channel 5 in the near future. Getting people like Armen Dzhigarkhanyan and Vladimir Zeldin to come on the show is definitely a step towards success for Steps towards Success.
All website visitors are my guests. I pay attention to what my guests say and try to answer most of the questions but like any host I have my own rules. These are not at all difficult to follow: all I ask is that any rude comments or remarks that are aggressive or contain obscenities are to be removed from the website. I can’t stand rudeness: I’m never rude myself and don’t allow it in others. Aggression is too negative of an emotion to spread, especially in a public space. As for vocabulary, if you don’t know enough polite words you can always use a dictionary of synonyms (which you can also find on the internet).
We went to Pavlodar thanks to Dad: he was playing there for his football team Pakhtakor and the whole family lived there for about four years. I carried on with my gymnastics there because Mum didn’t want me to drop it. From Pavlodar I even got to the Asian championship. Not as a member of the team, because I came seventh (and I needed to get into the top three), but with a demonstration programme. This is how it all happened: the top gymnastics trainer in Kazakhstan saw my demonstration performance after the competition and said “We’re taking this girl with us anyway”. The championship was in Japan. I remember there were some financial problems, but Dad found some sponsors and things were sorted out somehow. But we still arrived late at the championship – it took us ages to get visas in Moscow. I remember while we were waiting for the visas we trained hard in a gymnastics school on Schelkovskaya Street.
But still, we managed to perform with the top sportswomen of that time - Asel Mustafina, for example, who was also from Pavlodar. She won two gold medals that year.
Taking part in the demonstration performances made a strong impression on me – I did a routine with the rope in a huge hall with an enormous monitor above the stage. I really wanted to see myself on that monitor, so I tried to jump higher. When I succeeded I was really pleased - it turned out I was very good at it. And in addition, of course, I simply adored Japan!
Overall, I have very good memories of Pavlodar. We had a great team: we were good friends, we trained and travelled to events together. I’m also grateful to the trainers I trained with, and I can say without any doubt that they had a hand in my successes.
People often ask me what I think about advertising through mass media channels, particularly - about TV advertizing. Unfortunately, the way things are at present, television couldn’t exist without advertizing. Advertizing is one of the main sources of funding for TV. But this doesn’t mean that TV advertizing shouldn’t be controlled, or that money should take precedence over values. There are some legal restrictions on the amount, duration, form and subject matter of adverts. And this is as it should be, though the quality and quantity of the adverts on TV today leave a lot to be desired. It would be nice to see a bit more social advertizing on current issues, of course. But this is quite an expensive business for the government, especially during a crisis. Still, it’s good that this kind of advertizing does exist, and I’ve no doubt there will be more of it in the future.
The hotline has now closed, but the calls keep coming in…
The CSE hotline was much busier this year than last. There were lots of calls with good questions, and whereas last year most of them were about procedures, this year the experts hardly had time to answer all the concrete questions about school subjects, though there were masses of procedural questions too. I was really pleased to see the kids taking the hotline seriously and placing so much trust in it. There were a few cases where the line had to act as a kind of “emergency service”, even after it had officially closed down.
I’ll give you two examples. The first was a request from School NO.1035 (Eastern Administrative Area, Metrogorodok district). What happened was that some school-leavers had been given CSE certificates made out in blue ink (instead of black) and the universities were refusing to accept them. In the enrollment offices the kids were being told that their CSE certificates were invalid – and this was just one week before the enrollment deadline! By that time the school’s head teachers were on holiday, and the Moscow Education Department said it would take over a month to replace the certificates. The people on the Education Inspectorate hotline didn’t know what to suggest, either… So then the kids’ parents started phoning the CSE hotline.
A pretty unusual situation, to say the least! So I decided to get in contact directly with the head of the Education Inspectorate (Rosobrnadzor), Lyubov Nikolayevna Glebova. She immediately called her assistant and gave her instructions, and things were promptly sorted out: the kids were issued with new certificates a few days later.
The second case where we had to provide emergency assistance was in Volgograd. We were contacted by the father of a pupil who had sat a supplementary social studies exam in the regional education committee. The day on which she was to receive her CSE certificate practically coincided with the student enrollment deadline for the universities. But she couldn’t submit her application without the certificate, as this would automatically exclude her from the selection procedure…
This stalemate situation (as her father put it) was also resolved after we, together with the Education Inspectorate, got involved, and in the end the technical hitches did not prevent her from applying to the universities and institutes of her choice.
I could mention other examples, too, but the main thing is that the kids and their parents didn’t panic when they found themselves in difficulty, and together with the Education Inspectorate we were able to help.
So the CSE hotline not only provided the kids with advice on subjects and exam procedures, but also acted as a kind of emergency response centre to solve
Yes, I do have a dream, and not just one. Actually, I dream a lot, and I advise everyone to do so. You shouldn’t just dream about things, though: you have to try to make your dream come true. The main thing is not to be afraid to take the first step. And then everything’s bound to work out.
After the CSE hotline closed down I met the consultants who had been working on it. I want to stress again that all the experts who worked on the line were very high-calibre professionals.
I’m really pleased they’ve supported my project and have now done a second year on the hotline. None of them were fazed by the difficulties we had launching the hotline or - later on - by its growing popularity and the increased number of calls and questions. The number of questions increased several times over compared to last year. Sometimes the hotline consultants spent hours on end answering questions without a break, which is very stressful, of course. And besides having to answer any question in their own fields, each of the experts also had to be a psychologist, because the school-leavers, their parents and grandparents were all nervous about the approaching exams and sometimes couldn’t even formulate their questions clearly…But despite all these difficulties, the consultants still managed to get the gist of the questions, provide prompt and helpful answers, and put the callers at their ease.
I’m really pleased that after the CSE hotline closed down we all found the time to meet. It was a constructive conversation. For example, the experts proposed including advice from a psychologist on the line from next year, because the pupils often get worked up and concerned, and these feelings can prevent them from displaying their knowledge at the exam. A psychologist could provide advice on how to cope with these emotions, all the worry and the lack of confidence. I think this is something we’ll definitely take on board next year. Given how busy the line was - several times more calls and questions coming in by email – the experts suggested opening the hotline earlier next year, rather than just one month before the CSE in “emergency response” mode.
During that meeting, of course, we also talked about shortcomings in the CSE itself – mistakes in the exam papers, poorly worded questions and that sort of thing. All these comments and recommendations are now being pulled together in a separate document, which I will make a point of handing over very soon to the head of the Russian Education Inspectorate (Rosobrnadzor), Lyubov Nikolayevna Glebova.
So we had a very constructive meeting, with lots of discussion and planning. The important thing for me is that the experts really care about what they do and take a responsible approach to their work. I’m really pleased and proud that we have such a good team on our hotline!
Just the other day I had a happy experience - I received a diploma of higher education from the P.F.Lesgaft University of Physical Culture, Sport and Health. Naturally, like all students, I had to sit state exams and defend my diploma work. And I really enjoyed doing it, because it gave me the opportunity to make use of the experience that I’ve picked up in sport over the years. You know, I’ve received many diplomas in my life, but this one has a special significance for me because it confirms my sporting achievements in the form of a diploma of higher sports education, bringing practice and theory together.
The award of a diploma is a very exciting process, of course. All our teachers and the university management were there, together with all the graduates, many of which had brought their parents along as well. Naturally, we were all very happy and talked together about our plans. Some want to become trainers and are looking for positions; others want to continue their studies. But the main thing is that all of all already have some kind of start in life. I hope the graduates from our institute will be able to pass on their knowledge and train young kids not only in Moscow, but in the regions too. Because often the teaching conditions are excellent in the regions, including for gymnastics trainers. When we were all chatting together somebody asked for my advice, and I suggested they think about starting a career in one of the regions.
The award of a diploma is also an opportunity to thank your lecturers and the rector for the knowledge they have imparted to you over these years, for their patience and understanding. And I was happy to do this.
I think the problems in education today are mainly to do with the attitudes that teachers take towards their profession. And everything possible needs to be done to create conditions in schools and institutes that will attract teachers who love their job. There are plenty of problems at the moment, of course…but when you think about this, for some reason I always remember the warmth with which my mother spoke about her school (“You can’t imagine, Alina, how much I enjoyed going to school and what good teachers we had!”). You rarely hear anyone say things like that these days. Usually they’ll mention one or two favourite teachers. But we students at the Lesgaft institute were lucky, because we had excellent teachers. A big thank you to them!
When we were making the programme about Zhenya Kanaeva - the winner of the 2008 Olympics - I visited Novogorsk. I really missed that training camp – so many different experiences and memories were associated with it. I’d been planning to visit for a long time, but never managed. So a big thank-you to Zhenya!
Novogorsk has definitely changed for the better. It’s become even more beautiful and homely. The hall in which I trained was recently redecorated and looks stunning – it’s so bright, there’s so much sunshine, and such gorgeous views! It’s just impossible to leave that hall. A super environment to train in! For me, Novogorsk was and is one of the best camps in the world.
I remember when I was about 12 and things were quite difficult in Russia: there was hardly any money available for sport, and the younger team was often sent off to train at other camps in other towns. So I trained in Dubna and, to be frank, it just made me appreciate Novogorsk all the more.
Dubna actually had a good gym, but it wasn’t designed for rhythmic gymnastics. The ceiling was too low, so the hoop or ball kept hitting it and this would interrupt the routine. And the mat was as hard as sandpaper: you would do a roll and get up with your skin almost torn off.
I used to train until late at night, but just couldn’t mange to do a clean routine, and they wouldn’t make allowances because you can get all sorts of conditions at competition…
When the training was finally over and we went back to Novogorsk, the first thing I did was to rush into the hall and kiss the carpet. And after that I never complained again that I was tired of Novogorsk. I just loved that camp, and however good the conditions might be in any other place, I was always dying to get back to Novogorsk. And not only because we had such a good hall to train in, but because of the wonderful people who worked there. It was largely thanks to them and the attention they lavished on us that we went on to win so many awards.
Ever since the CSE hotline started I’ve been getting letters from all sorts of people of all ages and professions who don’t agree with the new system of common state exams. As a matter of principle, I don’t get involved in arguments about this, because my aim in setting up the hotline was completely different.
The CSE is like a bridge that all school-leavers - like it or not - have to pass across. And they need help here and now - concrete help, rather than just my musings on the pros and cons of the new system. If the advice from my hotline helps a lot of pupils to pass the CSE this will be a real and helpful outcome. And for me that’s really important.
In December I managed to take a trip to Tashkent – the city of my childhood – to see my family and friends. They’re making a documentary film about me at the moment, so naturally I made sure they included a bit on my childhood in Tashkent.
My family in Tashkent (from left to right): cousin Firuza, Granny, Auntie Luiza, me, my nephew Chingizkhan, Granddad and Dad.
Winter’s not the best time of year for Tashkent, but to be honest, I don’t notice this, because I always find it so warm here. I love this city. I love its hospitable people, its culture, and I miss it when I’m unable to visit for a while.
My excitement began in the airport even before the plane took off – so many memories came flooding back. You see, I hadn’t been there for a few years. Tashkent is where I spent my childhood, where I grew up surrounded by love, happiness and attention. I was a totally happy child there. This is really important, because the atmosphere you grow up in, in which you begin your life, affects your whole life to come.
I don’t mean to say there were never any difficulties in my life: just that from childhood I was taught to take the right attitude to things. These days I find myself thinking more and more that whatever happens in life is always for the best.
I visited all my old haunts in Tashkent: the house where I lived, my kindergarten, and the school and gym where I was taught and trained.
Dad and I in my first gym
I got the impression that Tashkent had hardly changed since I left. Dad and I went to see the stadium where he used to play for Pakhtakor and I used to sit in the stands cheering at his goals, along with everyone else. I remember being so proud that it was my Dad who had scored, and I used to dream of doing something myself that would make the whole stadium go wild with delight. By the way, Dad is also working on youth issues: just recently he was appointed senior trainer for the Uzbek youth team.
Nanayka and Duati (my grandmother and grandfather)
I’m really pleased I managed to spend so much time with Granny and Granddad, because it’s been four years since I last saw them.
Granny used to worry about me all the time (probably like every grandmother in the world) - that I am working too hard, or training too hard and getting very tired. When I met her during this trip the first thing she said to me was “I’m so pleased you’ve given up sport”. And I too am pleased that I’ve given up sport and found a calling for myself in other spheres that are just as important for the country and interesting for me.
With nephew Chingizkhan
I’m so glad I managed to spend some time in the city where I was born and to see my family and friends…They gave me such a warm welcome that I didn‘t want to leave. But when I did, I took with me a mass of positive emotions and vivid memories. I want to say “thank you” once again to the city and the land where I was born, where I was brought up and took my first steps in life and gymnastics. I really hope Uzbekistan will be strong and prosperous!
On Saturday (4 October) I visited Astrakhan. The city was celebrating its anniversary and had put quite a lot of effort into preparing for the event. They’d built or restored so many new streets, promenades and houses. The city government had invited me to the opening of a sports village and the first professional gym for rhythmic gymnastics in the south of Russia, in School No.4. And although I don’t have much time these days, I managed to make the trip. I was very pleased about that, because Astrakhan has one of the oldest gymnastics schools in the country. It’s produced Olympic, European and World Championship prize-winners.
I was given such a warm welcome by the kids in that school! First of all, I opened the sports village with the mayor of Astrakhan, Sergey Bozhenov, and then we went up to the gymnastics hall. It really is superbly equipped, and I think it would be sheer delight to practise in it. I was touched that the little girls, even the very youngest, had prepared a special programme - it was obvious how hard they’d tried and how important it was for them to show what they could do. They put on an absolutely super show!
Then we went to a meeting with some youth organizations. That meeting made a good impression on me. The kids were enthusiastic about next year being Youth Year. To be honest, I didn‘t expect to be asked such profound and serious questions. They even passed on some ideas and recommendations for Youth Year events. Overall, I was really pleased and inspired by that meeting.
The mayor showed me a new and superbly equipped cardiology centre, an almost completed sports centre, a musical theatre that’s still under construction and some newly opened promenades. Astrakhan has definitely changed a lot and been transformed since I was there for a competition in 1997. And that’s great!
Everything we saw during our trip to South Ossetia was horrifying. I visited the scene of the tragedy to deliver some mats for the sports school. The mats were loaded into a helicopter and off we flew. But 30 or 40 minutes later the helicopter turned round sharply and started heading back. It turned out that we were supposed to fly through the mountain pass, but visibility was very poor there, so the pilot decided not to risk it and returned to Vladikavkaz. The sense of danger was absolutely real.
In the end we went by car, and it took more than four hours. Everything around us had been destroyed, and there were columns of tanks and armed vehicles stretching for many kilometres coming in the opposite direction…It made my heart shrink to see those young soldiers, almost like little boys, travelling in their armed vehicles…I worry for them, but at the same time I’m proud of them. You know, a sort of feel you’re in safe hands when you see them. Thanks to them, we can sleep easy in our beds, work, study…
I admire the huge amount of work that’s been done in Tskhinval by the people from the Civil Defence Ministry, too. And actually I want to say a big thank-you to them for making my visit possible – they helped me get to the town and deliver the mats to the school.
When we entered the town I was shocked by what remained of the buildings after the bombings…But you know, when I spoke to the people there I was struck by their kind eyes. They had so much hope in them…people are trying to build a new life. And the kids were laughing – life goes on, despite everything.
Tskhinval is in a dreadful state, but the people are returning and doing things with their hands alongside the Civil Defence Ministry, and everyone together is trying to bring their town back to life. I’d love to help them, do everything I can - build a sports centre so the town can start living a normal life again as soon as possible. And not just Tskhinval, but the whole of South Ossetia.
I’m very pleased that the “hotline” for advice on the Common State Exam (CSE) has had such a big response from kids, parents and teachers. I knew that school pupils are having problems with the CSE and wanted to give them real help in some way. The important thing is that the hotline is solving real problems for real people every day. The calls have been coming in from all over Russia (more than 80 regions). People have phoned from all over the country, though mostly from Moscow, of course. I’m also pleased that my ideas have met with understanding and support from the Education Ministry and the Federal Education and Science Supervision Service, and the press coverage has been positive. The “Izvestiya” newspaper even decided to organize a press conference on the hotline and I was invited to speak. I really hope the CSE hotline will continue into next year and build on this year’s experience and the recommendations already made. And there’s one more thing: there were people who said there was no need for this hotline, that it was too complicated and there would be problems and so on. But I decided that if I had hit upon a useful idea and was funding this project myself, why should I be afraid of potential problems? Especially at the very beginning of my career as a State Duma member and politician. So what if there are problems and difficulties…I’ll solve them! And I’m really pleased that I didn’t give up and saw the thing through with my team.
What an extraordinary and madly beautiful city! I had heard about Prague before, but I didn’t expect it would be so beautiful. The architecture is amazing, mysterious – such a harmonious mix of styles. All that beauty flows together in such an unhurried way, I would say. But if you were to invite me to live there, I couldn’t, despite the city’s charm. I have a completely different pace of life. Prague is probably too peaceful, too measured for me. Sometimes that kind of peace is exactly what you want. But not always…
The “Izvestiya” newspaper once established a prize for services to culture, business, politics and sport. The award has been given to Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, Nikita Mikhalkov, Vladimir Spivakov, Irina Antonova, Oleg Tabakov, Vladimir Gusev and others. And I’m really thrilled to have also received this award. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the award-presentation ceremony last year. But they didn’t forget about me. The other day at Izvestiya’s press conference (on the CSE hotline) the editor-in-chief Vladimir Mamontov sprung a surprise on me – he presented me with the “Izvestnost” award. It was an exciting and really unexpected moment. Thank you!
I have the greatest admiration for the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, because she was able to stand up to pressure and wasn’t afraid to push through unpopular reforms, knowing they would bring future benefits to the country. She knew how to listen patiently to people and then finally do things her own way, because she believed that would be best for the country. A British politician once said that “England has no permanent friends or permanent enemies. England has only permanent interests”. I think Margaret Thatcher was very clear on that principle when she was Prime Minister. She was adored by the British people, and the Queen made her a baroness in recognition of her services to the country. Somebody once said of her that England has two treasures: one of them is oil, and the other is Margaret Thatcher.
Why Bunin? Firstly, because his language is light and beautiful. I even underline some passages to come back to them later. When you read him you don’t realize it at first, but then you notice that your own way of talking begins to change, and certain turns of phrase start coming to mind. His stories aren’t exactly long, but they’re filled with such deep meaning that you can’t just glance through the text without feeling anything - you’re always reacting to his words. Especially if you’ve already had some experiences of your own and if there’s love in your own life. You automatically imagine yourself in the shoes of Bunin’s characters. He’s my kind of writer, the things he writes about are dear to me.
The rock opera Juno & Avos stars some outstanding actors, with Dmitri Pevtsov giving a wonderful performance as the lead character, Duke Nikolay Rezanov. I really enjoyed it. The action unfolds gradually and draws you in. I was amazed by Conchita’s devotion – she refuses to believe that the man she loves is dead and waits for him for more than 30 years! Why wouldn’t she believe it? How could she have waited for so long and spent her whole life waiting? And this isn’t just a writer’s imagination – it’s based on a real love story…
Several years ago an Italian TV company came to make a programme about me. During the filming I was asked who my female idol was. I said I had no idols, but that I respected Catherine the Great as a politician and a great empress. They probably weren’t expecting an answer like that and asked me why. So I explained it, and my opinion still hasn’t changed to this day: Catherine the Great was an outstanding politician and diplomat. She not only managed to keep control of such a huge country, but even strengthened it and made it into a proper great power. The empress was a very good judge of character. She knew exactly how much she could ask any particular person to do, and most importantly, she had a good feeling for the country’s capabilities, what needed to be reformed straight away and what could wait.
It was she who pushed through most of the reforms begun by Peter the Great. Catherine had an enormous capacity for work: she found time not only to handle affairs of state, but also to correspond with famous Europeans, to compose plays, to travel around the country (and in those days that was not at all easy) and to take part in court festivities. And all the time she remained a woman with all her feminine weaknesses.
Of course, Catherine was hardly an exemplary mother, but she wasn’t a bad grandmother. She even composed fairytales for her grandson. But what impresses me most of all about Catherine is that she was a great politician who did an awful lot for her country.
Did you know that it was under Catherine that the urban school network was set up and a lot of academies were established? It was under Catherine that girls were first given the opportunity of a systematic education – for example, the Smolny Institute for daughters of the nobility was opened and the Russian Academy was established, and a huge number of foster homes were set up for homeless children.
You can’t force someone to get involved in charity work. It has to come from the heart. You have to feel the call.
I provide help to a kindergarten. It’s like an orphanage, and what I’m trying to do is to make things there better for the kids that live there than for those who go home in the evenings. I don’t ask for anything in return; I have just one wish – that the kids grow up healthy and happy. And I also have my own charity fund – I hope I can achieve something with it for those in need…
Actually, it’s never been my aim to become famous. I just really loved rhythmic gymnastics and I still do today. When I was a little girl I used to go to a gym with a podium in it, and when there was nobody around I would climb up to the top step and imagine I was the world champion. For some reason I thought that the world championship was more important than the Olympics. But I never thought about being popular or about “getting on the telly”.
But what does “glory” actually mean? Probably everyone has a different understanding of it.
For me, it probably means fantastic experiences that just don’t compare with anything else, when you stand on a podium to the sound of your country’s national anthem…
Happiness for me means good health for me and my family. These are the people I love and cherish. More than anything else in the world I fear losing a loved one, so I’m wiling to do absolutely anything for each of them. I’m happy to have a family like mine. It would be a sin to complain. I wake up every day and that is happiness: each moment of my life.
Red Shadeow was the first feature film in which I played a leading role. It’s a historical thriller with elements of fantasy – a film about good and evil. It was a big box office hit in Japan. The story is based on the confrontation between two shadows – Red and Blue. The blue shadow is the good one, and red is bad.
I played the girlfriend of a Blue Shadow warrior. I really enjoyed the shoot - after all, for gymnastics you also need artistry and a feeling for the stage and the audience…
There were some difficulties, though. But I was helped out by a translator called Tanya who told me to put everything out of my mind, to forget my excitement and concentrate on the role, and it would all work out.
And that’s what I did. And everything really did work out. It was sheer pleasure being filmed! And they looked after me like I was a Hollywood star and gave me lots of support. The director was pleased and said he hadn’t expected me to be able to act so well, and he was very complimentary. The whole atmosphere was so cosy and friendly. That shoot was great experience for me!
I simply adore Japan. My first working trip abroad was to Japan in 1994 and I remember it to this day.
The Asian Championship was being held there, and my Dad, who was playing football in Kazakhstan at the time, found some sponsors so that the whole team could go. But our visas were held up for a long time, and we arrived late for the competition. This got us all worried, but the organizers gave the girls the chance to show what they could do in the various programmes and I was allowed to take part in the demonstration performance.
Ever since then I’ve been in love with Japan, its culture, the people and their traditions. Maybe it’s also very dear to me because I’m an oriental girl myself. I really feel at ease there.
I want to work in politics and public affairs, and it’s something I enjoy. I think I’ll find a role for myself here now that my sporting career is over. The standards are high, of course, but I’m confident I can make it. The future of my country is important to me.
I want to get more attention for young people, children and mass-participation sport, because all they get these days is peanuts. Yet this is the foundation for future achievements and the health of the entire nation.
When I became a famous sportswoman and especially when I got into the Duma I realized there were lots of things I could no longer afford to do, because so many people see me as a role model. I felt a particularly strong sense of responsibility to children and young people, I realized I no longer had the right to do or say anything without thinking through the consequences first; I couldn’t be negligent in my thoughts or appearance.
When I was in professional sport, at the beginning I felt responsibility only towards Mum and my trainer, and at the Olympics there was a responsibility towards the entire country. Now I’m a public figure and feel responsibility to my voters above all, to the young people, and I’ll try to do whatever I can to justify their hopes and expectations.
I know exactly how far I can go before doing myself an injury. This is something I was taught by my trainer. She can always feel when her students needs to stop training.
To be honest, I don’t remember. In gymnastics the prize money is generally pretty small. In the past, after a successful performance at the Russian Championship they would give us money – 30 roubles a time, probably. For me, that was important – but not the amount itself so much as the feeling that I had earned it. In 1996 we won the club team world championship and the bonus there was bigger, but I can’t remember how much exactly.
“Thanks to” an illness (I got quite a bad cold in March) I was able to watch quite a lot of TV - almost the whole day long. I picked a couple of channels and decided to see what they were showing during the day. I was surprised that the programming was so unsystematic – first, there would be several soap operas in a row, then some gossip shows. In the evenings, when the whole family usually gets together, there’s hardly anything on TV that parents can watch together with their children.
They’re just showing rubbish… And in the afternoon, when the kids come back from school and switch on the telly, they can’t find anything they are interested in…
Actually, I did catch one worthwhile programme, though it was on very late at night. I won’t tell you which channel it was on, but let’s call it “Helping Mum”. It was all about a psychologist who visits a family to help the parents deal with a specific problem, such as disobedient children. I liked that programme. There were a couple of pieces of advice I could use for bringing up my own kids or just for communicating within my own family. It’s a pity they’re showing such a good programme so late at night.
When I was 12 Mum gave me the best present of my life: she brought me to Moscow to show me to Irina Alexandrovna Viner. Admittedly, Irina Alexandrovna’s first judgment was severe: she said I was already too old and didn’t even want to take a look at me. But Mum insisted and eventually talked her round. “Alright”, she said, “tell her to get changed and come into the hall…” And I began to practice, without even attempting to show anything special. Suddenly, Irina Alexandrovna came up to me and said “I was told you also know how to smile. So come on – smile!” And the way she said it I just couldn’t help laughing.
As far as unpleasant feelings are concerned, it was losing the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. I felt as if my life had ended and I had nothing more ahead of me. But later, with the passing of time, I realized that was a good lesson that forced me to move on and develop.
In second place is probably my unfair disqualification.
And as far as good impressions are concerned, I really don’t know what to say. My whole life has been so colourful. I really love life!
It doesn’t just grow on trees: you have to spend long years training hard, living very modestly, denying yourself so many things before you start earning a decent salary. When Mum and I moved to Moscow all she had in her pocket was 75 dollars. I got a place in a training camp with all expenses paid, but Mum and my sister had to pay 150 dollars to share a flat with two other families and a young man. When I started getting my first stipends and prize money I had to begin by looking after Mum and little sister.
But you can’t really compare the prize money in gymnastics with what they get in tennis, ice hockey or football. Yes, I get an Olympic stipend, and they’ve now introduced grants for Russian team members, and there are commercial tournaments in the Grand Prix series. But you can earn much more from advertising.
I recently re-read Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoy. One episode sticks in my mind: There’s a character there – Karenin’s brother, I think – who says that you have to farm the land and he has lots to do. And then he suddenly realizes that if he dies he’ll be forgotten and won’t be missed by anyone.
And everything will come to an end. That moved me.
Time is our life. In the past, whenever anyone asked what I was afraid of in this life I would naively reply that I’m not afraid of anything. But then one of my relatives died and I realized what it means to lose somebody close. I realized I was afraid of that. I suddenly felt that all the arguments and all the failures in sport or anything else were just trivial nonsense! And it was also then that I realized what a terrible thing time is. But time also cures any misfortune. If ever I have a problem I say to myself “What can I do? I just have to be patient. And tomorrow the sun will shine once again! There will be another day!”
I’ve never envied other people’s victories, because all my life I’ve known that I have no competitors. My only rival is myself. There are some wonderful gymnasts, but they can’t stop me winning a prize. None of them are going to push me from behind during a performance, after all. If I make a mistake, it will be my own mistake. Can you imagine some rival running up to me during my performance and taking the ball away? All my mistakes and all my achievements depend on me and me alone!
Obviously I can’t please everyone, because people are all different. I’m grateful to Mum for advising me once not to take everything so close to heart. In the past I used to think it was a disaster if anybody at all showed their dislike – it made me feel everyone had turned their back on me. But now I realize that’s not the case. You can’t escape envy. I realize that I don’t deserve that kind of attitude, and I always think that when people get to know me better they’re bound to change their point of view.
I don’t aim to create sensation or scandals – that’s not my style. And in any case, I’m not some pop star or show business personality who can’t live without being the focus of attention. I don’t need hype around my name, or to be surrounded by scandals – I have a great life without all that. I’m not afraid of being forgotten. I’m used to winning in honest sporting contest, and my name’s already in the Olympic history books thanks to my victories.
Some people like to earn money from any kind of PR or any kind of scandal. But for me that just gets in the way - it distracts me from what’s really important; it creates a lot of psychological pressure and wastes time on court cases…Once they wrote some rubbish about me in the tabloids, so I sued them and won. And I’ve no intention of putting up with anyone who writes lies about me.
Yes, this is something I’m familiar with. I cure it through music, which is something I really love. Music makes me dream. I love classical music, such as Carmen.
I know exactly when to stop, so as not to loose it or injure myself. I was taught this by my trainer. She always senses when her students need to take a break.
But I decided that if I had hit upon a useful idea and was funding this project myself, why should I be afraid of potential problems? Especially at the very beginning of my career as a State Duma member and politician. So what if there are problems and difficulties…I’ll solve them! And I’m really pleased that I didn’t give up and saw the thing through with my team. 
