Alexander Zaitsev: “I regret that I became an official. Alexander Zaitsev (skater) - biography, information, personal life Figure skater Alexander Zaitsev is now family
On September 12, the famous figure skater, three-time Olympic champion, ten-time world champion, and deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Irina Rodnina received birthday congratulations.
Her memoirs, “Tear of a Champion,” published this year, became a real “bomb.” The athlete spoke frankly about her personal life, about intrigues in figure skating and difficult relationships with coaches. We bring to your attention the most intriguing fragments from the book.
Already in the first lines of her memoirs, Rodnina admits that she will not spare anyone:
“I wrote an honest book, so it’s tough. Anyone who knows me well will not be surprised. I never judged anyone behind their backs and always spoke out directly. This is who I am, I won’t be anyone else.”
The future champion recalls that her father instilled a love for sports in her and her sister. But she hasn’t liked doing exercises in the morning since childhood:
“When dad was around, the morning began with exercises at the open window... Since then, I can’t stand morning exercises: I’ve had a terrible allergy to this mournful music in the morning, to these open windows since childhood...”
The athlete’s father, a career military man, believed that figure skating was a hobby for his daughter. And he waited a long time for Ira to really decide on his profession:
“I believe that I got into big-time sports completely by accident. They brought me to the skating rink to improve my health, and then things went on and on... Initially, I did not show any sports talents. It was important for the parents that their daughter was working and the child’s health seemed to be improving. And then, in the same year, when we won the World Championship for the first time, dad said a significant phrase: “Daughter, what will we do next?” Me: “In what sense?” Dad: “You need to choose a serious profession. You won - great. Few people succeed in this, but life doesn’t stop there.” Every year my dad asked me: “I hope this is your last season?” He had already retired and was waiting for me to stop doing nonsense and come to my senses. Dad knew one thing: his girls must have a good education and a good profession. But these trawls, this is figure skating, it is up to a certain point ... "
Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev 1977:
Rodnina more than once had to face tough competition not only on the ice, but also behind the scenes of sports competitions:
“There was a hitch before the free program. Our dresses were fastened with zippers, and some of the girls had the threads along the zipper cut with a razor. When you close the zipper, the cut is not immediately visible. But if you strain your back, the zipper comes apart. I remember that I sewed the zipper back. When I told Zhuk (Stanislav Zhuk - Rodnina’s coach - author’s note) what happened, he responded by telling stories that happened with previous teams. Zhuk recalled that championships used to be held on outdoor skating rinks, and someone’s skates were placed on the radiator. The skate got hot, and when the “enemy” came out to skate the “school”, the skate was literally soldered into the ice. Usually there was a long path leading to the skating rink. You had to walk a long way to get on the ice; the locker rooms were far away. Everyone walked this path on the teeth so as not to damage the blades... The “Khokhmachi” sprinkled the path with sand or strewn it with buttons. This is how they had fun. It was considered a joke..." 
Irina Rodnina fondly remembers her first partner in pairs figure skating and friend from her youth, Alexei Ulanov:
“I was terribly interested in Lesha; for me he became the first person from the world of people associated with art. For several years he dragged me around all the capital's halls... Together we watched all the best that was then on at the Bolshoi Theater, the entire program of the Moiseev ensemble. Ulanov knew all the elderly women who were on control. We didn’t have money for a real ticket, and tickets, for example, to the Bolshoi, it seems, did not exist in nature. But for a ruble we were allowed onto the steps of the gallery. Leshka gave me a great education, thanks to him I had a completely different idea of Moscow... Despite the fact that Ulanov and I spent a lot of time together, we did not have any romantic relationships at all. No matter what people say..."
As for any Soviet girl, a trip abroad for the young figure skater Rodnina was not only a discovery, but also a shock:
“In 1968, I flew on an airplane for the first time. First time on a plane! And immediately abroad! Naturally, I looked with four eyes, so I wanted to see this foreign country in all its details. We have only seen “their lives” in films! We arrived in the small town of Västerås in Sweden right after the New Year... I walked along the streets of the town with a clear feeling that I was in a fairy tale...
...When I went into the locker room for the first time, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to change clothes in it. I can’t, because we didn’t have that kind of underwear. And for girls this is very important! And then, to the surprise of the entire foreign public, I make the only correct decision: I start taking off everything together and at once - trousers, tights, panties, because it is impossible to take off each one separately. And then I put on the dress. Then I changed clothes right in the room so that I could go to the skating rink in a dress. This intractable complexity continued until we were given our daily allowance. We girls, of course, ran to the store. First, we bought ourselves underwear, second, tights. Otherwise there would be nothing to perform in. Of course, we were given tights. One pair each, as members of the Soviet Union national team.”
Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev 1982:
The Olympic champion openly tells readers about her “personal” problems with elevators, gin and tonic and the song “Katyusha”:
“The World Championship ended, which was very difficult for us, the exhibition performances ended, we ran to our rooms, changed clothes and gathered at the elevator, already in evening dresses, already with a glass of champagne inside... The elevator stops. I need to be the first everywhere! Naturally, I fly in first, and the door immediately closes behind me. This damn elevator starts going up and down several times from minus eight to plus fifty two. When he finally stopped, I was already sitting on the floor with paint smeared from tears and horror around my eyes. When I finally got to the banquet hall, I immediately began to “treat” with gin and tonic, taking it like a medicine. On an empty stomach, after the performance, I naturally got carried away quickly. The number was announced and each team was invited to perform their national songs. I absolutely cannot sing, but here my activity let me down again. Plus gin and tonic. I pulled Yura Ovchinnikov, Ira Vorobyova, and several other people onto the stage, and there we began to agree on what to sing. It turned out that we more or less all know “Katyusha”. They delayed it. It quickly became clear that apart from the chorus, no one knew any more words, and we kept saying: “Katyusha came ashore... The apple and pear trees were blooming, Katyusha came ashore...” I remember how Anna Ilyinichna stood in the middle of the hall, incredibly proud that her children The Japanese are singing, and the Japanese are completely stunned, because, unlike us, they knew this song by heart...”
Irina Rodnina realized that great coaches are people too, and their authority can be shaken at any moment after going to the cinema with Stanislav Zhuk to see “Romeo and Juliet”:“We are sitting in the hall, all in tears and snot, the film is in Italian with English subtitles. We go out, and Stasik (Stanislav Zhuk – author’s note), who was a little tipsy, says: “What a cool plot. But why did they come up with such a bad ending?” Without realizing it, I tell him: “Stanislav Alekseevich, this is Shakespeare.” And I wipe away my tears and sniffle. He says: “What I’m saying is, the plot is great, why such an ending? Look, everyone is crying." - “But this is Shakespeare! "Romeo and Juliet"!" He again: “That’s what I’m saying, great plot.”
Until that evening, I believed him completely unconditionally, believed everything he said, no matter what he did, carried out all his instructions. Once he told me: “My hands are weak.” I echo: “Weak.” - “So you don’t swing enough.” Me: “No, I complete all the tasks.” Beetle: “I woke up this morning, fell on the floor and did twenty push-ups.” And I actually fell out of bed onto the floor and did push-ups. Next: “Weak ankle.” I repeat: “Weak.” - “Do you go down the escalator in the subway?” I say: “I’m going down.” He orders: “We must run upstairs.” And I, with my bag, pushing everyone aside, ran along the escalator like crazy. And then, perhaps for the first time, I suddenly realized that he was not a god. I didn't even laugh at him. I couldn’t imagine how to react to the fact that my teacher didn’t know Shakespeare...
...Then I saw Zhuk drink for the first time. I've never noticed anything like this before. It seemed that he was continuing to celebrate our victory. He continued to celebrate: day, second, third..."
Rodnina and Zaitsev performing at the European Championships in 1978:
Rodnina recalls how difficult their achievements were for Soviet athletes, how much they had to sacrifice for the sake of the country's glory. And the fact that already in those days it was necessary to resort to doping:
“Everyone was skating on their last legs... The rink in Colorado was built very quickly, within almost two weeks, because they were waiting for the arrival of the Soviet Union national hockey team. The skating rink is very small... And when you get off the ice, there is a narrow corridor at the end. To the right is the men's locker room, to the left is the women's locker room. During the free skate, two black men stood on one side of the corridor, looking like doormen, wearing gloves, with a stretcher, and the same two on the other side. When the couples left the ice, they waited for the scores, then took two or three steps towards the locker room and realized that they no longer controlled their movements. At that moment, a couple of “doormen” deftly opened the stretcher and carried you into the locker room on it. And in the locker room there was a huge square sofa, more like an ottoman. And they dumped you on it. After some time we were on it and came to our senses. Young people are faster, but Belousova was very ill for a long time. Our doctor sat next to her all night. We were not tested then, and it seems to me that they were taking some kind of drugs. This probably played a role, because often the effect of stimulants is designed only for a short period of time, and during the second part the effect of the drug began to reverse. Let me make a reservation right away - all of these are just my guesses...”
Rodnina, as a representative of the USSR at international competitions, had to feel a “special” attitude towards the Soviets in America:
“And the attitude towards our passport even at the hotel where we stayed was very strange. I remember we were received in some big house, where the bartender was, as they say now, African-American, but then he was just black. He stood, listened, listened to our conversations, looked, looked, and then asked: “Actually, where are you guys from?” We: “There is such a country - the Soviet Union.” “It’s strange,” he says, “you look exactly the same as us, dress the same and drink better than us.” In other words, the concept of “Soviet” was exotic for America in the late sixties. And the fact that we skate better just killed them.”
With humor, Irina Konstantinovna recalls her first sports fees:
“Having returned from the World Cup, a month later we received our first prizes. It seemed to me that we became the owners of crazy money. For the championship of the Soviet Union, where we took third place, we were given one hundred rubles. And for the World Championship - one and a half thousand! European Championship, first place – five hundred rubles. So we really got crazy money..."
All fans of Irina Rodnina remember the famous “Kalinka”, which our skaters skated with triumph. This is how the figure skater herself remembers this dance:
“...We skated all three exhibition numbers, and the audience kept shouting: “Kalinka!” Kalinka! And then we started rolling Kalinka. In “Kalinka” I eventually developed my own “focus”. When I got up to the start, I chose one person from the audience and started skating for him. I did this in order to somehow entertain myself, because this “Kalinka” was already sitting in my liver...”
The famous “Kalinka” performed by Rodina and Zaitsev, 1976:
Rodnina recalls her wedding with ice partner Alexander Zaitsev, which became a real event for Moscow. And about the divorce that followed a few years later:
“...I told Zaitsev at the wedding: Shura, we’re leaving, I can’t be here anymore. People are out and about, no one needs us anymore. I’m hungry, I can’t eat anything in this wedding dress, in this veil...
...The grandmother fell from the second floor while looking at us. She fell, thank God, into the crowd, so nothing happened to her. I still have a photograph: the Wedding Palace, me near the main entrance with my veil. I start walking up the stairs and don’t have time to lift my dress. On the second step I stand on my own hem, on the third step I step on it with my other foot and realize that I’m going to fall...
... We parted through the courts, not everything turned out to be simple, but somehow we were smart enough not to make our scandals public. And the yellow press did not exist then. We couldn’t avoid going to court since we have a child together. For several months, I flew from the training camp to the trial, where Zaitsev, of course, did not appear... I flew to Moscow on the sly, because I could get in trouble for leaving the training camp. I sat in court, he didn’t show up, the trial was postponed to another date...” 
With figure skating partner and husband Alexander Zaitsev
21 Mar 2018
Alexander Zaitsev Jr.- son of legendary Soviet figure skaters Irina Rodnina And Alexandra Zaitseva. Most recently, he became the main character in one of the episodes of the popular show “ It's time to go back».
In the TV show Sasha told how he lived in California, not far from Los Angeles and why he decided to return to his historical homeland. Zaitsev admitted that life in the States did not work out, there he was exposed to mortal danger several times, and when he returned to Russia, he never regretted it.
After finishing a brilliant career as a figure skater, Zaitsev’s mother, Irina Rodnina, entered into a coaching contract with the Americans in 1990. She took her whole family with her: her second husband, Leonid Minkovsky and two children.
Sasha was strongly opposed to moving to the States. The boy could not get comfortable in a foreign country, and the school psychologist once told Irina: “ This child cannot adapt to a new place».
The problem was that at the time of the move, Alexander was already a teenager. He didn't want to leave his friends and relatives; change scared him.
« I didn't want to move. My grandparents and friends remained in Moscow. They just took me and pulled me out of my usual social circle“, says the skater’s son.
IN Moscow Zaitsev studied English at a special school, but when he arrived USA, it turned out that knowledge is not enough. I had to learn the language on the spot, communicating with peers and teachers.
At home, Alexander wanted to play hockey, but his mother was categorically against it. " You will swear and you will lose your teeth", - said Irina.
In California, the guy's dream came true - he signed up for the hockey section. However, even his hobby did not keep him abroad. " I always wanted to return to Russia. As soon as the opportunity arose, I made my legs"- says Zaitsev.
Now Alexander is 39, and he has been living in his homeland for a long time. The man claims that the American mentality is strikingly different from the Russian one: in the states you will never get help and understanding from people.
He recalls how he once made friends with a black man who turned out to be a member of a local gang. At that time, he still didn’t know much about the local way of life, so without any doubt he went to visit the black area.
There he ran into armed bandits. " Hello snowflake!“One of the gangsters shouted to him. " Hey nigga"- answered Zaitsev. This could have ended badly, but, fortunately, one of the blacks reassured his friends by saying that Sasha was not a snowflake, but a Russian.
At 21, Alexander entered Stroganov Art Academy in Moscow. He trained as a ceramic artist. This specialty became the meaning of his life. Zaitsev does what he loves and travels across the vast expanses of Russia.
Alexander Gennadievich Zaitsev is an outstanding athlete and figure skater who won the hearts of figure skating fans in his country and abroad. He gained worldwide fame by performing in tandem with, the most talented figure skater of his time. Skating as a duet, they became two-time Olympic champions and were the first in the world to receive the highest score - 6:0. Zaitsev is also a six-time world champion and seven-time European champion in pairs figure skating.
Childhood and youth
The future famous figure skater was born on June 16, 1952 in Leningrad. Children's passion for skating was not accidental. The young skater had an incredible talent that needed to be realized. At that time there were no indoor artificial ice rinks and no opportunities for independent training. In the spring and summer, classes took place on tennis courts and in athletics halls.
Alexander started out as a single skater, then began skating in pairs. The technique of single skating differs from that of pairs, so Alexander urgently had to adapt. The gifted, purposeful and persistent athlete succeeded.
His first partner was Galina Blazhenova. The boys performed successfully at junior competitions. But, having entered the university, Galya decided to leave the sport and hung up her skates. She felt that this would interfere with her studies. Then coach Anatoly Nikitovich Davydenko invited Sasha to pair up with his daughter Olga. The pair showed good results and looked very promising; the USSR FC Federation took note of them.
Figure skating
The confident figure skater was noticed by Stanislav Zhuk in 1972. He invited him to Moscow for a “bride.” Alexander thought that he would be paired with a young and “green” skater like himself. But he was wrong. The mentor suggested that Zaitsev train with Irina Rodnina, who had been skating with Ulanov for 5 years. She was already an Olympic champion and multiple winner of the World and European Championships. As a result, the pair was approved and approved by management.
Alexander was not embarrassed by Irina’s popularity. He was talented, athletic, tall, and had excellent physical fitness. From the first days, skaters, coaches and spectators had the impression that Irina and Alexander had been together for many years. And yet, the first year was extremely difficult for Sasha, but productive. The strict regime, getting up at 6 am, grueling workouts that made my legs cramp, were not in vain.
From a simple and capable young man, Stanislav Zhuk forged an extremely technical skater. After all, only technology is the true criterion for objective assessments. If artistry is a subjective concept and is assessed by everyone in their own way, technique is visible - either it is there or it is not. Alexander Zaitsev, who mastered it to perfection, was a figure skater from God. The duo's performances delighted the audience, and the couple won the European, World and Olympic Games one after another.
The very first and most memorable was the victory in 1973 at the World Championships in Bratislava (Czech Republic). During their performance, a short circuit occurred, as a result of which the musical accompaniment stopped. The skaters were not taken aback and continued skating. The performance ended with deafening applause from the audience and victory. It later turned out that the music was turned off specifically to prevent the victory of the Soviet skaters.
In 1973, Zaitsev received the title of Honored Master of Sports. He was also awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for outstanding achievements in sports.
In 1976, the skaters got a new coach. In 1978, at the World Championships in Ottawa, fans saw the famous Kalinka-Malinka. At the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, victory was predicted for American athletes, since Zaitsev and Rodnina did not compete in 1979 due to the birth of a child. There were many publications in which everyone unanimously declared that gold would not shine for the Soviet couple.
The Americans' performance was a failure, in contrast to the Soviet skaters, who performed brilliantly. The performance at the 1980 Olympics was the best in the history of the talented duo. The athletes gave it their all, the audience gave them a standing ovation. Photos and videos capturing Irina’s tears on the pedestal continue to excite today.
Personal life
Joint training, performances and friendship brought Irina and Alexander closer. In 1975 they got married. The wedding was magnificent, even US television came. Rodnina recalls that, while looking at them from the window, some granny fell from the second floor. Fortunately, it fell on the crowd, so nothing happened to it. By the way, Rodnina herself also faced a fall - on the stairs of the Wedding Palace she became entangled in the hem of her dress. Their wedding became an event for Moscow.
Sasha’s sense of humor, which was even noted, and his easy-going character helped smooth out rough edges in sports and in family life. In 1979, Irina Rodnina became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Sasha. During this year, the Rodnina-Zaitsev couple did not perform, but two months after giving birth, Irina took to the ice.
After the 1980 Olympics, Alexander and Irina stopped performing together, and their family broke up. The divorce between the spouses took place in 1985; they were divorced through the courts because they had a common child. Everything turned out to be not so simple, but they were not going to advertise all the nuances.
Soon all the grievances disappeared, and to this day the skaters remain friends. Their son became an artist. He lived first in America, then moved to Moscow. Married, has a child.
Irina married businessman Leonid Minkovsky, gave birth to a daughter, and together with her husband and two children left for the USA, where she worked as a coach.
And after Rodnina, Alexander had another wife. She was figure skater Galina Karelina. As it turned out later, Galina even then wanted to invite Zaitsev to ride together. But when she heard what offer he received from Zhuk, she didn’t tell him about her plans.
Before Zaitsev, Galina was married to hockey player Anatoly Motovilov, and had a daughter, Elena. Moreover, Elena became the wife of the son of Alexander Zaitsev. So both Galina and Alexander are their granddaughter Sonya’s maternal and paternal grandparents.
They lived with Karelina for 20 years. But today the man is not alone. True, the name of his new chosen one is unknown.
After finishing his sports career, Zaitsev worked at the Sports Committee. For five years, tired of sports, he did not skate. Later he worked as a coach at Dynamo Moscow. His students were talented athletes of different ages. He liked the work, but with the advent of perestroika everything changed. Funding stopped, sponsorship was insufficient and everything fell apart.
Athletes went to shows, ballet, and went abroad. So figure skating “Dynamo” ceased to exist. After his students left, Alexander Zaitsev also had to look for employment and income in America. Today, the famous figure skater is back in coaching, which gives him his daily bread and satisfaction.
The former athlete shares his experience with skaters from different countries and continents. The geography of his movements around the world is impressive. He often visits America, trains both professional and amateur athletes - from children to retirees.
Alexander Zaitsev now
Today, Alexander Zaitsev is far from being the lean, handsome man he used to be. Not all fans, meeting him on the street, recognize the athlete.
In 2016 he returned to Russia. A man helps coaches at the figure skating school named after them in working with athletes. Together with Natalya Pavlova in Novogorsk he trains the pair of Amina Atakhanova and Ilya Spiridonov.
In 2017, the famous figure skater celebrated his anniversary - Zaitsev turned 65 years old. On this occasion, he gave an interview to the Kultura newspaper, where he said that he regretted that after finishing his career he became an official and did not immediately choose the coaching path.
Awards
- 1973 – gold medal at the World Championships in Bratislava
- 1973 – gold medal at the European Championships in Cologne
- 1974 – gold medal at the World Championships in Munich
- 1974 – gold medal at the European Championships in Zagreb
- 1975 - gold medal at the European Championships in Copenhagen
- 1975 - gold medal at the World Championships in Colorado Springs
- 1976 - gold medal at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck
- 1976 – gold medal at the European Championships in Geneva
- 1976 - gold medal at the World Championships in Gothenburg
- 1977 – gold medal at the Tokyo World Championships
- 1977 – gold medal at the European Championships in Helsinki
- 1978 – gold medal at the World Championships in Ottawa
- 1978 - gold medal at the European Championships in Strasbourg
- 1980 – gold medal at the European Championships in Gothenburg
- 1980 - gold medal at the Lake Placid Olympics
Alexander Gennadievich Zaitsev(genus. June 16 ( 19520616 ) , Leningrad) - an outstanding Soviet figure skater. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (1973). Two-time Olympic champion in figure skating in pairs (,), six-time world champion (-), seven-time European champion (-,). He performed in tandem with Irina Rodnina (her husband from 1975 to 1985). They missed the 1979 season due to the birth of their son, Alexander. Until 1976, coach Stanislav Zhuk, then Tatyana Tarasova.
In April 1972, S. A. Zhuk invited Rodnina to pair up with the young Leningrad figure skater Alexander Zaitsev. In September 1972, the new couple I. Rodnin - A. Zaitsev performed for the first time at demonstration performances in Zaporozhye. A. Zaitsev, who had good jumping technique, very quickly masters all the complex elements. Mutual understanding and consistency in the new pair are noticeably higher than in the previous one (Rodnina-Ulanov), which the judges immediately noted. At the 1973 European Championships in Cologne, Rodnina - Zaitsev not only beat Smirnova and Ulanov, by the unanimous opinion of all 9 judges, but also received 12 ratings of 6.0 out of 18 possible.
At the 1973 World Championships in Bratislava (Czechoslovakia), an incident occurred that went down in the history of figure skating. Due to a short circuit in the radio room, the sound was turned off during the free program of Rodnina - Zaitsev (later it turned out that the short circuit was deliberately organized by a Czech employee, who was thus trying to take revenge on the USSR for the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968). Coach S.A. Zhuk gave instructions from behind the side to continue the program, and the couple skated without music to the applause of the audience. Referee Carl Enderlin, noting the couple’s “will to win,” nevertheless ordered a reduction in scores due to skating without music. Not a single 6.0 rating was given. The couple refused to perform the program at the end of the competition.
After leaving big sport, Alexander Zaitsev became a coach.
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Irina Rodina ended up at the skating rink due to pneumonia. As a child, she suffered from pneumonia 11 times! Doctors recommended outdoor exercise, and the parents took their daughter to the skating rink.
Rodnina started out as a singles skater, but in 1964, coach Stanislav Zhuk paired Irina with Alexei Ulanov. Before this, Alexey performed with his sister, who, according to Zhuk, was slowing him down.
Budan Victor/TASS
The Rodnina-Ulanov pair made their debut in 1966 at the first international Moscow Skates tournament. Three years later, at the European Championships, their duet created a sensation. During their career, the couple took four gold medals at the world championships and won the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, where their career together ended...
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Rodnina claims that she was never romantically involved with Ulanov. However, with the appearance of figure skater Lyudmila Smirnova, everyone started talking about a love triangle. In those years, communication between Rodnina and Ulanov was strained. They conflicted and quarreled. It’s amazing how, in such a tense atmosphere, the couple continued to win competitions and receive standing ovations.
By the Olympics in Sapporo, Rodnina already wanted to leave the sport. Ulanov wanted to be paired with Smirnova. Lyudmila was skating with Andrei Suraikin, they had an affair, but Alexei Ulanov suggested that Smirnova not only skate together, but also get married.
Sabadash Igor/TASS
Despite the ups and downs of love, Rodnina and Ulanov remained a couple, skated flawlessly in Sapporo and received the well-deserved “gold”. The plans still include one more joint world championship in Calgary, where a tragedy occurred: during training, Ulanov dropped his homeland on the ice. The figure skater suffered a serious concussion.
She refused to believe that her partner could have done this on purpose, but the coach had no doubt: this did not happen by accident. Lyudmila Smirnova also took part in the same championship. According to Zhuk, Ulanov was simply “clearing” the path to “gold” for her. Rodnina overcame herself and went out onto the ice. The Rodnina-Ulanov pair won gold again. And it fell apart.
Zufarov Valery/TASS
The coach persuaded Rodnina to stay in the sport and found her a new partner - Alexander Zaitsev. Soon Rodnina and Zaitsev got married. At the next two Olympics they became competitors to the Smirnova-Ulanov spouses. The Rodnina-Zaitsev pair took gold from their opponents twice.
Now Rodnina is not married. From her marriage to Zaitsev she has a son, Alexander. From his second marriage to businessman Leonid Minkovsky - daughter Alena.
The Smirnova-Ulanov couple broke up after 21 years of marriage. The athletes had a son, Nikolai, and a daughter, Irina.
Tatiana Navka and Alexander Zhulin
Tatyana Navka met Alexander Zhulin in 1994 while training in Lake Placid (USA). Zhulin was then paired with Maya Usova, and Navka skated with Samvel Gezalyan. Zhulin began training Navka, and in 2000 the couple got married. That same year their daughter Alexandra was born.
Anvar Galeev/TASS
In 2006, the family returned from the USA to Moscow to participate in the Stars on Ice show. Navka paired up with actor Marat Basharov, Zhulin - with Ingeborga Dapkunaite. Rivalry arose between the spouses, and Navka also became infatuated with her partner.
Zhulin did not believe in treason, but one day he received a message from Basharov’s wife Elizaveta: “Open your eyes! My husband and your wife are dating!”
At that time, Alexander Zhulin had a new student, Natalya Mikhailova - in her arms, the deceived husband hastened to forget. Zhulin himself stated: “Natasha gave me what Tanya did not want and could no longer do: passion, admiration, care.”
But the separation was difficult for Zhulin: “I was losing my family, and it seemed that the earth was slipping from under my feet. I felt pathetic, funny and ridiculous.” Zhulin and Navka tried to restore their relationship, but mutual grievances left the marriage no chance.
In 2011, Alexander married Natalya Mikhailova. The couple had a daughter, Ekaterina.
In March 2012, on the show “Ice Age. Professionals Cup”, former spouses Navka and Zhulin performed as a couple for the last time. They performed a dance to the romance “Thank you for everything, good friend...”.
Navka and Basharov soon broke up, believing that their romance was a mistake. The figure skater’s next passion was singer Alexei Vorobyov, but this relationship did not last long.
On August 1, 2015, Tatyana Navka married the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov. The couple has a daughter, Nadezhda.
Andrey Bukin - Olga Abankina - Elena Vasyukova
Andrei Bukin was married to Olga Abankina, with whom he skated together since 1969. In 1983, the skaters had a son, Andrei, but before that the couple went through a difficult period in their relationship.
In 1977, coach Tatyana Tarasova paired Bukin with Natalya Bestemyanova. Olga was jealous of her husband and calmed down when Bestemyanova got married to European champion Igor Bobrin in 1983. The girls even became friends. It was from Natalya Bestemyanova that Olga sought support when she learned about her husband’s real betrayal.
This happened in February 1993. After a tour in Germany, Bukin appeared at the door without a bag and announced that he was leaving. But that day Olga left. She grabbed her coat, ran out into the street and went to Bestemyanova and Bobrin. They were not surprised by her arrival. By that time, everyone already knew about the romance between Bukin and figure skater Elena Vasyukova, with whom he worked at the ice theater.
Utkin Igor/TASS
Vasyukova was also married, and the affair broke up two families at once.
But, unlike Vasyukova, Bukin was in no hurry to file a divorce from Olga Abankina. Even when it became known about Vasyukova’s pregnancy, he did not propose to his mistress. In 1993, Ivan was born. Bukin gave the boy his last name.
The skater decided to live in two families. He provided financially for both his wife and his mistress, taking part in the lives of both sons.
Roman Kostomarov - Oksana Domnina - Vladimir Yaglych
They met on the show Ice Age. When an office romance began between figure skater Oksana Domnina and actor Vladimir Yaglych, both were in a relationship. Yaglych was filing for a divorce from actress Svetlana Khodchenkova. And Domnina lived in a civil marriage with figure skater Roman Kostomarov, and they had a daughter, Anastasia.
Kostomarov was having a hard time with the breakup and tried to keep Oksana. In memory of five years of marriage, the skater got a Love - crucifixion ("Love is a crucifixion") tattoo on his arm, but this did not save him from breaking up.
However, the romance between Domnina and Yaglych did not last long, and the skater returned to Kostomarov. This time they not only officially got married, but also decided to get married. In 2016, the couple had a second child, son Ilya.
Irina Lobacheva - Ilya Averbukh - Dmitry Maryanov
Ilya Averbukh and Irina Lobacheva met in 1992. Together with their coaches they moved to the USA, started skating as a couple and got married in 1995. In 2004, their son Martin was born, and in 2007 the couple announced their divorce.
Irina admitted that the reason was work. Ilya was seized by a “gold fever”. He wanted to earn more and more, but there was no time left for his family. Lobacheva practically did not see her husband, the relationship turned into a “marriage by telephone.”
Divorce became a difficult period in Irina’s life. Due to stress, she suffered a miscarriage.
The figure skater received support from actor Dmitry Maryanov, with whom she skated on the Ice Age show. Dmitry found a common language with Irina’s son Martin, and he, in turn, became friends with Maryanov’s son Danya. Irina admitted that she finally allowed herself to “just be happy.”
Lobacheva and Maryanov lived together from 2009 to 2011.
Alexandra Savelyeva - Alexey Yagudin - Tatyana Totmyanina
Oleg Dyachenko/TASS
Alexandra Savelyeva and Alexey Yagudin were a very beautiful couple. He is a famous figure skater, she is the lead singer of the Factory group. Their relationship began on the show Ice Age. But the beautiful fairy tale ended. Fans claimed that the reason was Yagudin’s affair with figure skater Tatyana Totmyanina. Savelyeva denied this version. She called the reason for the breakup that Yagudin “is a single skater not only in figure skating, but also in life.” But Yagudin really fell in love with Totmyanina.
