Choreographer Alexei Zheleznyakov in the second part of the conversation with Sport frankly told why Eteri Tutberidze has a vulnerable nature why Evgeni Plushenko offended him, how they spit on Russian athletes and how his inner world was turned upside down by a trip to the Donbass.
«I was nobody, the Tutberidze team brought me my name» strong>- In interviews, you are often called the choreographer of the Eteri Tutberidze group. Isn't it a shame that such an association goes on all the time? I was still nobody and there was no way to call me. But such an identification does not bother me at all. I am proud that they call me the man of the Tutberidze team. I believe that this is one of the best teams not just in Russia, but in the world.
— That is, can we say that Eteri Georgievna helped you in your development?
— Of course. Eteri took me. I walked this path with her, grew up to this point. The Tutberidze team is a brand. I am part of it. I do not have such that I should be a separate unit. I am not a star person, I have healthy professional ambitions, but I will never say: «I am a separate big star! I am Zheleznyakov.» This team brought me my name.
— There was a case when Evgeni Plushenko spoke in your direction: «Who opened this mouth? Give me a magnifying glass.» If you take your profile, why are you worse than Plushenko?
— This is a conflict of a hundred years ago, when girls ran away from us. Of course, these are incomparable things, I'm not an athlete, I'm a choreographer. I know my place, I know who I am. I do not pretend to be a super-coach who is the king and god in the world of figure skating. I work in my field. The team must have the concept that each gear gives a common mechanism, even the wheel in the cart plays a huge role. Will a cart go without one wheel? Of course not. And in this cart, each mechanism is responsible for itself: Sergei Dudakov, Daniil Gleikhengauz, Ksenia Potalitsyna, Alexei Zheleznyakov. I do not pay attention to such things, it does not humiliate me. The man wanted to offend me, but he rather showed his own moral ugliness.
— What was the first impression of Eteri Georgievna?- Before working with her, I did not know at all who Eteri Tutberidze was. I was very far from figure skating. But it immediately became clear to me that she is a very wise woman who knows what she is doing. Eteri is a very serious person, fanatical to work, she is incredibly painstaking in her approach to everything. It also felt like it was closed. Eteri is always like this — she keeps people at a distance, but if she understands that you are normal, without poop inside, she starts to trust you. It becomes a completely different communication, a different approach.
— Eteri Georgievna for us is strength and power. You know her for 15 years, what is she like for you?
— Yes, power, I agree. If it was not a strong person, such results would not have been. Here you need both spiritual, and moral, and physical strength. She does not leave the ice, from morning to night she sticks out there, one day off a week. And to keep this brand for so many years, the force must be very serious. Power? I wouldn't say. She never revels in her power, everything is always on business. If a person does not suit her, she will simply say goodbye, without explaining many of the nuances.
— Is she vulnerable?
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— I think that Eteri is a vulnerable person, but she experiences it all inside. Sometimes it even seems to me that a person should splash out his emotions, you can’t keep everything in yourself. It's hard. And I perfectly understand that it is very difficult for her to go through many situations inside, but she will never show it. This is strength, she is a very strong woman. But behind this cold personality, behind this cold Snow Queen, as they say about her, there is a warm spark inside.
— Eteri Georgievna demands full dedication from her athletes. Does she demand this from those with whom she works?
— It is impossible to work in her team if you do not give yourself completely. She does not accept freebies at all. If you have come, then be clean before yourself and your conscience. Do the right thing, then you won't have any questions. But if you are constantly free as a specialist, you will not be able to be part of this team. She is very demanding of herself, and she demands the same from others. Therefore, such results.
— Is it easy to find a common language with her? Does she listen to your advice?- Of course, when it comes to creative issues, disagreements can arise. Somewhere she listens, somewhere she still does it her own way, but in the end, a consensus is sought in order to achieve a good result. But it happens in different ways and this is a normal creative process. Constant search, constant contradictions and discussions, and this gives rise to truth.
— If Eteri Georgievna turns out to be wrong, will she admit her mistake?— She will look at two options: her own and the other. But if in a day or two she realizes that her version is worse, she will definitely admit it. I'm telling you, everything goes in search of the best result.
— Eteri has such a strong energy that at first, it happened that it was scary. Not now, because life experience, many years of work. At first, yes, I was afraid. I can’t say that there were any specific situations, rather it is on a subconscious level. You are afraid to do something wrong so that she does not think that you are a freebie. If now Eteri comes up to me and says that he wants to change something, I will accept it as normal working criticism. I won't be afraid. It's more like the kids are afraid of her. But again, athletes who have been working with her for many years perceive her differently, constructively, without animal fear.
«Tutberidze said that it makes no sense to fight windmills»
— If there is a fear of a coach, can an athlete be successful?
— Animal fear will not lead to anything good. The athlete becomes isolated, pinched, withdraws into himself, this affects his work, openness. If a skater is scared, he won't skate normally. There must be trust.
— You are a fairly open person who is not afraid of harsh statements, including in the press. Have there been any conversations with Eteri Georgievna on this topic?
— I always like to tell the truth, play up — it's not about me. I want to be honest with myself. If I think that a person is wrong in a situation that concerns me, I will voice it. At that moment, I was so unpleasant and offended by the whole situation that so much effort and soul was invested in these children that I spoke out. Then Eteri came up to me and said: «Lyosha, why do you need it? There is no point in fighting windmills, we have to finish.» She's probably right, it's better not to touch this swamp. But due to my creative profession, I am very emotional and sometimes I don’t hold back, I speak out, and from this the argument flares up more and more and like a snowball rushes further.
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— If this is a fight against windmills, don't you regret your statements?
— No, I don't. But in the end I realized that it's not worth it. It is better to keep silent and everything will come to naught faster.
— Someone in Russia can fight the Tutberidze group?
— Currently no. But you just have to want, you can fly into space. If people have the right team assembled, the system is debugged, then everything is possible. After all, in Russia we have a lot of great coaches who have begun to raise their athletes to a serious level. Note that there is an upward trend. So they made some conclusions, began to work according to a different methodology. Maybe something was taken from the Tutberidze team and healthy competition began. Yes, for this it is necessary to work fanatically every day. It is very difficult, and even more difficult to maintain this status for years.
— Speaking specifically by names, who can compete?
— There is the same CSKA school. Very talented coach Sergey Davydov. Yes, maybe there is still a little lack of experience, but the person is on the right track. I can mention Alexei Vasilevsky and Yulia Lavrenchuk, as well as Sofia Fedchenko. They have the right competent approach, they work well with technology, they try to put on interesting programs. These are people who have just begun to reach a certain level. They talked about them. If they survive, develop further, then a good future awaits them, they will be able to fight with the Tutberidze team.
— What can you say about Alexei Mishin's headquarters?
— Liza Tuktamysheva is a phenomenon. So many years in figure skating to keep the mark and fight at such a high level. She only put up a monument and bow at her feet. It's very hard. Many are already broken in their youth, they cannot skate, but she has been holding on for so many years. Mishin is a great man, he knows so much. It's not for nothing that everyone calls him a professor. But, I think, now he should take a couple of young cool specialists and grow a new galaxy of coaches. Naturally, they will be at his school. Obviously, at this age it is already hard to work so hard.
— And if we talk about the world?
— No women's singles. The world is not a good trend. I was in Europe, they say that there are not enough cool specialists like air. And, of course, progress stops. Our athletes go forward and develop, but they mark time. We are very difficult to catch up.
— Are we moving forward even in the face of suspension?
— Yes, even in the current situation we continue to develop. The children had a slight decline at the very beginning, especially those who have already reached a serious level, because after all, the main incentive is international competitions, but now this is gone. The children were released, and they again work as they worked before.
«We turned our cheek, and we were beaten»
— Recently, Bach and Macron again discussed the admission of Russians to Olympic Games? Do you believe that they will let us in?
— No I do not believe. They won't allow it. Now the federations seem to be slowly letting us in, but at the same time they set conditions that we will be under a white neutral flag, without an anthem, without a name. To renounce your country is the same as to renounce your parents.
— But we have already performed without a flag and an anthem.
< br>— At that moment there was an incomprehensible, shaky situation, although even then I was against these conditions. You stand for the country, you are its image and prestige, and here you go under a neutral flag … Our sports functionaries and officials made this move, giving the athletes the opportunity to compete. But now they sit on our necks, legs dangling, and they still spit on our heads from above. We, as they say, turned one cheek, and we were beaten. Now even athletes say they are not ready to perform in this status. They also do not allow those who belong to the armed forces. This is done on purpose to create confusion. Pure water provocation.
strong>- Now sports federations make sure that Russian athletes do not publicly support the NWO. How legal is this?
— There is an Olympic charter that says that sport is out of politics. Why, suddenly, for someone he should be in politics, but for someone not? Let's take the USA as an example. When they were at war with Iraq, no one demanded that they admit that this war was wrong. Then why is it showing up now? What kind of double standards and hypocrisy? Everything is done to make the Russians look bad.
— Russian taekwondo athletes are prohibited from associating world championship medals with their country. Isn't that a humiliation?
— Humiliation. My opinion is that we do not need such competitions. But then again, there are people who have their own opinion about CBO. And, if a person thinks that this is wrong, for God's sake, pack your things, leave and play for another country.
— That is, transfers to the national teams of other countries are normal in this situation?— It all depends on who is moving and to which country. It is unacceptable for me if a Russian and an international athlete goes to a country that supplies weapons for military operations against us. These are elementary things. But I absolutely do not mind if a person goes to play for a friendly country. We are not slaves and have the right to decide our lives. But the question is: will there be a way back? Because other people will consider you a traitor and will not accept you back.
— Recently, the Russian Federation denied Dario Chirizano an accelerated transfer to another country. Did they do the right thing?
— When a person is included in the national team, the state spends huge money on this athlete. And it is imperative to introduce contracts where compensation for damage will be prescribed in case of transfer to another country. If this is worked out at the legal level, then the federation has the right to file a claim and not release the athlete. But if this is not supported by anything, then it seems like no one has the right to keep an athlete. That is why a system is needed and it will be easier for everyone.
— Canadian Megan Duhamel said that it is worth holding the awards ceremony of the 2022 Olympics team tournament with Russian money. How do you feel about her statements?
— Megan Duhamel speaks out a lot and says a lot of stupid things. Is it the Russian Federation that spits in her face, demands to compete under a white flag, completely discredits Canadian athletes? They don't give us these medals, and we still have to pay for this bacchanalia? Megan, where is the logic? This is complete nonsense. They cannot be taken seriously.
— Last year you went to Donetsk and Luhansk with charity workshops. Would you like to repeat it again?
— I would love to visit these children again. But now the situation there is very difficult, the bombings have begun again. Going there means endangering children. There are a lot of ill-wishers, and if something flies there on a tip, I will not forgive myself for this. That's the only reason I don't go there. But my team is charged, the guys want to go there, and we will definitely repeat our master classes. We are waiting for everything to calm down.
— How much do people need it now?
— Very necessary. You know how these children lack this understanding, that they are known, that they are remembered. For them it is important. They have been under bombardment for nine years, they have nothing, their fathers are at war, their children live in constant fear and see nothing. And then people come with support. For them, these are insanely important things, they feel differently.
— Did those master classes change you internally?
— I will say honestly, my world turned upside down. We talked to a lot of people, saw a lot of things, went to the «Walk of Angels». When you read these names and the age of the children who are gone, it is very difficult. We also went there with gifts. And now we are handing out these T-shirts, T-shirts, jackets, a boy is standing in front of me, I give him a baseball cap and say: «Take more, give it to your brother, dad.» And he utters a phrase, at that moment I could hardly restrain myself from crying: «I don't have a dad anymore.» A five-year-old boy with adult eyes stands in front of you and says these words … When you see what these children are going through, you understand that all your problems are such a trifle, such nonsense, and you still feel sorry for yourself. Of course, everything turns upside down in you, and you begin to think in a completely different way. Like this.