- Joined
- Jun 19, 2018
Translation of this interview
My notes in square brackets. I apologize for the quality of the translation - this is a google translation and I as the chief editor (when the electronic dummy starts to freak, I correct it)
Q: At the end of May, you announced that you had completed your career, - did you not regret your decision during this time?
A: Not a bit. I haven't skate for three months now, I just announced it a little later. Now I have another life.
Q: What kind of life is it?
A: At first I couldn't find a place. Yes, the first week was a pleasure, I thought – this is happiness. But then I realized that I can't without activity [may be physical activity, not quite clear]. I decided to "skate up" [this is a slang term for private training] children – while this is the only option for earnings and just not to sit at home. School finished, exam passed in advance, and сollege only from the first of September. So I started looking for children to work.
Q: How?
A: I placed ads on avito.ru, on youla.ru. And when I started to work at the rink, I was seen by other parents and also asked to train their children.
Q: On which rink can we see coach Polina Tsurskaya?
A: Wherever they ask, I go.
Q: How much is your "skate up"?
A: If a person turns to me, I will call the price to him. My prices are average.
Q: Did your coaches charge much more?
A: I've never "skate up", not once in my life.
Q: Wow, now parents leave on extra classes whole fortune.
A: Yes, now this is common, all children "skate up". But before this was not common. In Omsk, where I started, there was enough ice without it. Then I came to Eteri Georgievna. She has no such thing as "skate up" with another coach. Everyone works with her in the allotted time. Managed to do all the work – well done, did not – your problem. But in the "Crystal"[Khrustalniy] so built training process that all have enough time and load.
Q: You lived at the rink?
A: No, I lived in a five-minute walk. And the training, if you were talking about this, started not so early - at 10 am or a little later. I even managed to run to school, and then went to training. Sometimes I was late, but Eteri Georgievna allowed late because of school.
During the day - warm up, ice, break, warm up, ice, "hitch" [I do not know what it is called in English, so I translated it literally - "hitch" is a special exercise for the gradual cooling and calming of the body after main exercise]. At half past seven in the evening went home. True, during the day break I always went home to sleep.
Q: How did you end up with Tutberidze, after starting a career in Omsk?
A: When I was 11 years old, there was a conflict with my coach and I thought that now I will be in Omsk just to learn. But my parents contacted Alexander Ilyich Kogan (now the General Director of the Russian Figure Skating Federation). He advised to go to Eteri Georgievna. I was told what kind of coach she was and who she raised.
Q: Six years ago, Eteri Georgievna was not so famous.
A: Even then, her students have achieved a lot: Polina Shelepen, Julia Lipnitskaya. And Evgenia Medvedeva was beginning to flourish.
And though I was ready to give up sports, I was afraid at that moment to tell "no" to parents: for the sake of me they decided on moving and big changes in life.
Q: Do you remember the first meeting with Eteri Georgievna?
A: We were standing near the locker room, zamboni clean the ice, and then comes Eteri Georgievna. My mother explained who we were, and the coach looked me up and down and said: "The girl is tall. Are you sure what you want and what you can do?" We said "yes", and she called us on the ice. At the first training session I, of course, showed the maximum, but, it seems to me, Eteri Georgievna liked also that I heard all remarks and right there corrected mistakes. In general, after the first training I was told that I was taken.
Q: And the golden age began?
A: Yes, it was cool, especially in junior time, when everyone was younger. This is not to say that we had no childhood. During breaks we could all have fun together or fooling around.
Q: Who did you most like to fool around with?
A: With Zhenya Medvedeva and Anya Scherbakova, who at that time was still a very small, sweet child. She were only up to my waist. Zhenya was, on the contrary, older. She is very interesting, open and always made contact.
Q: At the Olympics, were you rooting for Zhenya or Alina?
A: For the team of Russia!
Q: Can you say more precisely?
A: For Zhenya. I didn't see the competition live. In the morning I woke up and with fear picked up the phone to see the results. I was very upset about Zhenya, but at the same time I was happy for Alina, because then we were skating on the same ice, and I saw how she worked and how she went to this victory. I was glad for Zhenya too – when I looked at her skate and saw what emotions she had finished the program.
Q: Why did Alina and Zhenya succeed in winning the most top tournaments, and many, including you, do not reach the desired peaks? After all, you have one skating rink, same conditions, one coach, you all hard work.
A: Probably not all equally hard work. Someone do yourself a little favor, someone doing cheap work a little bit. Then these "little bit" connected and lead to consequences.
Q: Have you heard of the recent scandal because of the program Zagitova when Daniel Gleyhengauz accused of plagiarism when the choreography to the song Billy Ailes?
A: It's a scandal from nothing. This is often the case in art when you saw someone else's movement and used in own programm. We are not saying that the program was stolen from the beginning to the end. There's a dance on the floor! If the skaters liked it, why can't they take a few moves from there? Of course, if, for example, someone skate "Winter" Yagudin – it would be wrong. But from the floor to the ice… I think on the contrary, it's cool. After all, they could watch thousands of dances to this music, but they took exactly yours - you need to be proud! I do not see this problem.
Q: Describe Eteri Georgievna.
A: Demanding, purposeful, sincere.
Q: Why did you leave her?
A: Injuries started. It became psychologically hard. Eteri Georgievna tried to revive me. Maybe she didn't do it too gently, and I took it with hostility. Still, I was at a transitional age, and I thought that I know everything and know how. Perhaps I was lazy, she made me, again I did not like it, I answered her.
Q: What do you mean "answered"?
A: By words!
Q: Is that possible?
A: Yes, at that moment, apparently, I had too much courage and audacity. They tried to put my head back on right place, but it didn't, so I decided to leave [very difficult part to translate for such a noob like me - Polina, using live speech, ironically talk about own mind as an material object which they tried to give to the correct position, but which fell all the time]
Q: Do you regret it now?
A: No
Q: How did your parents react to this decision, who moved to Moscow for the sake of your career and, in particular, for the sake of working with Tutberidze?
A: They tried to talk to me, but they understood that the moment had come when I myself could make a decision. Moreover, I was in such a state of being lost and so misunderstood that they realized that their intervention was useless.
Q: How did you announce your leaving to Eteri Georgievna?
A: The main thing I regret is that when I left, I didn't thank her. I should have come to her with flowers, thanked her for everything.
Q: But it's never too late.
A: So I did it after all! It happened on the same day when I announced that I was leaving the sport. Yes, I have long wanted to go to her, but could not catch her. And of course, I was a little afraid and I was very embarrassed. And that day I was lying at home, texting with friends. And suddenly Diana (Tutberidze's daughter) writes to me: "Polina, Eteri Georgievna at the rink." I jump up and start gathering. They ask me: "Where are you going?" "Be back soon". And I ran for the flowers.
Q: Eteri Georgievna was surprised to see you with flowers?
A: She smiled, we had a good talk. Yes, I did not know what reaction to expect from her: maybe she was offended, maybe she did not want to see me. But everything went well.
Q: After leaving from Tutberidze, with her daughter you have kept a friendly relationship?
A: Diana and I were always good friends and talked a lot until she went to the dance. Often together walked, I could stay at her place to spend the night.
Q: And Eteri Georgievna fed you dinner?
A: Mostly we did it ourselves. She came much later. Then, when Diana went to another group, we saw each other much less often, but if we met at competitions, we still talked warmly. In April we texting each other again, realized that we miss each other, met, walked.
Q: I do not recall a great scandal after your leaving Tutberidze, although it is always big deal.
A: There was no big scandal. This happened against the background of Zhenya’s leaving, and everyone was discussing it.
Q: This is her leaving you inspired?
A: Well no!
Q: You mentioned a warm relationship with Diana and with Zhenya. That is, the friendship between skaters are possible?
A: Of course it is possible. My best friend is Masha Sotskova. We are friends from the Youth Olympic Games. Yes, probably, our strong and sincere friendship with Masha is a rare case for our sport. But it happens. And we became friends in our Junior season, when both were the main contenders for gold – the whole year we are neck and neck, first-second places. Of course, we fought on the ice, but it did not affect the relationship.
Q: The Tutberidze school is often called a heartless conveyor that churns out young champions, but they quickly disappear, breaking down either physically or psychologically. How do you feel about such conversations? Do not consider yourself a victim of this conveyor?
A: No. Well, for example, my first injury. This did not happen from stress, not from fatigue - it just happened. It did not even happen on the ice. Regular jump in the hall and on the end of jump I twisted my foot. Ligament rupture. I was broke not because I was jumping the quadruple, and not because I spent five hours on the ice, but on the sixth it happened. This is an accident that can happen to anyone. And why is everyone talking only about figure skating? Take a ski jump. Isn't there a huge load on your knees, on your back, on everything else? Nevertheless, no one discusses and condemns it that way.
Q: So you, the person who was inside the volcano, do not recognize these attacks?
A: Of course, any professional sport affects health. I will never give my children to the big sport. But at the same time children who train, want it. Parents are not forced to lead them there. Everyone understands, and for what they do it and realize the risks. But it is their choice. And if no one took the risk – figure skating would have stopped in its development. It would have been like 30 years ago. And who would be interested this?
Q: Having been brought up at the factory of stars performing quads, you yourself tried to approach these jumps?
A: No, but I tried a triple Axel. But mostly on a "fishing rod" [it seems in English it is called "harness" but I am not sure therefore I gave a direct translation]
Q: In whose performance did you first see the Quad live?
A: It was Sashka Trusova. ["Sashka" is diminutive of Sasha, Alexandra-Sasha-Sashka it's like Robert-Bob-Bobby]
Q: How did everyone react?
A: Of course everyone was delighted. Applauded her, drove up to her with congratulations.
Q: And Eteri Georgievna?
A: And she applauded too. It doesn't happen every day. It was like flying into space. Girl! At such a young age!
Q: When you changed the coach, did you feel better?
A: Not physically. I changed something, and the stone fell from the soul. But in general it's the same ice, the same room, and the same need to give all the best. But I moved into the offseason, at this time there are no such heavy loads, no one is skate the program entirely. The trainings were interesting: new steps, approaches. But the season began all the same.
Q: Tatiana Anatolyevna [Tarasova] did a lot work with you?
A: Yes, she choreographed both programs, tried to come before the starts. If Elena Germanovna [Buyanova] left, Tatyana Anatolyevna usually was present at trainings. If nothing not is obtained, breakdown inside, she always helped. Elena Germanovna could always call her: "Come, rebuild the athlete!»
Q: How did she "rebuild"?
A: Of course not by covers [skate blade covers, meaning the physical impact by the covers with the purpose of psychological healing athlete ]. By words. She's a great psychologist. Always save.
Q: And in the end, one season at CSKA was the last for you.
A: This is not because I went to CSKA and nothing happened there. I just finished school and chose to study. Since the summer I began to think about it, because I always studied well. I clearly understood: I don’t want to be a coach, and I will not go to RGUFK [College of Physical Education - the refuge of elite athletes]. But the jurisprudence and the economy - this is for me.
Q: How did this interest arise?
A: Since childhood I was attracted to serious topics and subjects – lawyers, prosecutors, investigations, mathematics and social studies. In general, I applied for the "world economy".
Q: So, you are skating season, and parallel you were able to prepare for the USE [Unified State Exam] and pass them so that it allowed to go to such a serious faculty?
A: In the fall, I told my parents I needed a history tutor. Having worked for two months, I announced to them that enough, I can no longer. I switched to social studies – it was much more interesting and easier. And mathematics – at all my love. As a result, passed the necessary exam and went to the world economy. The official order of enrollment will be on July 11. But I do not make a final vow, maybe I will study six months in the economy and transfer to RGUFK. Yeah, I wanted to completely cut myself off from figure skating and never touch it again. That's it, wall! But so far I understand that this is the only experience I have.
Q: Who do you see yourself in the future?
A: I used to see myself as a good economist, and now I understand that everything can turn so suddenly. When I posted ads about how to train children, I thought, I will train a little bit and that's all. But slowly I was drawn. There were offers to go there, here. Throughout August, I will go on training camps. I didn’t have this in my plans absolutely, I thought, the maximum, skate in the show. But now - no show.
Q: Why?
A: I don't want to skate.
My notes in square brackets. I apologize for the quality of the translation - this is a google translation and I as the chief editor (when the electronic dummy starts to freak, I correct it)
Q: At the end of May, you announced that you had completed your career, - did you not regret your decision during this time?
A: Not a bit. I haven't skate for three months now, I just announced it a little later. Now I have another life.
Q: What kind of life is it?
A: At first I couldn't find a place. Yes, the first week was a pleasure, I thought – this is happiness. But then I realized that I can't without activity [may be physical activity, not quite clear]. I decided to "skate up" [this is a slang term for private training] children – while this is the only option for earnings and just not to sit at home. School finished, exam passed in advance, and сollege only from the first of September. So I started looking for children to work.
Q: How?
A: I placed ads on avito.ru, on youla.ru. And when I started to work at the rink, I was seen by other parents and also asked to train their children.
Q: On which rink can we see coach Polina Tsurskaya?
A: Wherever they ask, I go.
Q: How much is your "skate up"?
A: If a person turns to me, I will call the price to him. My prices are average.
Q: Did your coaches charge much more?
A: I've never "skate up", not once in my life.
Q: Wow, now parents leave on extra classes whole fortune.
A: Yes, now this is common, all children "skate up". But before this was not common. In Omsk, where I started, there was enough ice without it. Then I came to Eteri Georgievna. She has no such thing as "skate up" with another coach. Everyone works with her in the allotted time. Managed to do all the work – well done, did not – your problem. But in the "Crystal"[Khrustalniy] so built training process that all have enough time and load.
Q: You lived at the rink?
A: No, I lived in a five-minute walk. And the training, if you were talking about this, started not so early - at 10 am or a little later. I even managed to run to school, and then went to training. Sometimes I was late, but Eteri Georgievna allowed late because of school.
During the day - warm up, ice, break, warm up, ice, "hitch" [I do not know what it is called in English, so I translated it literally - "hitch" is a special exercise for the gradual cooling and calming of the body after main exercise]. At half past seven in the evening went home. True, during the day break I always went home to sleep.
Q: How did you end up with Tutberidze, after starting a career in Omsk?
A: When I was 11 years old, there was a conflict with my coach and I thought that now I will be in Omsk just to learn. But my parents contacted Alexander Ilyich Kogan (now the General Director of the Russian Figure Skating Federation). He advised to go to Eteri Georgievna. I was told what kind of coach she was and who she raised.
Q: Six years ago, Eteri Georgievna was not so famous.
A: Even then, her students have achieved a lot: Polina Shelepen, Julia Lipnitskaya. And Evgenia Medvedeva was beginning to flourish.
And though I was ready to give up sports, I was afraid at that moment to tell "no" to parents: for the sake of me they decided on moving and big changes in life.
Q: Do you remember the first meeting with Eteri Georgievna?
A: We were standing near the locker room, zamboni clean the ice, and then comes Eteri Georgievna. My mother explained who we were, and the coach looked me up and down and said: "The girl is tall. Are you sure what you want and what you can do?" We said "yes", and she called us on the ice. At the first training session I, of course, showed the maximum, but, it seems to me, Eteri Georgievna liked also that I heard all remarks and right there corrected mistakes. In general, after the first training I was told that I was taken.
Q: And the golden age began?
A: Yes, it was cool, especially in junior time, when everyone was younger. This is not to say that we had no childhood. During breaks we could all have fun together or fooling around.
Q: Who did you most like to fool around with?
A: With Zhenya Medvedeva and Anya Scherbakova, who at that time was still a very small, sweet child. She were only up to my waist. Zhenya was, on the contrary, older. She is very interesting, open and always made contact.
Q: At the Olympics, were you rooting for Zhenya or Alina?
A: For the team of Russia!
Q: Can you say more precisely?
A: For Zhenya. I didn't see the competition live. In the morning I woke up and with fear picked up the phone to see the results. I was very upset about Zhenya, but at the same time I was happy for Alina, because then we were skating on the same ice, and I saw how she worked and how she went to this victory. I was glad for Zhenya too – when I looked at her skate and saw what emotions she had finished the program.
Q: Why did Alina and Zhenya succeed in winning the most top tournaments, and many, including you, do not reach the desired peaks? After all, you have one skating rink, same conditions, one coach, you all hard work.
A: Probably not all equally hard work. Someone do yourself a little favor, someone doing cheap work a little bit. Then these "little bit" connected and lead to consequences.
Q: Have you heard of the recent scandal because of the program Zagitova when Daniel Gleyhengauz accused of plagiarism when the choreography to the song Billy Ailes?
A: It's a scandal from nothing. This is often the case in art when you saw someone else's movement and used in own programm. We are not saying that the program was stolen from the beginning to the end. There's a dance on the floor! If the skaters liked it, why can't they take a few moves from there? Of course, if, for example, someone skate "Winter" Yagudin – it would be wrong. But from the floor to the ice… I think on the contrary, it's cool. After all, they could watch thousands of dances to this music, but they took exactly yours - you need to be proud! I do not see this problem.
Q: Describe Eteri Georgievna.
A: Demanding, purposeful, sincere.
Q: Why did you leave her?
A: Injuries started. It became psychologically hard. Eteri Georgievna tried to revive me. Maybe she didn't do it too gently, and I took it with hostility. Still, I was at a transitional age, and I thought that I know everything and know how. Perhaps I was lazy, she made me, again I did not like it, I answered her.
Q: What do you mean "answered"?
A: By words!
Q: Is that possible?
A: Yes, at that moment, apparently, I had too much courage and audacity. They tried to put my head back on right place, but it didn't, so I decided to leave [very difficult part to translate for such a noob like me - Polina, using live speech, ironically talk about own mind as an material object which they tried to give to the correct position, but which fell all the time]
Q: Do you regret it now?
A: No
Q: How did your parents react to this decision, who moved to Moscow for the sake of your career and, in particular, for the sake of working with Tutberidze?
A: They tried to talk to me, but they understood that the moment had come when I myself could make a decision. Moreover, I was in such a state of being lost and so misunderstood that they realized that their intervention was useless.
Q: How did you announce your leaving to Eteri Georgievna?
A: The main thing I regret is that when I left, I didn't thank her. I should have come to her with flowers, thanked her for everything.
Q: But it's never too late.
A: So I did it after all! It happened on the same day when I announced that I was leaving the sport. Yes, I have long wanted to go to her, but could not catch her. And of course, I was a little afraid and I was very embarrassed. And that day I was lying at home, texting with friends. And suddenly Diana (Tutberidze's daughter) writes to me: "Polina, Eteri Georgievna at the rink." I jump up and start gathering. They ask me: "Where are you going?" "Be back soon". And I ran for the flowers.
Q: Eteri Georgievna was surprised to see you with flowers?
A: She smiled, we had a good talk. Yes, I did not know what reaction to expect from her: maybe she was offended, maybe she did not want to see me. But everything went well.
Q: After leaving from Tutberidze, with her daughter you have kept a friendly relationship?
A: Diana and I were always good friends and talked a lot until she went to the dance. Often together walked, I could stay at her place to spend the night.
Q: And Eteri Georgievna fed you dinner?
A: Mostly we did it ourselves. She came much later. Then, when Diana went to another group, we saw each other much less often, but if we met at competitions, we still talked warmly. In April we texting each other again, realized that we miss each other, met, walked.
Q: I do not recall a great scandal after your leaving Tutberidze, although it is always big deal.
A: There was no big scandal. This happened against the background of Zhenya’s leaving, and everyone was discussing it.
Q: This is her leaving you inspired?
A: Well no!
Q: You mentioned a warm relationship with Diana and with Zhenya. That is, the friendship between skaters are possible?
A: Of course it is possible. My best friend is Masha Sotskova. We are friends from the Youth Olympic Games. Yes, probably, our strong and sincere friendship with Masha is a rare case for our sport. But it happens. And we became friends in our Junior season, when both were the main contenders for gold – the whole year we are neck and neck, first-second places. Of course, we fought on the ice, but it did not affect the relationship.
Q: The Tutberidze school is often called a heartless conveyor that churns out young champions, but they quickly disappear, breaking down either physically or psychologically. How do you feel about such conversations? Do not consider yourself a victim of this conveyor?
A: No. Well, for example, my first injury. This did not happen from stress, not from fatigue - it just happened. It did not even happen on the ice. Regular jump in the hall and on the end of jump I twisted my foot. Ligament rupture. I was broke not because I was jumping the quadruple, and not because I spent five hours on the ice, but on the sixth it happened. This is an accident that can happen to anyone. And why is everyone talking only about figure skating? Take a ski jump. Isn't there a huge load on your knees, on your back, on everything else? Nevertheless, no one discusses and condemns it that way.
Q: So you, the person who was inside the volcano, do not recognize these attacks?
A: Of course, any professional sport affects health. I will never give my children to the big sport. But at the same time children who train, want it. Parents are not forced to lead them there. Everyone understands, and for what they do it and realize the risks. But it is their choice. And if no one took the risk – figure skating would have stopped in its development. It would have been like 30 years ago. And who would be interested this?
Q: Having been brought up at the factory of stars performing quads, you yourself tried to approach these jumps?
A: No, but I tried a triple Axel. But mostly on a "fishing rod" [it seems in English it is called "harness" but I am not sure therefore I gave a direct translation]
Q: In whose performance did you first see the Quad live?
A: It was Sashka Trusova. ["Sashka" is diminutive of Sasha, Alexandra-Sasha-Sashka it's like Robert-Bob-Bobby]
Q: How did everyone react?
A: Of course everyone was delighted. Applauded her, drove up to her with congratulations.
Q: And Eteri Georgievna?
A: And she applauded too. It doesn't happen every day. It was like flying into space. Girl! At such a young age!
Q: When you changed the coach, did you feel better?
A: Not physically. I changed something, and the stone fell from the soul. But in general it's the same ice, the same room, and the same need to give all the best. But I moved into the offseason, at this time there are no such heavy loads, no one is skate the program entirely. The trainings were interesting: new steps, approaches. But the season began all the same.
Q: Tatiana Anatolyevna [Tarasova] did a lot work with you?
A: Yes, she choreographed both programs, tried to come before the starts. If Elena Germanovna [Buyanova] left, Tatyana Anatolyevna usually was present at trainings. If nothing not is obtained, breakdown inside, she always helped. Elena Germanovna could always call her: "Come, rebuild the athlete!»
Q: How did she "rebuild"?
A: Of course not by covers [skate blade covers, meaning the physical impact by the covers with the purpose of psychological healing athlete ]. By words. She's a great psychologist. Always save.
Q: And in the end, one season at CSKA was the last for you.
A: This is not because I went to CSKA and nothing happened there. I just finished school and chose to study. Since the summer I began to think about it, because I always studied well. I clearly understood: I don’t want to be a coach, and I will not go to RGUFK [College of Physical Education - the refuge of elite athletes]. But the jurisprudence and the economy - this is for me.
Q: How did this interest arise?
A: Since childhood I was attracted to serious topics and subjects – lawyers, prosecutors, investigations, mathematics and social studies. In general, I applied for the "world economy".
Q: So, you are skating season, and parallel you were able to prepare for the USE [Unified State Exam] and pass them so that it allowed to go to such a serious faculty?
A: In the fall, I told my parents I needed a history tutor. Having worked for two months, I announced to them that enough, I can no longer. I switched to social studies – it was much more interesting and easier. And mathematics – at all my love. As a result, passed the necessary exam and went to the world economy. The official order of enrollment will be on July 11. But I do not make a final vow, maybe I will study six months in the economy and transfer to RGUFK. Yeah, I wanted to completely cut myself off from figure skating and never touch it again. That's it, wall! But so far I understand that this is the only experience I have.
Q: Who do you see yourself in the future?
A: I used to see myself as a good economist, and now I understand that everything can turn so suddenly. When I posted ads about how to train children, I thought, I will train a little bit and that's all. But slowly I was drawn. There were offers to go there, here. Throughout August, I will go on training camps. I didn’t have this in my plans absolutely, I thought, the maximum, skate in the show. But now - no show.
Q: Why?
A: I don't want to skate.