{"id":525,"date":"2010-02-19T12:52:01","date_gmt":"2010-02-19T16:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=525"},"modified":"2010-02-19T12:52:01","modified_gmt":"2010-02-19T16:52:01","slug":"russian-soul-of-winter-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/russian-soul-of-winter-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"The Russian Soul of Winter Olympics: \u201c\u0420\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0434\u0443\u0448\u0430 \u0437\u0438\u043c\u043d\u0438\u0445 \u043e\u043b\u0438\u043c\u043f\u0438\u0430\u0434\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Vancouver Winter Olympics started last week, on February 12. The day before \u201c\u0446\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0438 \u043e\u0442\u043a\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u044f<\/strong>\u201d [the opening ceremony], \u201c\u043f\u0440\u0435\u043c\u044c\u0435<\/span>\u0440-\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0440 <\/strong>\u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u0438\u0440<\/span> <\/span>\u041f\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u043d<\/strong>\u201d [Prime Minister Vladimir Putin] addressed the athletes, giving them a combination of pep talk and partying words known in Russian as \u201c\u043d\u0430\u043f\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438\u0435\u201d <\/strong>(lit.: for the road)<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u041c\u044b \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0441 \u043d\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435\u043c \u0436\u0434\u0451\u043c \u0441\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u043e\u0432 \u0438 \u0436\u0434\u0451\u043c \u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0438\u0445 \u0440\u0435\u0437\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0432. \u041c\u044b \u043f\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u043e \u043e\u0442\u0434\u0430\u0451<\/span>\u043c \u0441\u0435\u0431\u0435<\/span> \u043e\u0442\u0447\u0451<\/span>\u0442 \u0432 \u0442\u043e\u043c, \u0432 \u043a\u0430\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043c \u043f\u0441\u0438\u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043c \u0441\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u044f<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0438 \u043d\u0430\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0430 \u043e\u043b\u0438\u043c\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0441\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u0430\u044f, \u043c\u044b \u0443\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u043d\u044b, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0432\u044b \u0441\u043f\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0441\u044c \u0441\u043e \u0432\u0441\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u0438 \u044d\u043c\u043e\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u0442\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044f\u043c\u0438, \u0432\u0441\u0451 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u043e\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442\u0435 \u0438 \u0434\u043e\u0431\u044c\u0451<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u0441\u044c \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0445 \u0443\u0441\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0445\u043e\u0432”, – \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u043b \u0432 \u0447\u0435\u0442\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0433 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u043c\u044c\u0435<\/span>\u0440, \u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0449\u0430<\/span>\u044f\u0441\u044c \u043a \u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u0441\u043c\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0430\u043c \u0432\u043e \u0432\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f \u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0430 \u0438\u0437 \u0438\u043d\u0444\u043e\u0440\u043c\u0446\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0430 “\u0421\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0438-2014″ \u0441 “\u0420\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u043c \u0434\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u043e\u043c” \u0432 \u0412\u0430\u043d\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0435.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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[Impatiently we are waiting for the starts and for your results. We are fully aware of the psychological condition our Olympic team is in; we are confident that you will successfully deal with all the emotional difficulties, overcome it all and achieve great success\u201d – said the Prime Minister on Thursday, addressing athletes during the live link-up between the info-center Sochi-2014 and Russian House in Vancouver.]<\/p>\n

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Now, unlike my mom – a hard-core figure-skating fan – I don\u2019t follow the ups-and-downs of this sport very closely. But the reference to the emotional difficulties left me wondering. With a little bit of digging around, I zoomed in on \u201c\u0441\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u043b \u0441 \u041f\u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0449\u0435\u043d\u043a\u043e<\/strong>\u201d [scandal involving\/around Plushenko], the 6-time European figure-skating champion.<\/p>\n

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You\u2019d think that with 15 winter sports, the Prime-minister would not concentrate so hard on the figure-skating issues. But I\u2019m going to draw on my own experience growing up in Russia to say that many Russians consider \u201c\u0444\u0438\u0433\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435<\/strong>\u201d [figure skating] a big part of their national identity.<\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/strong>\u041a<\/span>\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u043b\u0438\u043d\u0433<\/strong>\u201d [curling] might have a few fans in Russia; and \u201c\u0431\u043e\u0431\u0441\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0439 \u0438 \u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442<\/strong>\u201d [bobsleigh and skeleton] attract a small, but loyal following. But while much attention is given to \u201c\u0431\u0438\u0430\u0442\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u043d<\/strong>\u201d [biathlon], \u201c\u043b\u044b<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u043a\u0438<\/strong>\u201d [cross-country skiing], and \u201c\u043a\u043e\u043d\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0431\u0435<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442<\/strong>\u201d [speed skating], the heart and soul of Russian Olympics experience is figure skating. Even \u201c\u0445\u043e\u043a\u043a\u0435<\/span>\u0439<\/strong>\u201d [hockey] doesn\u2019t hold a candle to it.<\/p>\n

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When I was growing up in Russia, for a month or two surrounding the Winter Olympics (or a European Figure Skating Championship), every single girl and some boys in the neighborhood wanted to be figure skating champs. There was only one \u201c\u0437\u0430\u043a\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u0430\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u043a<\/strong>\u201d [covered ice-skating rink] in our city and it was mostly closed to the public. The very few \u201c\u043e\u0442\u043a\u0440\u044b<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u0435 \u043a\u0430\u0442\u043a\u0438<\/span><\/strong>\u201d [open-air ice-skating rinks] were \u201c\u0437\u0430\u0431\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044b \u0431\u0438\u0442\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u043c<\/strong>\u201d [overcrowded] and we had to wait in line for skates forever.<\/p>\n

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But we, the kids, didn\u2019t mind this problem at all. Instead, every frozen \u201c\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0436\u0430<\/strong>\u201d [puddle] became a tiny ice-skating rink of our own. And since most of us didn\u2019t have skates, that kind of equipment being \u201c\u0434\u0435\u0444\u0438\u0446\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439<\/strong>\u201d [difficult to obtain], we would simply slide across the ice in our clumsy winter boots practicing all those \u201c\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b<\/span>\u0435 \u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0446\u044b\u201d<\/strong> [triple lutzes] and \u201c\u0442\u0443\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u043f\u044b<\/strong>\u201d [toe loops] (not to be confused with an article of clothing). Best of all, there were hardly any falls or injuries with this kind of practice.<\/div>\n

\n

And in the evenings, we\u2019d go home, turn on our 2-channel black-and-white TVs (hey, my family had a B&W TV well into the 90\u2019s) and watch the famous skaters perform. Over some hot \u201c\u0447\u0430\u0439<\/strong>\u201d [tea] with \u201c\u0441\u0443\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/strong>\u201d [hard tea biscuits akin to Melba toast], we held our breaths as skaters were approaching their jumps or performing some particularly complicated footwork. Every fall or stumble was accompanied by our collective \u201c\u043e\u0445!<\/strong>\u201d and \u201c\u044d\u0445!<\/strong>\u201d And a well-executed performance was rewarded with \u201c<\/strong>\u0432\u043e<\/span> <\/span><\/strong>\u0434\u0430\u0435<\/span>\u0442<\/span>!\u201d<\/strong> [would you look at that!] and \u201c\u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0446!<\/strong>\u201d [atta boy]. And then we all tried to guess the marks skaters would get from each judge.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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In our hearts we knew that \u201c\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u0438<\/strong>\u201d [our] skaters were the best. It was the fundamental truth that required no further proof. Even when our skaters didn\u2019t win the gold medal or (rarely) any medals at all, it did not diminish their skills or \u201c\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0445\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e<\/strong>\u201d [dominancy] on ice, not in our eyes, not long-term.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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At the same time this knowledge gave us piece of mind and lots of goodwill towards foreign skaters. In retrospect, it was kind of \u201c\u0441\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e<\/strong>\u201d [condescending] to think that their wins were accidental and short-term (even if they were to become 6-time European Champions, like Surya Bonali), primarily technique-based with little in the way of \u201c\u0445\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0444\u0438\u0438<\/strong>\u201d [choreography] or \u201c\u0434\u0443\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/strong>\u201d [soulfulness].<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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But in the end, the one part of the Olympics figure skating program we looked forward to the most was \u201c\u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0432\u044b\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong>\u201d [the Exhibition Gala] – no competition, no judges,\u00a0 <\/span>no marks.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So this year, on February 27, I will brew me a pot of strong black tea, put some \u201c\u0441\u0443\u0445\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u043a\u0438<\/strong>\u201d biscuits on a plate, and enjoy the Gala. Then, on February 28, I\u2019ll be stopping by my local ice-skating rink that offers adult beginner classes and, back at home, re-naming my piggy-bank savings project \u201c\u0421\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0438<\/span>-2014<\/strong>\u201d [Sochi 2014].<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n