What is Oksana Baiul doing these days?

**Sasha'sSpins** · 01-25-2011, 02:47 PM

I think the Christmas card is cute.

Wasn't Oksana born in the former Soviet Union? It's always been my understanding that the Communist regime discouraged religious practices, preferring to consider themselves (as a group) atheists. Oksana's grandmother, and mother seemed to have given Oksana some kind of religious upbringing though-at least that's what I thought when I saw the fluffy years ago with Oksana praying in front of candles, crossing herself, etc.

**Rex** · 01-25-2011, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by pixie cut

I have no interest in watching such a freak show. That would be something that would actually make me turn the show off.

What?
It would be fun. Oksana would, if anything, make it more interesting. She'd keep us all in stitches. Do you remember her stint on Family Feud?

**jenniferlyon** · 01-26-2011, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by ross_hy

It's still my dream that she does "Dancing with the Stars" and partners with Maks...

Me too! But Oksana has had so much dance training, she would have to be considered a ringer.

**jenniferlyon** · 01-26-2011, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by pixie cut

She didn't need to convert to Judaism. She is Jewish because her mother and her mother's mother were both Jewish.

It doesn't seem she ever embraced practicing the faith. When you're raised one way and then find out something else about yourself it's very difficult to change such a deep thing as faith. Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has spoken about that. Of course, she was middle aged when she found out she was actually Jewish after having been raised Catholic and then becoming Episcopal after marriage.

Oksana used to cross herself before every competition, one of her early exhibition programs was "Ave Maria", and she often talked about her faith in God during interviews. I don't know if she was a regular churchgoer as a teen or a young adult, but she definitely had a set of beliefs and they were important enough to her that she expressed them in public.

**pixie cut** · 01-26-2011, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by jenniferlyon

Me too! But Oksana has had so much dance training, she would have to be considered a ringer.

If both Kristi and Evan were cast on the show, I don't think that's an issue. On the other hand, given all the times Oksana has forgotten choreography in her skating routines and made an idiot of herself will probably not endear her to the casting people.

**Perky Shae Lynn** · 01-26-2011, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by leesaleesa

That dog either looks terrified, embarrassed, or both in that Holiday card.

Who and why is she saluting?

Isn't she supposed to be Jewish these days, and how does the Santa hat fit into all that?

Imagine the start people get when they open the envelope and have that grinning manically back at them.

Jeez, what a mean-spirited post. Even "reading" into the dog's "expression". Russian/Ukrainian Jews that live in North America often celebrate Christmas as well as Jewish holidays. What's a big deal there???

**TDsk8** · 08-19-2011, 08:22 PM

She skated at a local ice rink in Elmsford, NY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_cfo8sKno0

She also has a Facebook acct. & Twitter @BaiulOksana

**leafygreens** · 08-19-2011, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by TDsk8

She skated at a local ice rink in Elmsford, NY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_cfo8sKno0

She also has a Facebook acct. & Twitter @BaiulOksana

Still doing Swan Lake, eh? It's like she's frozen in time.

**TDsk8** · 08-19-2011, 09:22 PM

its her most requested :-)

**AnnieBgood** · 08-20-2011, 05:43 AM

Ox is still sweet and cute. She just needs someone to look out for her.

**AndyWarhol** · 08-20-2011, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by jenniferlyon

Oksana used to cross herself before every competition, one of her early exhibition programs was "Ave Maria", and she often talked about her faith in God during interviews. I don't know if she was a regular churchgoer as a teen or a young adult, but she definitely had a set of beliefs and they were important enough to her that she expressed them in public.

^^That. Also, in the tv movie about her life (A Promise Kept) when her babushka died, the funeral was at a Ukranian Orthodox church. I know its a movie, but surely if she was Jewish the producers would have shown that.

**pixie cut** · 08-20-2011, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by AndyWarhol

^^That. Also, in the tv movie about her life (A Promise Kept) when her babushka died, the funeral was at a Ukranian Orthodox church. I know its a movie, but surely if she was Jewish the producers would have shown that.

She did not know she was Jewish until much later when she went to Ukraine to visit her father and grandmother (father's mother). Her father told her that her mother and her mother's mother were Jewish, which makes her Jewish, but they kept it hidden. Long after OGM and the movie.

**AndyWarhol** · 08-20-2011, 03:24 PM

How odd.

**pixie cut** · 08-20-2011, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by AndyWarhol

How odd.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright did not know she was Jewish until she was in her 40s or 50s. The parents hid it to avoid persecution. She was raised Catholic.

Ukraine was a tough place for Jews, even in Baiul's early life.

**AndyWarhol** · 08-20-2011, 04:49 PM

That is understandable. I didn't really mean it was odd that her family hid it, just a bit shocking to me as I have always thought her to be a staunch catholic (the crosses before programs etc). I really should have clarified that.

I wonder about her transition from catholic to judaism. Believing something your whole life then finding out you are supposed to believe something else.

**IceAlisa** · 08-20-2011, 05:00 PM

To clarify: before Oksana knew she was Jewish (although I don't really know what her beliefs are now) she was not a Catholic but a Russian Orthodox.

**AndyWarhol** · 08-20-2011, 05:12 PM

thank you for clarifying.

**pixie cut** · 08-20-2011, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by IceAlisa

To clarify: before Oksana knew she was Jewish (although I don't really know what her beliefs are now) she was not a Catholic but a Russian Orthodox.

Actually, Ukrainian Orthodox, which is virtually identical to Russian Orthodoxy but still is separate.

**IceAlisa** · 08-20-2011, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by pixie cut

Actually, Ukrainian Orthodox, which is virtually identical to Russian Orthodoxy but still is separate.

**Artifice** · 08-20-2011, 07:22 PM

So just because she found out that her mother was jewish, she had to admit that she was jewish too, even after spending all her life believing in something else... odd. Can't she just say "I'm orthodox and jewish, because I want to be othodox and not jewish" ?

Anyway, her swan lake is like a classic, like a singer has his number one, for Oksana it's this program (or variation of her first swan) and as long as she does it well I don't find any problem with that. This summer exhibition is actually good. She still has the particular mood to perform the swan very well.

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