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Marina Chernysheva-Melnik's interview with Kristina Astakhova for matchtv.ru
MCM: Kristina, what is the favourite moment of your career?
KA: The Olympics of course. Arthur Dmitriev always said `The Olympics are different, you can't compare those to any other competition'. He should know! We, the skaters, are always nervous before the competition. But when I came to Korea the feeling was different.
We didn't win a medal, but the fact of participating the Olympics means a lot to me. Especially as it came as a surprise - Stolbova/Klimov were not invited after the doping scandal. I learned I was going to the Olympics while home under the weather. On one hand it was `wow, cool!!!' on the other - it's scary - the level of responsibility. It was a shock, a huge energy boost that I will remember for the rest of my life.
MCM: Why have you retired right after the Olympic season?
KA: First I didn't see what is next. Sport is very time and health demanding, the constant concentration, the stress.. you have to give so much of yourself and get no promises in return. I thought to myself: so ok, I'll get ready for a new season - but what for? So for 2022 I could make it to the Olympics. I.e. I have to think of a 4 years cycle. How old is Alexey Rogonov? Would he be healthy enough to compete on the highest level by then? So let's assume we would skate for a couple more season, but the younger competitors would come by then and become the leaders.
Second - I would not continue skating with Alexey. We were not communicating well, sometimes we were not on the speaking terms and, of course, there was no fun skating together. Perhaps with some other partner I would had continued. But the spring 2018 there was no free well trained male partner. So I retired without hesitating much.
MCM: You can't predict the future of course, but what about the Europeans and the other main competitions? After all the competition in the pairs is not that high - after the Korean Olympics several leading teams retired and your and Alexey's chances to medal raised.
KA: It's not a given we would have won. Look at the Chinese! And even being on the podium - I would want to be there because I'm the best, not because someone retired. I.e. I would be in a queue and wait for my turn? It's not something that inspired me.
MCM: At what point you decided you were done and notified the team?
KA: I started thinking about it right after the Olympics. After the Worlds we had a vacation - we were so tired, we didn't want to make any plans for the future. Right before leaving I notified the partner and the coaches that I will probably retire. I thought perhaps I'll change my mind during the vacation, the passion will come back. Nope. When I got back to Moscow I made my mind and told the colleagues am not continuing to the next season.
MCM: Alexey Rogonov announced at the Summer 2018 the team no longer existed. Why haven't you said goodbye to your fans? After all it was your idea to retire.
KA: In our Alexey was the one to talk in public, give the interviews and comments. I thought - well, if he announced my retirement it's enough. I'm quite passive in the social networks, I don't have many followers. Besides, I knew people were hurt by my retirement and I didn't want to go into the details. I thought it would just go away.
MCM: Yet not so long ago you and Aleksey went back to the subject in your social networks.
KA: During the 2 years after our parting Alexey sometimes spoke about it in various interviews and some things he said were not nice to read. So much time have passed - why not let it go? We wouldn't be skating together anyway.
Frankly, I don't want to recall all the reasons now. The mix of them caused the decision. I think it all worked out well for our ex-team. Alexey skates in a great show with Alina Ustimkina, they earn a good money and do what they want. I'm well settled as well. I sometimes visit Arthur Dmitriev, we are in a good terms. It's time to let it go!
MCM: How did you parents and your surrounding take you decision to retire?
KA: My mom just wants me to be happy. If I made the choice - she accepted it. Most importantly mom knew: I retire to begin a new chapter in my life, to grow.
Of course some were in ave taking my age. But it've only been two years and I don't want to go back competing. I like my current life! I do some complicated elements and lifts in the shows, but I don't have to chase the technique and try to beat someone, I can try out in different roles. I am not sorry about my decision, which means it was right. Just the fact I made it to the Olympics is great. Not many win it.
MCM: How did you become a skater?
KA: My parents are biathlettes, they put me on the ski when I was 3. I didn't like it. A year later I told my mom `I want to do rollerskating in the winter'. I could rollerskate by then. Mom took me to the ice rink to Ekaterina Volkova's group - she became my first singles coach.
MCM: Why did you switch to pairs?
KA: When I was 9 Sergey Dobroskokov joined the `Khrystalny' where I was training. He had several guys and my coach offered me to try out in pairs. I went to a couple of practices, liked it and stayed.
MCM: Were you not afraid flying above the ice on the partner's arm, landing the throw jumps?
KA: When you are little you are hardly afraid of anything. The opposite: everything is so interesting and exciting. I was trying lifts when I was 9y.o, bu the age of 10-11 I was learning the throw 3S. If you offer me now to learn and ultra C element I would need a really grand goal. But back then there was no fear of injury and it was more interesting than scary.
MCM: You skated in Dobroskokov's group for several years and when teamed up with Rogonov went to a new coach. Why?
KA: It just happened that both Alexey and I had different coaches - he was in Pavlova's group. We decided we don't want to choose between them not to hurt one of them. So we went to Dmitriev - a neutral person. It was for the best: each of us started working in a new team from the scratch and we were adjusting to each other.
MCM: You were working with a choreographer Zhelezniakov - he now works with all the famous single skaters in Tutberidze's group
KA: Zhelezniakov taught the modern dance, worked on the upper body and the arms. He not only worked with Tutberidze's team in `Khrustalny' but with Dobroskokov as well. He was teaching me and my previous partners. When I switched to Dmitriev Zhelezniakov remained my off ice choreographer and Sergey Komolov became the on ice choreographer.
MCM: You have quite a big age gap - 9 years. Is it a good thing or a bad?
KA: It's more important how you treat the work, what is in your heart. The goal you are trying to reach should be the same. Look at the contemporary skating - those who win are not even 16. The young ones in the pairs are coming up as well. When Alexey and I were skating it was Volosozhar/Trnakov, Stolbova/Klimov and then Tarasova/Morozov in the lead. They all were adults. Now it's every season another young team bursts in.
MCM: In Dmitriev's group you didn't have any rivals. At the same time Mozer coached all the leading teams in Russia. Do you need a sparring or the conditions in your team were better?
KA: I can't tell anything about Mozer's group work, but as far as I know all the teams were training separately. I think the sparring is good when you are a beginner in the sport. You see the other teams skating and you want to improve, you grow. Once you reach a certain level you want an individual approach and the full attention of the coach and the choreographer. After all the main sparring is the competition.
MCM: Your most remembered programme is the `Doll'. Tell me the story.
KA: It's the idea of the choreographer Sergey Komolov, he offered the song `Shatter me'. In the clip the doll is singing the song and playing the violin while in a glass ball. Sergey offered a story: I'm a doll, Alexey is the master who created it and fell in love with it. The master is trying to revive his creation, gives the doll his heart and by the end of the programme I come to life.
I remember it took me a while to figure the role, Sergey even said once `Kristina, I don't see a doll in you'. We worked a lot with Margarita Bugaeva - the acting teacher, who taught me the `doll gaze'. She also works with the `Khrustalny' kids
There is an about 10 seconds part of the programme, where we more or less stand still and don't do any elements but do some choregraphy. That's the moment the audience would always clap, it's was so touching. I recall after the season we skated `The Doll' I came to the rink and the kids who were training there said `Oh, it's the doll!'. They didn't know my name but they knew the role. It was really nice.
MCM: You had a wonderful `Evgeni Onegin' programme, which you never showed in a competition. Why?
KA: We went to St. Petersburg to watch the musicale, we worked with Vera Sveshnikova - who was playing the role of Tatiana. It was a very interesting time and we put a lot of soul in that programme. But after the test skates in Sochi the federation specialists advised our coaches to change it. They doubted the foreign judges and public would understand it. After all its' a Russian story with the Russian lyrics. In the end our choreographer offered a different thing to music from the movie `Paganini: the devil's violinist'. We did it really fast and the programme was quite decent.
MCM: Today your main partner in the ice shows is Andrey Deputat?
KA: Yes, we often skate together. It's a funny story: you probably know last summer when Andrey and Ekaterina Bobrova opened a skating school. I was looking for a job, so I called Ekaterina and offered to join. She said she'll talk to Andrei. A bit later he called me himself and said: `you can coach later, perhaps for now let's do shows?'. Andrey had been skating in Averbukh;s shows for a while and he wanted to find a constant partner. We skated for the first time together in the `R&J' show, we were depicting the old Montecchi couple. I loved it and since then am a part of Averbukh's ice family.
MCM: You are so young and depict the parents of the main character - the Romeo is played by the 40y.o. Marinin?
KA: Well, the soloists should be the Olympic champions. At any rate, am glad I started my career in the show and will continue it. Now it's the time of the New Years shows and we'll see what is next.
MCM: What else do you do except for the shows?
KA: I choreograph in Dobroskokov's group, do programmes for his little pairs and singles. Of course the pairs are easier for me- it's what ma used to. Sometimes I do master classes. I am not in a hurry to coach, there is always time for that. I want to try different things.
MCM: Do you follow the competitions?
KA: I was never while competing myself but I do now. First Sergey Dobroskokov has Pavluchenko/Khodykin and I want to see how do they develop. Second the pairs skating develops, there are new entrances, transitions, some moves.
MCM: Your ex coach Arthur Dmitriev said that there is no obvious leader in the Russian pairs. Do you agree?
KA: I think so. It's too unpredictable. Look at Boikova/Kozlovskii: they show the highest technique for 2 seasons in the row. And at the same time Tarasova/Morozo - the mature team, they move like one. I think it's the togetherness the new teams are still lacking. It's something that comes with the time. Alexey and I had always tried to do something new, unusual in our programmes.
We'll see who will win in the main competitions. I think a lot of pairs can aim for the top with their technical content.
MCM: You mentioned the finances as one of the reasons to retire. Why the pairs skating is not that popular among the sponsors? It seems the known brands would rather sign contracts with the 2nd rated single skaters.
KA: I think a lot depends on the people who promote you. Some athletes have agents who work for their popularity. The only way for a skater to earn some money is the salary, the price money, the private lessons and the shows during the off season. In pairs and dance you can also represent two regions at once: each partner in a different region, that way the regional payments are higher. But if you are not one of the world leaders you won't earn a decent living from the skating. Hence many retire.
MCM: Kristina, what is the favourite moment of your career?
KA: The Olympics of course. Arthur Dmitriev always said `The Olympics are different, you can't compare those to any other competition'. He should know! We, the skaters, are always nervous before the competition. But when I came to Korea the feeling was different.
We didn't win a medal, but the fact of participating the Olympics means a lot to me. Especially as it came as a surprise - Stolbova/Klimov were not invited after the doping scandal. I learned I was going to the Olympics while home under the weather. On one hand it was `wow, cool!!!' on the other - it's scary - the level of responsibility. It was a shock, a huge energy boost that I will remember for the rest of my life.
MCM: Why have you retired right after the Olympic season?
KA: First I didn't see what is next. Sport is very time and health demanding, the constant concentration, the stress.. you have to give so much of yourself and get no promises in return. I thought to myself: so ok, I'll get ready for a new season - but what for? So for 2022 I could make it to the Olympics. I.e. I have to think of a 4 years cycle. How old is Alexey Rogonov? Would he be healthy enough to compete on the highest level by then? So let's assume we would skate for a couple more season, but the younger competitors would come by then and become the leaders.
Second - I would not continue skating with Alexey. We were not communicating well, sometimes we were not on the speaking terms and, of course, there was no fun skating together. Perhaps with some other partner I would had continued. But the spring 2018 there was no free well trained male partner. So I retired without hesitating much.
MCM: You can't predict the future of course, but what about the Europeans and the other main competitions? After all the competition in the pairs is not that high - after the Korean Olympics several leading teams retired and your and Alexey's chances to medal raised.
KA: It's not a given we would have won. Look at the Chinese! And even being on the podium - I would want to be there because I'm the best, not because someone retired. I.e. I would be in a queue and wait for my turn? It's not something that inspired me.
MCM: At what point you decided you were done and notified the team?
KA: I started thinking about it right after the Olympics. After the Worlds we had a vacation - we were so tired, we didn't want to make any plans for the future. Right before leaving I notified the partner and the coaches that I will probably retire. I thought perhaps I'll change my mind during the vacation, the passion will come back. Nope. When I got back to Moscow I made my mind and told the colleagues am not continuing to the next season.
MCM: Alexey Rogonov announced at the Summer 2018 the team no longer existed. Why haven't you said goodbye to your fans? After all it was your idea to retire.
KA: In our Alexey was the one to talk in public, give the interviews and comments. I thought - well, if he announced my retirement it's enough. I'm quite passive in the social networks, I don't have many followers. Besides, I knew people were hurt by my retirement and I didn't want to go into the details. I thought it would just go away.
MCM: Yet not so long ago you and Aleksey went back to the subject in your social networks.
KA: During the 2 years after our parting Alexey sometimes spoke about it in various interviews and some things he said were not nice to read. So much time have passed - why not let it go? We wouldn't be skating together anyway.
Frankly, I don't want to recall all the reasons now. The mix of them caused the decision. I think it all worked out well for our ex-team. Alexey skates in a great show with Alina Ustimkina, they earn a good money and do what they want. I'm well settled as well. I sometimes visit Arthur Dmitriev, we are in a good terms. It's time to let it go!
MCM: How did you parents and your surrounding take you decision to retire?
KA: My mom just wants me to be happy. If I made the choice - she accepted it. Most importantly mom knew: I retire to begin a new chapter in my life, to grow.
Of course some were in ave taking my age. But it've only been two years and I don't want to go back competing. I like my current life! I do some complicated elements and lifts in the shows, but I don't have to chase the technique and try to beat someone, I can try out in different roles. I am not sorry about my decision, which means it was right. Just the fact I made it to the Olympics is great. Not many win it.
MCM: How did you become a skater?
KA: My parents are biathlettes, they put me on the ski when I was 3. I didn't like it. A year later I told my mom `I want to do rollerskating in the winter'. I could rollerskate by then. Mom took me to the ice rink to Ekaterina Volkova's group - she became my first singles coach.
MCM: Why did you switch to pairs?
KA: When I was 9 Sergey Dobroskokov joined the `Khrystalny' where I was training. He had several guys and my coach offered me to try out in pairs. I went to a couple of practices, liked it and stayed.
MCM: Were you not afraid flying above the ice on the partner's arm, landing the throw jumps?
KA: When you are little you are hardly afraid of anything. The opposite: everything is so interesting and exciting. I was trying lifts when I was 9y.o, bu the age of 10-11 I was learning the throw 3S. If you offer me now to learn and ultra C element I would need a really grand goal. But back then there was no fear of injury and it was more interesting than scary.
MCM: You skated in Dobroskokov's group for several years and when teamed up with Rogonov went to a new coach. Why?
KA: It just happened that both Alexey and I had different coaches - he was in Pavlova's group. We decided we don't want to choose between them not to hurt one of them. So we went to Dmitriev - a neutral person. It was for the best: each of us started working in a new team from the scratch and we were adjusting to each other.
MCM: You were working with a choreographer Zhelezniakov - he now works with all the famous single skaters in Tutberidze's group
KA: Zhelezniakov taught the modern dance, worked on the upper body and the arms. He not only worked with Tutberidze's team in `Khrustalny' but with Dobroskokov as well. He was teaching me and my previous partners. When I switched to Dmitriev Zhelezniakov remained my off ice choreographer and Sergey Komolov became the on ice choreographer.
MCM: You have quite a big age gap - 9 years. Is it a good thing or a bad?
KA: It's more important how you treat the work, what is in your heart. The goal you are trying to reach should be the same. Look at the contemporary skating - those who win are not even 16. The young ones in the pairs are coming up as well. When Alexey and I were skating it was Volosozhar/Trnakov, Stolbova/Klimov and then Tarasova/Morozov in the lead. They all were adults. Now it's every season another young team bursts in.
MCM: In Dmitriev's group you didn't have any rivals. At the same time Mozer coached all the leading teams in Russia. Do you need a sparring or the conditions in your team were better?
KA: I can't tell anything about Mozer's group work, but as far as I know all the teams were training separately. I think the sparring is good when you are a beginner in the sport. You see the other teams skating and you want to improve, you grow. Once you reach a certain level you want an individual approach and the full attention of the coach and the choreographer. After all the main sparring is the competition.
MCM: Your most remembered programme is the `Doll'. Tell me the story.
KA: It's the idea of the choreographer Sergey Komolov, he offered the song `Shatter me'. In the clip the doll is singing the song and playing the violin while in a glass ball. Sergey offered a story: I'm a doll, Alexey is the master who created it and fell in love with it. The master is trying to revive his creation, gives the doll his heart and by the end of the programme I come to life.
I remember it took me a while to figure the role, Sergey even said once `Kristina, I don't see a doll in you'. We worked a lot with Margarita Bugaeva - the acting teacher, who taught me the `doll gaze'. She also works with the `Khrustalny' kids
There is an about 10 seconds part of the programme, where we more or less stand still and don't do any elements but do some choregraphy. That's the moment the audience would always clap, it's was so touching. I recall after the season we skated `The Doll' I came to the rink and the kids who were training there said `Oh, it's the doll!'. They didn't know my name but they knew the role. It was really nice.
MCM: You had a wonderful `Evgeni Onegin' programme, which you never showed in a competition. Why?
KA: We went to St. Petersburg to watch the musicale, we worked with Vera Sveshnikova - who was playing the role of Tatiana. It was a very interesting time and we put a lot of soul in that programme. But after the test skates in Sochi the federation specialists advised our coaches to change it. They doubted the foreign judges and public would understand it. After all its' a Russian story with the Russian lyrics. In the end our choreographer offered a different thing to music from the movie `Paganini: the devil's violinist'. We did it really fast and the programme was quite decent.
MCM: Today your main partner in the ice shows is Andrey Deputat?
KA: Yes, we often skate together. It's a funny story: you probably know last summer when Andrey and Ekaterina Bobrova opened a skating school. I was looking for a job, so I called Ekaterina and offered to join. She said she'll talk to Andrei. A bit later he called me himself and said: `you can coach later, perhaps for now let's do shows?'. Andrey had been skating in Averbukh;s shows for a while and he wanted to find a constant partner. We skated for the first time together in the `R&J' show, we were depicting the old Montecchi couple. I loved it and since then am a part of Averbukh's ice family.
MCM: You are so young and depict the parents of the main character - the Romeo is played by the 40y.o. Marinin?
KA: Well, the soloists should be the Olympic champions. At any rate, am glad I started my career in the show and will continue it. Now it's the time of the New Years shows and we'll see what is next.
MCM: What else do you do except for the shows?
KA: I choreograph in Dobroskokov's group, do programmes for his little pairs and singles. Of course the pairs are easier for me- it's what ma used to. Sometimes I do master classes. I am not in a hurry to coach, there is always time for that. I want to try different things.
MCM: Do you follow the competitions?
KA: I was never while competing myself but I do now. First Sergey Dobroskokov has Pavluchenko/Khodykin and I want to see how do they develop. Second the pairs skating develops, there are new entrances, transitions, some moves.
MCM: Your ex coach Arthur Dmitriev said that there is no obvious leader in the Russian pairs. Do you agree?
KA: I think so. It's too unpredictable. Look at Boikova/Kozlovskii: they show the highest technique for 2 seasons in the row. And at the same time Tarasova/Morozo - the mature team, they move like one. I think it's the togetherness the new teams are still lacking. It's something that comes with the time. Alexey and I had always tried to do something new, unusual in our programmes.
We'll see who will win in the main competitions. I think a lot of pairs can aim for the top with their technical content.
MCM: You mentioned the finances as one of the reasons to retire. Why the pairs skating is not that popular among the sponsors? It seems the known brands would rather sign contracts with the 2nd rated single skaters.
KA: I think a lot depends on the people who promote you. Some athletes have agents who work for their popularity. The only way for a skater to earn some money is the salary, the price money, the private lessons and the shows during the off season. In pairs and dance you can also represent two regions at once: each partner in a different region, that way the regional payments are higher. But if you are not one of the world leaders you won't earn a decent living from the skating. Hence many retire.
So maybe not quite the right song for him. Maybe for her though.....
