ISU Statement on Russia's war against Ukraine - Participation in international competitions of Skaters and Officials from Russia and Belarus

[hanca]

Kurakova posted a video saying "I`m against the war" despite her immediate family still living in Moscow. She calls Poland her home and has said she doesn`t see herself living in Russia in the future. So I doubt she views the Russian government even as "her" Government. After all she left the country several years before legal voting age. This is very different to skaters who just got second citizenship on paper, but changed nothing about their lives and are still using the Russian state ressources like facilities for training.

Fine, then Kurakova is off the hook. What about the rest? Korovin, Efimova, Kvitelashvilli, Gubanova, Osipova, Zhuk…..the list could go on. It is still a double standard.

 

[euterpe]

And then there are the carpetbagger Russians skating for Hungary: the Vlasenko brothers and Polina Dzsumanyijazova. Polina practices the entire year in Russia.

Meanwhile, there's no opportunity for the Hungarian skaters they've replaced to compete anywhere.

And Russian born Supatashvili, skating for Georgia, trains exclusively in Russia as well.

 

[VGThuy]

Oksana Baiul is livid about Scott Hamilton casting Viktor Petrenko in his Celebration on Ice show for cancer research fundraising happening in April.

Oksana Baiul on Instagram: "@scotthamilton84 bull hey artist . U don’t support 🇺🇦 Ukrainian people if Petrenko is in your shows … Good luck 👍 war is not over so u know #figureskating #фигурноекатание"

74 Likes, 7 Comments - Oksana Baiul (@oksanabaiul) on Instagram: "@scotthamilton84 bull hey artist . U don’t support 🇺🇦 Ukrainian people if Petrenko is in..."

www.instagram.com

Oksana Baiul on Instagram: "@scotthamilton84 On July 8 2022 Petrenko took part in “The Scarlet Flower,” a figure skating show in the 2014 Olympic host Sochi organized by 2006 Olympic ice dance champion Tatiana Navka, the wife of Kremlin spokesperson

109 Likes, 11 Comments - Oksana Baiul (@oksanabaiul) on Instagram: "@scotthamilton84 On July 8 2022 Petrenko took part in “The Scarlet Flower,” a figure skating ..."

www.instagram.com

 

[hoptoad]

Me too - I public outcry forces Scott to change that.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Good for Oksana B.

 

[Dobre]

Any Russian citizen--athlete or otherwise--wanting to get the heck out of dodge right now would be making a wise decision if you ask me. Per one story this week, this is a country where a man can be thrown into jail because his child drew an anti-war picture. I know some countries want Russian citizens to apply for asylum, and that type of policy is up to the country; but if the athletes want to leave & skate elsewhere, I don't blame them in the slightest. It would mean giving up Russian funding. And it's not likely an option for any of the top athletes so long as their federation holds the keys to a release. (And I don't really envision that changing so long as the ban remains in effect).

 

[airgelaal]

Any Russian citizen--athlete or otherwise--wanting to get the heck out of dodge right now would be making a wise decision if you ask me. Per one story this week, this is a country where a man can be thrown into jail because his child drew an anti-war picture. I know some countries want Russian citizens to apply for asylum, and that type of policy is up to the country; but if the athletes want to leave & skate elsewhere, I don't blame them in the slightest. It would mean giving up Russian funding. And it's not likely an option for any of the top athletes so long as their federation holds the keys to a release. (And I don't really envision that changing so long as the ban remains in effect).

How many famous Russians ended up in prison? Not all are silent, but everything is ok with them.
But the athletes are silent. Money is more important to them, yes.

 

[Nadya]

Speak up against your government before you decide to switch countries.

I just love it when people like you churn out advice like this from their comfortable armchairs.

Somewhere in Bumfock, Russia, there is a single father whose grade school daughter made an antiwar drawing at school. And now he's in prison and she's in an orphanage.

Please, tell me that this is the price you'd be willing to pay, with you in prison, and your daughter in an orphanage. I'll wait.

 

[Karen-W]

I just love it when people like you churn out advice like this from their comfortable armchairs.

Somewhere in Bumfock, Russia, there is a single father whose grade school daughter made an antiwar drawing at school. And now he's in prison and she's in an orphanage.

Please, tell me that this is the price you'd be willing to pay, with you in prison, and your daughter in an orphanage. I'll wait.

Yes, because THAT is the price those skaters will pay, right? Bullshit. If they're good enough to be switching feds, and have the family finances to afford to fund their child's skating without Russian government or skating federation financial support, then that family damn well has the means to relocate outside of Russia for training. Now, whether that makes the family safe from Putin's "Suicide Goon Squad" is a different matter, but prison isn't in the cards for any of them. And the ones that are famous enough already could certainly make a choice without fearing for their lives, otherwise Eteri Tutberidze's life and that of Gleb Smolkin's family should be in danger, by your line of reasoning.

 

[peibeck]

Good for Oksana B.

I agree. Didn't he get removed as VP of the Ukrainian fed for taking part in shows in Russia last year?

 

[Nadya]

Yes, because THAT is the price those skaters will pay, right? Bullshit. If they're good enough to be switching feds, and have the family finances to afford to fund their child's skating without Russian government or skating federation financial support, then that family damn well has the means to relocate outside of Russia for training. Now, whether that makes the family safe from Putin's "Suicide Goon Squad" is a different matter, but prison isn't in the cards for any of them. And the ones that are famous enough already could certainly make a choice without fearing for their lives, otherwise Eteri Tutberidze's life and that of Gleb Smolkin's family should be in danger, by your line of reasoning.

Oooh mille pardon! I didn't realize your advice applied only to the rich and famous. The poor and the downtrodden thank you for this generous exception from your exacting standards.

 

[airgelaal]

My God, why would they oppose the war if they support it?
Here's a perfect example

https://twitter.com/x/status/1632847862492024832

 

[Karen-W]

Oooh mille pardon! I didn't realize your advice applied only to the rich and famous. The poor and the downtrodden thank you for this generous exception from your exacting standards.

Oh, please. You're the one who is equating some non-descript elementary school child from the middle of Bum****, Russia - where Putin doesn't give two shits about what the population thinks about the war or his mobilization - with a skater who is talented enough to be recruited by another fed (even if not good enough to make the Russian national team). Do you really think, if a skater is talented enough to be recruited by Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Hungary or wherever, but not good enough to make the Russian national tea, that their family is without the means necessary to leave the country? Fame is irrelevant to that part of the conversation, just the finances to leave the country. There are plenty of little girls of Russian extraction now skating for UAE at the Basic Novice and lower levels registered to compete next week at the Abu Dhabi Classic Trophy.

And, again, skaters who are good enough to make the Russian national team are, like it or not, famous enough that if they wanted to speak out against the war, or someone in their family did so, there isn't likely to be any retribution, so what's stopping them, apart from the fact that they actually DO support the war? I've seen these arguments for a year now, that someone like Evgenia Tarasova comes from a poor family and that she doesn't necessarily have the means to get her whole family out of the country, even if they wanted to leave. And yet, we've managed to see the likes of Shcherbakova and Tuktamysheva avoid the pro-war rallies and nothing seems to have happened to their families. Same with Davis & Smolkin, who actually posted anti-war messages on their social media a year ago. They have proven that punishment is, at best, selective.

 

[airgelaal]

Imagine that Plushenko spoke out against the war. Does anyone seriously believe that he would have been put in jail? And if thousands of famous athletes spoke out? Would they be arrested? I'm sure not.
People are not afraid of arrests, but to lose money. If they have a conscience, which I doubt, they just convince themselves that they can't change anything and they just want to live their normal life. Very convenient and profitable.
And don't tell me that I don't know how it is. Our athletes in 2013 were not afraid and came out to protest along with ordinary people. While Russian athletes took the stage with Putin.

 

[Irina89]

It is so obvious that some of you have never lived in a communist regime. What Anna S and Liza T have managed to do is the best someone in their position could have done, as in not agreeing to the war. The pro-war skaters...that is another topic. But it is not as if Sinitsina and Katsalapov come as very smart people in the first place.

 

[PRlady]

Washington DC is full of formerly normal Republicans whose reaction to the Trump takeover of their party and policies was MAGA to the max. They didn’t believe it and were of course so appalled by January 6 after four years of toadying to a narcissistic idiot. And all they would have lost by speaking up was access to power, a price they wouldn’t pay.

When there are 100 Liz Cheneys here, I’ll be harder on figure skaters there. As it is, the Anna’s and Liza’s who manage to avoid rah-rahing for Putin are as good as it gets and I want more skaters to emulate them.

 

[sus2850]

Fine, then Kurakova is off the hook. What about the rest? Korovin, Efimova, Kvitelashvilli, Gubanova, Osipova, Zhuk…..the list could go on. It is still a double standard.

About Efimova: She sees herself as Finnish and calls Finland her home, her family lives there, mother, brother, father. She has Finnish citizenship. Her mother moved to coach in Finland before Alisa was born. She spent about 5 years in Russia training, and represented Russia with Korovin for 4 years. Since 2020 she trains in Germany.

 

[Vagabond]

It is so obvious that some of you have never lived in a communist regime.

Russia today isn't communist; it's fascist.

 

[clairecloutier]

FWIW, Alisa Efimova was born in Finland (and lived there until she was 14 or 15):

Alisa Efimova - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

She went to Russia to do pairs from 2014-20, partnering with Korovin. The last time she skated with Korovin was in December 2019; their split was announced Feb 2020. Soon thereafter, Efimova returned to Finland. (And then went to Germany to partner with Blommaert.)

 

[hanca]

About Efimova: She sees herself as Finnish and calls Finland her home, her family lives there, mother, brother, father. She has Finnish citizenship. Her mother moved to coach in Finland before Alisa was born. She spent about 5 years in Russia training, and represented Russia with Korovin for 4 years. Since 2020 she trains in Germany.

How convenient that she sees herself as Finnish now. If I recall, there was interview with her before where she was saying how it wasn’t that hard to move to Russia because she felt partially Russian. She spent in Russia 2014-2020, so that’s six years (not to be pedantic). She would still be in Russia if Korovin did not decide to end the partnership. The reason why she competes for Germany is not that she didn’t want to compete for Russia; she just couldn’t find a partner. So if we look at it realistically, if she was a better skater, her partnership wouldn’t break down and she would still be competing for Russia. So she is benefiting from the change only because she wasn’t that great, same as Gubanova and the rest.

 

[Irina89]

Russia today isn't communist; it's fascist.

And that is different how in terms of persecution and political opposition? If it makes it better I will rephrase and say that you did not live in a totalitarian regime. My country and my family have, so believe me when I say it is not that easy. Not even for the rich and famous as some of you have said. You must have heard of Comaneci. Ask her what kind of life she had under communism.

 

[Vagabond]

And that is different how in terms of persecution and political opposition? If it makes it better I will rephrase and say that you did not live in a totalitarian regime. My country and my family have, so believe me when I say it is not that easy. Not even for the rich and famous as some of you have said. You must have heard of Comaneci. Ask her what kind of life she had under communism.

Yes. It does make it better. The truth is better.

 

[clairecloutier]

How convenient that she sees herself as Finnish now. If I recall, there was interview with her before where she was saying how it wasn’t that hard to move to Russia because she felt partially Russian.

I have lost track of what your overall point is about Efimova? Can you please re-state it?

BTW, it makes sense that Efimova felt relatively comfortable in Russia at first, because apparently both of her parents are originally Russian, so obviously she has links to the country independent of skating. (See article.)

 

[airgelaal]

It's funny how some people try to pretend that russia is worse than North Korea. But loyalty to the policy of the state is well paid, and as a result, we can observe a million photos of russian skaters from their holidays, for example, in Bali.
Thousands of tournaments and shows with millions of blood money. I hope they sleep well.

 

[hanca]

I have lost track of what your overall point is about Efimova? Can you please re-state it?

BTW, it makes sense that Efimova felt relatively comfortable in Russia at first, because apparently both of her parents are originally Russian, so obviously she has links to the country independent of skating. (See article.)

My point is, I find it a bit weird to ban from competitions some Russian skaters but at the same time be comfortable with all other skaters with Russian nationality that skate for other countries. And it is not only about the majority of the Hungarian team being of Russian origin, but also about the Russian skaters representing other countries, regardless when they switched. It is double standard. And that’s nothing personal against Efimova specifically, but even with Russian skaters banned, there will be significant number of Russian skaters at Europeans, 4CC and worlds. So why some Russian skaters are paying the price of having a lunatic for their president and others Russian skaters are deemed innocent, even though they changed the country only because they were not good enough to skate for Russia…

 

[Irina89]

Yes. It does make it better. The truth is better.

I do not follow your logic. Fascism or communism, the point stands. You can not expect people living in such a country to openly stand against a dictator, even if they are rich or famous. Maybe they will not get killed but there are so many other ways to destroy someone s life.

 

[tony]

I do not follow your logic. Fascism or communism, the point stands. You can not expect people living in such a country to openly stand against a dictator, even if they are rich or famous. Maybe they will not get killed but there are so many other ways to destroy someone s life.

This I agree with to an extent- this is a culture most of us have never experienced and can't comment with any personal experience. I also think that most people, particularly if they are very well-off for something they have achieved for or in recognition with the country, will not just up and leave everything behind to start over in another country- especially one that may not have the same opportunities for said talent/skill. People can talk about what they'd 'definitely do' all they want from the outside, but it's not something most people in general would or could afford to do, for many different reasons (language barriers, money cut-off, other skills, family who can't go, etc).

And maybe the skaters who are publicly supporting the war live in a bubble and don't know much of what the outside world is saying or more than what they see on the news. It happens within the USA too, depending on one's news source and how much they take of it to be absolute truth rather than expanding (or not wanting to expand) their own research.

But, the skaters who have supported the war have, for the most part, doubled down on their stances in most instances-- even after a year of all of this happening, and even after a year of the ISU banning them from competition. I don't know what they expect. I'm most disappointed in Kondratyuk, who is wise beyond his years, is really into the arts, speaks great English, and who I've had several small conversations with in the past. He's aware of the world outside Russia but I think he came into success with big results at the wrong time-- probably becoming a favorite of Putin and Russia in general right before all of this started.

 

[zoe111]

My point is, I find it a bit weird to ban from competitions some Russian skaters but at the same time be comfortable with all other skaters with Russian nationality that skate for other countries. And it is not only about the majority of the Hungarian team being of Russian origin, but also about the Russian skaters representing other countries, regardless when they switched. It is double standard. And that’s nothing personal against Efimova specifically, but even with Russian skaters banned, there will be significant number of Russian skaters at Europeans, 4CC and worlds. So why some Russian skaters are paying the price of having a lunatic for their president and others Russian skaters are deemed innocent, even though they changed the country only because they were not good enough to skate for Russia…

ok so by this logic, Ilia Malinin should be banned...Malinina skated for Uzbekistan but was born in Russia. ilia's father is Russian... In seriousness, i think it's not at all the same comparing people like Malinin and Efimova to others who are just now trying to get out.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Ilia Malinin was born and raised in the US so I don't know why his parents birth place would have anything to do with representing the US.

Isn't the argument here about Russian skaters born in Russia and skating for other countries?

 

[hanca]

ok so by this logic, Ilia Malinin should be banned...Malinina skated for Uzbekistan but was born in Russia. ilia's father is Russian... In seriousness, i think it's not at all the same comparing people like Malinin and Efimova to others who are just now trying to get out.

According to my logic, I believe either every skater with a Russian passport should be banned (including Malinin - if he has dual citizenship that includes Russian citizenship) or none of Russian skaters should be banned. As it is now, it blames a group of Russian skaters for something that was completely out of their control just based on their citizenship, while another group of Russian skaters happily compete. I can’t see why Gubanova, Sviatchenko, Pavlova, Kvitelashvilli and whole list of other Russian skaters are deemed ‘innocent’ and therefore able to compete while someone like Mukhortova/Evgeneev, Artemeva/Briukhanov and many many others ‘are guilty’ and therefore can’t compete. The problem is, if they ban every skater of Russian background, there won’t be enough competitors to have pairs and ice dance at Europeans, which would annoy many countries so lets pretend that some Russian skaters are to blame for having a lunatic as their president while other Russian skaters are ‘ok, it is not their fault’.