Russian figure skating news & updates in 2022

[reut]

Thread about sports and politics in Russia:

https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/status/1504617672448819203

Historical part was new to me, Soviet and modern era part - I can certainly confirm that it's true.
Btw about "athletes are expected to make pilgrimages to Kremlin before and after the Games" - there was supposed to be such visit at the beginning of April, it was moved to 26th or something like that.

 

[karmena]

Soviet system/era never departed Russia. Never ever. It is the same spirit- and always has been- just with some nice makeup to look better, to sound better ( and to deceive those who are ready and wiling to be deceived)... And that soviet spirit is much worse now than it was before because it is more sophisticated now. It lives in people's minds and world perception...till...till it will be refused to be accepted by each and every individual and from the deeply inside....Ha! I cannot see this to happen in near future!

 

[Frau Muller]

….
Btw about "athletes are expected to make pilgrimages to Kremlin before and after the Games" - there was supposed to be such visit at the beginning of April, it was moved to 26th or something like that.

Isn’t there also a Team USA ”pilgrimage” to the White House after each Olympics and those who hate the President stay away? Will Russian athletes & coaches who don’t like Putin stay away? I think that Russian people are generally more polite, disciplined and respectful of people in authority (and elders), even if they disagree.

By the way, Orthodox Easter is Sunday, April 24. They’re likely waiting til that’s over and people don’t have to fast. Just a guess. Maybe even the war will be over.

 

[reut]

I don't think it has anything to do with Easter. (Or anything to do with polite and respectful Russians)
I do recommend to read that thread, it is quite illuminating.

 

[Jammers]

Isn’t there also a Team USA ”pilgrimage” to the White House after each Olympics and those who hate the President stay away? Will Russian athletes & coaches who don’t like Putin stay away? I think that Russian people are generally more polite, disciplined and respectful of people in authority (and elders), even if they disagree.

By the way, Orthodox Easter is Sunday, April 24. They’re likely waiting til that’s over and people don’t have to fast. Just a guess. Maybe even the war will be over.

I think the Russian people are more respectful of people of authority because they are used to dictators running their country and don't having a real history of being free. Before Putin you had the communists of which Putin was a party member no doubt and before that you had the Czar who was basically a emperor and through all of these kinds of political systems the people were told to shut up just work hard and not question anything and that still is the case in Russia.

 

[Peepsquick]

Thread about sports and politics in Russia:

https://twitter.com/SlavaMalamud/status/1504617672448819203

Historical part was new to me, Soviet and modern era part - I can certainly confirm that it's true.
Btw about "athletes are expected to make pilgrimages to Kremlin before and after the Games" - there was supposed to be such visit at the beginning of April, it was moved to 26th or something like that.

Wonderfully "eye opening" series of tweets: difficult for young athletes molded by this culture to be anything else than instruments of the regime.

 

[airgelaal]

This is the number of those taken from the streets during protests and detained, none of them was "thrown to jail" afterwards.

Exactly. There is a lot of talk about how they CAN go to jail. They can.
I immediately recall Belarus and the fact that many athletes were not silent. And yes, they officially had problems. But still they were not silent. Russian athletes don't even try. I doubt they are afraid of prison. They are afraid of losing fame and income.

 

[karmena]

Isn’t there also a Team USA ”pilgrimage” to the White House after each Olympics and those who hate the President stay away? Will Russian athletes & coaches who don’t like Putin stay away? I think that Russian people are generally more polite, disciplined and respectful of people in authority (and elders), even if they disagree

...imho, historically they rather seems to be followers. Is not it why exactly a communism so easily grounded itself in Russia? It was so easily accepted there. Of course there are also very brilliant Russian people. And very many- i respect and admire them from the depth of my heart. They are intelligent, smart, good hearts....but they are not the ones who decides the course of actions in the country. It is how this world works

By the way, Orthodox Easter is Sunday, April 24. They’re likely waiting til that’s over and people don’t have to fast. Just a guess. Maybe even the war will be over.

...oh, dear, then why on earth a war was started exactly on the first week of Great Lent then? Think about it. Not everyone who puts God's name in the mouth keeps it in the heart, and it has been used as a tool in the hands of soviet machine. Remember "official" soviet time when priest and believers were sent to exile to Siberia under pretext of something else. And there also were many priests who betrayed innocent people. A true Church and priests left Russia back then, leaving that corrupted part in Russia.

A real fasting is not by food only but by heart and eye, and ear, and by words and actions. No one who believes in God would have started war in the the first week of the Great Lent. I wish all that what you say would be truth...

 

[karmena]

I think the Russian people are more respectful of people of authority because they are used to dictators running their country and don't having a real history of being free. Before Putin you had the communists of which Putin was a party member no doubt and before that you had the Czar who was basically a emperor and through all of these kinds of political systems the people were told to shut up just work hard and not question anything and that still is the case in Russia.

exactly. from the deeply inside they are not ready for any kind of democracy. simply they are not

 

[reut]

I think the Russian people are more respectful of people of authority because they are used to dictators running their country and don't having a real history of being free. Before Putin you had the communists of which Putin was a party member no doubt and before that you had the Czar who was basically a emperor and through all of these kinds of political systems the people were told to shut up just work hard and not question anything and that still is the case in Russia.

View Czar -> communists -> Putin is a bit over simplistic and misses certain steps.
These are the same people who won during August Coup. I actually truly believed something like this will happen again on February 24th, 25th the latest. I was too naive and I think I overall had a better opinion about Russians (something my Ukrainian acquaintance's didn't share with me since 2014, so I should've trusted them more).

 

[karmena]

Exactly. There is a lot of talk about how they CAN go to jail. They can.
I immediately recall Belarus and the fact that many athletes were not silent. And yes, they officially had problems. But still they were not silent. Russian athletes don't even try. I doubt they are afraid of prison. They are afraid of losing fame and income.

...perhaps most of the time they are too busy with their own so no time to see the truth, more over to process, to "digest" it...
...and it might be impossible to see the truth when there have not been a silent moment from the sophisticated propaganda since childhood, too...

 

[PRlady]

It is indeed easier to see the mote in your neighbor’s eye than in your own.

I used to think Israelis and Russians suffered from some of the same diseases. “The whole world is against us.” “They don’t understand how much we have historically suffered.” “We have terrible enemies who will wipe us out.”

Then I married an Israeli who moved here and lives a normal American life (as opposed to his earlier stints here as a diplomatic spouse.) Some American beliefs became just as obviously infuriating- American exceptionalism and our belief the whole world should be like us. The utter inability to know or care about other cultures. The huge houses for a family of 3 on HGTV The massive denial of genocide and slavery as partial foundations of our history.

So while I’m not forgiving of Russians who swallow their cultural myths and propaganda whole, I try to remember all our blind spots.

 

[Frau Muller]

.…..
...oh, dear, then why on earth a war was started exactly on the first week of Great Lent then? Think about it. …

Second week but, yeah…this entire thing is almost overlapping with Great Lent. But why wreak havoc & kill tens of thousands…many (the majority?) of whom are Christian Orthodox too?

 

[Peepsquick]

exactly. from the deeply inside they are not ready for any kind of democracy. simply they are not

I agree! They did not have much time to adapt to the whole concept... Hopefully, at some point, they will get there. It is sad to see that Russian people who have a better understanding of the situation left or leave in droves...

 

[Peepsquick]

It is indeed easier to see the mote in your neighbor’s eye than in your own.

I used to think Israelis and Russians suffered from some of the same diseases. “The whole world is against us.” “They don’t understand how much we have historically suffered.” “We have terrible enemies who will wipe us out.”

Then I married an Israeli who moved here and lives a normal American life (as opposed to his earlier stints here as a diplomatic spouse.) Some American beliefs became just as obviously infuriating- American exceptionalism and our belief the whole world should be like us. The utter inability to know or care about other cultures. The huge houses for a family of 3 on HGTV The massive denial of genocide and slavery as partial foundations of our history.

So while I’m not forgiving of Russians who swallow their cultural myths and propaganda whole, I try to remember all our blind spots.

Yes, nothing like marrying a foreign national or moving to another country to get a healthy dose of what a crock of s... "them vs us" can be!

 

[DreamSkates]

This is the number of those taken from the streets during protests and detained, none of them was "thrown to jail" afterwards.

There was abuse involved https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/03/09...and-torture-ill-treatment-anti-war-protesters

 

[reut]

There was abuse involved https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/03/09...and-torture-ill-treatment-anti-war-protesters

There was. And there were fines. It wasn't "nice" indeed (did you really think I don't know what was happening and need this link?) But it was with people who came to the streets. And even them were not "thrown to jail". While we're not talking about skaters going to the streets to protest, just expecting from them to do minimal decent thing.

 

[irenemulindwairen]

I think the Russian people are more respectful of people of authority because they are used to dictators running their country and don't having a real history of being free. Before Putin you had the communists of which Putin was a party member no doubt and before that you had the Czar who was basically a emperor and through all of these kinds of political systems the people were told to shut up just work hard and not question anything and that still is the case in Russia.

Sad but true.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Exactly. There is a lot of talk about how they CAN go to jail. They can.
I immediately recall Belarus and the fact that many athletes were not silent. And yes, they officially had problems. But still they were not silent. Russian athletes don't even try. I doubt they are afraid of prison. They are afraid of losing fame and income.

Is it a shock that athletes are afraid to lose the only means of supporting their families, who often sacrificed every penny for the kids skating careers? And their professional futures, whatever they may be? Easy to sit on a high perch and preach.

 

[Maximillian]

Is it a shock that athletes are afraid to lose the only means of supporting their families, who often sacrificed every penny for the kids skating careers? And their professional futures, whatever they may be? Easy to sit on a high perch and preach.

amen amen amen

 

[Coco]

@Perky Shae Lynn I would hardly describe @airgelaal as being on a high perch.

Maybe think before you post on a board with so many Eastern Europeans?

 

[reut]

Is it a shock that athletes are afraid to lose the only means of supporting their families, who often sacrificed every penny for the kids skating careers? And their professional futures, whatever they may be? Easy to sit on a high perch and preach.

Those in question have good cars, expensive clothes, etc.
Yes, of course, they have any right to want to continue with their luxury life, but this is far from us expecting them to make "huge sacrifies" and/or "go to jail".
Expecting from them not to support atrocities like Bucha and not to take part in event with Swastika is reasonable, especially from people we kinda sort of respected beforehand.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

@Perky Shae Lynn I would hardly describe @airgelaal as being on a high perch.

Maybe think before you post on a board with so many Eastern Europeans?

Moral superiority is not location-based. Does being Eastern European preclude people from being judgemental? Those who do not need to give up anything expecting others to make sacrifices.

 

[reut]

Moral superiority is not location-based. Does being Eastern European preclude people from being judgemental? Forming opinions without knowing what people experience in reality? Those who do not need to give up anything expecting others to make sacrifices, and making moral judgements based on their own expectations. What have you given up for Ukraine? Your job? Your income? Your future?

You have no idea what you're talking about, do you? (Don't I looooove it when people who have no clue about "what people experience in reality" (c) think they have "moral superiority" (c) to explain others what they should or should not feel and think and how much "superiority" to have)

 

[airgelaal]

Is it a shock that athletes are afraid to lose the only means of supporting their families, who often sacrificed every penny for the kids skating careers? And their professional futures, whatever they may be? Easy to sit on a high perch and preach.

I have already learned that Russian soldiers are so poor that they steal underpants. Now I have learned that Olympic champions count every penny to buy bread for their children. And yet Russia has already lost $5 billion worth of equipment in the war with my country. Maybe the Olympic champions should think about it, and not count their pennies?

Moral superiority is not location-based. Does being Eastern European preclude people from being judgemental? Those who do not need to give up anything expecting others to make sacrifices.

We in Ukraine can lose our lives every day, but our suffering is nothing compared to the suffering of poor Russian athletes

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

You have no idea what you're talking about, do you? (Don't I looooove it when people who have no clue about "what people experience in reality" (c) think they have "moral superiority" (c) to explain others what they should or should not feel and think and how much "superiority" to have)

Tearing young Russian athletes apart is not going to help Ukarine. No need to go the way of Putin, fighting hate with hate.

 

[coppertop1]

Unless and until Russia a) gets out of Ukraine and b) cleans up its act and stops watching the state-wide doping, it doesn't belong anywhere near sports.

 

[airgelaal]

Tearing young Russian athletes apart is not going to help Ukarine. No need to go the way of Putin, fighting hate with hate.

Lord, if only they were silent and did nothing. Someone sings the anthem with the president, someone says that the Ukrainians were brainwashed, someone assures that the Russian army is freeing Ukrainian athletes, so there is nothing to be afraid of. And someone supports all the actions of the Russian army.
Russian athletes are burying themselves. They do not need the help of Ukraine for this.

 

[BittyBug]

Easy to sit on a high perch and preach.

Are you for real? @airgelaal is literally being bombed on that "high perch" you imagine her to be on. There is nothing easy about her or any other Ukrainian's life right now, and it should not be difficult for you to understand why someone in her or her fellow Ukrainian's position would hope that more Russians would take a stand against Russia's horrific assault on their country.

 

[reut]

Tearing young Russian athletes apart is not going to help Ukarine. No need to go the way of Putin, fighting hate with hate.

I see that you somehow think that your "moral superiority" is ok, and it's ok when you say how and what people should write on this board. "Tearing apart" everyone who supports Russia's actions (suddenly they are "young", wtf, they are adults) is going to help Ukraine. If those of them who have a grain of intelligence and conscience start being ashamed and start thinking with their own head, it will help not only Ukraine, actually. It might help their own country.

By the way, no idea where you took this idea of "hate with hate". Me personally, I don't hate them and never wrote that I hate them, I just... mmm... don't respect them. And despise certain decisions they took. (I, obviously, do despise Plu and everyone who supported idea of ice show in Donetsk).