Tatyana Navka is a woman worth emulating. Strong, strong-willed (how else can you win gold at the Olympic Games?), loving wife, wonderful mother, beautiful woman, and most importantly - personality. The figure skater is not used to sitting still - she combines motherly chores with her favorite job. Yes what! On December 23, the premiere of the ice show “Ruslan and Lyudmila” will take place, where Tatyana not only performs main role, but is also the creator of the entire production. Favorite story from childhood light hand athletes will come to life on the ice of the Megasport Palace. We talked with Navka about the upcoming ice fairy tale and, of course, about the family in an interview for our portal.
More than 600 thousand people follow Tatyana Navka’s Instagram. Our heroine is interesting to some as an athlete and a supporter of a healthy lifestyle, to others as an experienced mother of two daughters and caring wife, and to the third - simply as a woman whose thoughts are not only entertaining, but also useful.
No less interesting to followers and professional activity Navki. Having completed her sports career and even becoming a mother for the second time, Tatyana does not give up figure skating, creating new projects.
One of these was the ice show “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, which will premiere on December 23. This is not the first production in which our heroine takes part (just remember the mind-blowing “Carmen”), but the first of which she is the creator.
website: Tatyana, congratulations on the upcoming premiere of the ice show “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. Why did you choose this particular story?
I thought for a long time about how to make an original and bright show, which will truly captivate me and will be interesting to the audience different ages. And then, one day, while reading Pushkin’s poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila” to my youngest daughter, I suddenly realized: here it is, the very work that will look amazing on ice. It is incredibly multifaceted - both fabulous and at the same time far from childish. Therefore, we can say that Nadya inspired me to create the show (smiles).
website: Tell us about the show itself - what awaits us?
T.N.: We are preparing an unusually bright world-class show. “Ruslan and Lyudmila” will have everything: great music, unique special effects, bright costumes and scenery and, of course, figure skating.
“For the first time, this beloved poem will be staged as a musical on ice - a colossal responsibility. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin himself is at stake (smiles)».
But since the project contains best team, I can say with confidence that “Ruslan and Lyudmila” will be remembered by the guests and will become a real hit of the New Year.
website: What will your Lyudmila be like?
T.N.: Lyudmila is a gentle and pure princess who is given in marriage. Of course, all young and beautiful people are changeable, and in this role I will also be different - cheerful and sad, rejoicing and suffering. The more multifaceted a woman is, the more interesting she is.
“I think every viewer will be able to see a piece of themselves in Lyudmila. To me this image is also close, because main character loves and is loved, she clearly knows who she wants to be, does not compromise and, even being captured by Chernomor, refuses to obey him. Behind her outward femininity and fragility lies a core and strong character.”
website: 20 years ago you might have thought that you would continue your figure skating career as a competitor ice shows? In general, having completed your sports career, did you know exactly what you would do next?
T.N.: Hardly. Even ten years ago, after winning the Olympic Games, I said to myself: “God willing, I’ll skate another five or six years, and I’ll be the most happy man on the ground". And now I train every day, perform the most difficult acrobatic routines and can’t wait for the premiere of my show.
I always knew that when you constantly strive to move forward without stopping, it turns out that life itself shows you new opportunities and opens new doors for you. “Ruslan and Lyudmila” is the very new chapter of my life that I have been moving toward for several years.
website: How do you combine permanent employment with family troubles?
T.N.: I, like most women, can multitask. Of course, sport played an important role: it shapes character, discipline, and the desire to win, to be first all the time. All this, combined with what I was given from birth, of course, helps to find a balance between personal life and deeds.
website: What is family to you?
T.N.: Family is my reliable rear: my husband who always supports me, my parents and children who make me move forward. Only this gives confidence and the opportunity to overcome any difficulties and come up with new ones. interesting projects and implement them.
So, when I am busy preparing and rehearsing the show “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” my mother looks after Nadya. She can also always support Sasha. I know for sure that in any situation I have someone to consult with. And, of course, my loved ones are my first critics.
website: After the birth of your youngest daughter, did you think about ending your career?
T.N.: According to my horoscope, I am an Aries - a very active person who copes well with several things at the same time.
“In that short period of time when I was sitting at home for several months before the birth of my child, I thought I was going crazy. I can't sit still with my hands folded. I always need some kind of movement.”
Of course, family and raising a child always come first for me, but I would like my daughter to see that her mother lives an active life, interesting life. In families where parents work, lead busy, healthy image life, constantly learning something new, children grow up the same, they simply don’t have a chance to be different. For example, Nadya is already a very busy girl - she goes to swimming, gymnastics, draws, sculpts, plays music and foreign languages. She is busy with her own affairs, mother - with hers.
website: In your opinion, is work important for a woman?
T.N.: Definitely yes! Self-realization is one of the main components of every person’s life.
“Motherhood is wonderful, but only with balance in all areas of life can a woman be truly happy.”
The most important thing is to find your favorite thing. Without it, there will be no harmony within, which will inevitably affect the situation in the family.
website: Didn’t your spouse insist that you leave your job?
T.N.: No, this was not even discussed. My husband - the wisest man, and he understands perfectly well that under no circumstances can I live without movement, I love to create something new and constantly strive forward.
website: Is it easy to be the mother of an adult girl and a very small child at the same time?
T.N.: This is incredibly interesting. Sasha is not just my daughter, but also close girlfriend. I can always consult with her, and she knows that she can rely on me. She adores Nadya. They have a very affectionate relationship.
website: Do you see your youngest daughter as a figure skater?
T.N.: At three years old, Nadya is already skating, but I wouldn’t make any plans for the future. It is more important for me that my daughter is happy.
"Everyone has their own destiny. And not everyone can become an Olympic champion, no matter how hard you put in. You need to believe in children and always give them the opportunity to prove themselves.”
Everything is just beginning for Nadya, and it’s too early to talk about what profession she will choose.
website: Family troubles, career, domestic issues- how do you cope with fatigue?
T.N.: Healthy, long sleep is very important to me.
« Iron Rule“If you want to look good, try to get enough sleep.”
At least once a week I go to the bathhouse. I love the feeling of lightness and energy after visiting her. And, of course, like any athlete, I can’t live without a massage - for me it’s The best way relax and relieve tension.
website: And if we talk about self-care, share your main secrets.
T.N.: It seems to me that outer beauty largely depends on the internal state. When a person radiates goodness, brings positive energy to the world, loves life, himself and everyone around him, I am sure this is reflected in his face, skin and eyes. And, believe me, it’s not about expensive creams and endless beauty salons.
Marie Claire: Who do you think has a lighter character?
Sasha: Oh.
Tatiana: My daughter always tells me: “Mom, it’s only you who thinks that you have easy character"(laughs).
Sasha: My mother tells me the same thing. It seems to me that I don’t show my character with strangers, only with my family. Sometimes I get excited. Not right away, but it lets me go, and then everything is fine. I am working on myself, eradicating such traits.
What trait is there in Sasha that you lack, Tatyana?
Tatiana: Don't even know. It seems to me that there is enough of everything. Sasha is probably wise beyond her years. I can tell you what Sasha lacks (perhaps due to his age). She can come, sit down and look at one point. Or on the phone. During this time I had already changed my clothes and managed to do something. I tell Sasha: “You lost 30 minutes, you just threw away that time.” She replies: “Mom, not everyone is like you.” When I was young, I didn’t value time either. As you get older, you start to think differently.
Do you have boundaries for your personal space? For example, my wardrobe is your wardrobe. Do you exist in different territories?
Sasha: We share a wardrobe. If I need, I can take some of my mother's things.
Tatiana: I have one requirement: that Sasha treat things with respect. We have things for two. For example, we recently bought a sweater for a couple.
Psychologists believe that mother-daughter relationships go through four stages. Phases usually last 7–10 years. You are classified in the third phase. And the first stage is complete unity with mom. Do you remember yourself before you were seven, Sasha?
Sasha: I remember both myself and my mother. Despite the fact that she was constantly busy with training, she never spared her free time for me. Definitely, I had enough of my mother’s love and care.
Can you give an example: you are very young with your mother?
Sasha: I remember many such moments, for example, she picks me up from kindergarten by car. Or weekend walks in the park with friends. We lived in America then. I was really looking forward to everyday life ending and my mother taking me to the mall with her - there she bought me a pretzel.
Tatiana: It was important to give the pretzel, she fell silent for an hour. And she sat in the stroller as if enchanted... Do you remember how I cut your hair bald?
I was afraid that I had caused psychological trauma to the child
Sasha: Oh, yes. I was three years old. I don’t think I even cried, but I started to get upset the next day when I realized that I looked like a boy.
Tatiana: I did this to make my hair thicker. Sasha's hair did not grow for a very long time. I waited and waited. According to Russian traditions, hair is cut every year. I think: “Why cut my hair? And so they will grow.” Two years - no growth. Two and a half - they don't grow. At three I decide: “The child’s hair is not growing because I didn’t cut it on time.” And we experimented.
Sasha: But then I was already starting to feel like a girl, wearing only dresses.
Tatiana: Sasha tried to hide the lack of hair, wrapped towels around her head, and pulled on tights. At that time, I was still afraid for a long time that I had caused psychological trauma to the child. But now you see what kind of hair it is. They grew back when they were meant to. On my youngest, Nadezhda, I no longer experiment, of course (laughs).
Tatyana, what was Sasha like before she was seven? What's the first thing you remember?
Tatiana: She was a rowdy, a bully. A cheerful girl with character. She didn't sit still. I wasn't afraid of anything. Kind. Well, the same as now.
Do German pretzels still work today?
Sasha: We try not to eat them... I also remembered one of the brightest childhood moments - being proud of my mother at the Olympics in Turin. I was six, I watched from the stands how my mother skated, I still didn’t quite understand that it was all so grandiose, that it Olympic Games that she had been working towards this all her life. Grandma was crying. Everyone was praying. And then when you won, everyone screamed. And I realized that my mother defeated everyone. After the award ceremony, you came up and took me from the stands in your arms and rode with me around the entire stadium.
Tatiana: It was forbidden. A bunch of policemen ran after me shouting: “You can’t!” I felt that at that moment I was the most powerful person in the world. I can do whatever I want. I deserved. We will never forget this.
We are approaching the second stage, when the teenager tries to argue with his mother. When did Sasha decide to be independent?
Sasha: Actually, I argued with early childhood, it seems to me. That is, my argumentative nature is just a character. But I know what is possible and what is not. So I haven't had any problems so far.
Tatiana: Yes, you just had no time. You were seriously involved in sports.
Whose decision was it to go into sports?
Sasha: They gave me away. Like everyone else.
Tatiana: We had no alternatives. Only sport. Another thing is figure skating or tennis.
Sasha: Dad played tennis at the weekend. And he took me with him. I liked tennis much more than figure skating. And it went by itself. I studied in two countries - in Russia and in France. And at 15 I had a back injury.
Sasha, was it offensive?
Sasha: If it had been offensive, I wouldn’t have given up tennis.
Tatiana: She went to this for a long time. I saw her fear, which I know from myself: there is no life after sports. This is where the singing came from; it was necessary to somehow support Sasha and not let her get lost.
Mothers who walk away proudly and never ask for forgiveness, what do they teach?
Sasha, but this didn’t only mean that you would leave the sport. The lifestyle has changed. You were returning to the house. I understand correctly?
Sasha: Yes, I returned home, but I didn’t do anything abroad that I couldn’t do in Moscow. Of course, I want to spend time with friends. I'll see you off. That's just not the main point.
What's the main thing?
Tatiana: I’m telling you, she’s too old.
Sasha: The main thing is to work, to work. So that later...
Tatiana: ...after forty to stand confidently on your feet.
Sasha: Yes, and hanging out with friends (laughs).
I listen to you and understand: when people can talk so calmly about relationships, shortcomings, feelings - this is a diagnosis of a healthy person. Your relationship is very smooth and correct. And it’s as if there are no rough edges at all...
Tatiana: Of course, sometimes we fight. Sometimes Sasha gets angry because her mother has a lot to do. Or I ask the same thing 150 times.
Sasha: Yes, and I roll my eyes because 150 times is too much. And my mother responded with the classic: “How can you talk to your mother like that?”
Who goes to war first?
Tatiana: Well, at first I did. She came, she was sorry, she asked for forgiveness, despite the fact that she understood: Sasha was wrong from the very beginning, and I was only wrong because I didn’t have the patience to remain silent.
Sasha: Yes, you always come when there is a serious quarrel, you are wiser.
Tatiana: Even close people cannot live in sterile relationships. And then, mothers who proudly leave and never ask for forgiveness, what do they teach? So that the child adult life He behaved exactly the same way: he ran away, slamming the door, did not speak to his husband or children for weeks - and all this was just because of pride? In my opinion, this is stupid and weak.
Sasha: Well, yes. I began to say more often: “Sorry, I was wrong.”
Sasha, is there a personal territory where you don’t allow your mother?
Sasha: Personal territory in terms of the room?
Tatiana: Probably wider. For example, I can’t open Sasha’s phone and look at it. Or rather, I can, but only if she allows me.
Is there a password?
Tatiana: Certainly. Nevertheless, Sasha takes my phone and always looks. To this I say: “Unfair.”
From which I conclude that Tatiana’s phone does not have a password or that Sasha knows the password.
Sasha: I know, yes.
Now, of course, Sasha adores her sister. Buys her gifts
Doesn't your mom know?
Sasha: Maybe he knows. I do not know.
How well do you know each other? Sasha, name, for example, three things that can cheer up your mother.
Tatiana: Have you ever thought about this?
Sasha: Well, to be in good mood.
So your mom reacts to your mood?
Sasha: Yes. This is the main thing for her.
So. Kiss mom?
Sasha: Well I do not know. It was normal as a child, but now it’s very strange.
Everyone goes through this, you understand this when the fourth phase begins - in your case, after 5-7 years. You begin to realize how lucky you are with your mother... Tatyana, I have the same question for you about Sasha. What needs to be done to make Sasha’s day successful?
Sasha: I have to organize my day myself.
Tatiana: If you Bad mood, then nothing will help. I bring her out of this state by talking.
Sash, I’ll frame the question differently: what could mom do during the day to make you feel good? We remember the first rule: do not ask the same question 150 times.
Tatiana: Well, probably don't call often. So?
Sasha: Don't be overly protective, yes. And don't doubt me. Sometimes my mother will ask me to do something, I will do it, and she calls, and I can hear in her tone: I’m sure that I didn’t even take it on. I understand what is important and what can wait.
Tell me, do you give your mother advice? Give an example when you recommended something to your mother and she listened..
Sasha: Mom will now have a show “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. She thought for a long time about the advertising poster. I gave her a couple of ideas for colors and design.
You have a big family. Sasha, are you jealous of your mother?
Sasha: I love being alone. If you leave me alone, I will be only glad. Therefore, there is no such thing as taking me out and putting me alone with my mother.
Tatiana: But I need it. In the evening, at the entrance to the house, I write to her: “Sasha, I’m back. Come to mom” (laughs).
I saw on Instagram that you got a dog. It's always a lot of emotions.
Tatiana: Yes, three days ago we welcomed Michelle. We chose between Michelle and Chanel.
Sasha: She looks a lot like a bear, so Michelle.
Is this your first pet?
Tatiana: No, no, we had a dog. She died in March. Michelle is bigger than Nadine.
Sasha: They gave it to Nadya, but it’s common.
When you have a little sister, how does it make you feel? When you yourself are already an adult, and your sister is small.
Sasha: She is beautiful. Always in a good mood. She already has a sense of humor, I think. She tells stories so seriously and it's funny and sweet.
Tatiana: When I became pregnant, Sasha was 13 years old, she had fears, of course.
Sasha: I still needed full attention.
Tatiana: And she was afraid because she was used to being the only one. Thank God, Sasha shared this with me. When Sasha found out that I was pregnant, she made such a face and openly said: “I see!.. Is that true?” And then she began to make a wish that it was a boy.
Sasha: Well, yes, I am one girl and one boy, that is, the attention is equal to both me and the boy.
Tatiana: And now, of course, Sasha adores Nadya and buys her gifts.
Sasha: And nothing has changed. Not a bit.
This year, February 23 coincides with the closing of the Olympic Games in Sochi. So we decided to please our defenders and at the same time fans with an interview with one of the most beautiful Russian athletes, figure skater Tatyana Navka. The interview was published in the KhlebSol magazine for January-February 2014, and was conducted, as usual, by Yulia Vysotskaya.
Tatyana Navka is a Russian figure skater, 2006 Olympic champion, two-time world champion, three-time European champion. Tatyana was born in Ukraine, in Dnepropetrovsk. Translated from Ukrainian, “Navka” means “mermaid”. Which, in fact, is not far from the truth.
Julia Vysotskaya: Our conversation will be delicious. About food. But not in the sense of how to lose weight, but in the sense of what food actually means to you. What place does she occupy in your life?
Tatiana Navka: Food occupies one of the first places in my life. I am originally from Ukraine. But, to my shame, in Lately Due to my profession, I began to cook very rarely. All my life I cooked borscht, made cutlets, and pancakes. AND National dishes. I really love to cook and I really like to eat delicious food. But, as you understand, since childhood I was always limited in food. Libra has become something terribly unpleasant for me. I don't step on the scale anymore.
Julia Vysotskaya: I also never weigh myself. Libra is our ill-wisher, they don’t love us.
Tatiana Navka: Since childhood, I have developed such a disgust for them that...
Julia Vysotskaya: Is it because they were weighed by force?!
Tatiana Navka: Yes, we weighed them constantly. One hundred grams there, one hundred grams back. I have so many stories about weighing!
Julia Vysotskaya: Tanya, do you think this leaves a mark on the child? After all, there are two theories. Some people are forbidden everything in childhood - from sugar to bread. And some, on the contrary, are allowed everything. But today there really is such a danger: children eat a lot of sugar. There wasn't much of it in our childhood. And sugar primarily leads to excess weight. And I worry about this, but to be honest, I don’t know how to influence it. How to make sure that no complexes arise, so that the child does not become afraid of food. Did you have this fear of food? Due to the fact that you have to weigh yourself all the time, go on diets...
Tatiana Navka: There was fear, of course. But this didn’t make me eat less sweets. It seems to me that in this matter we need to act with explanations, not prohibitions. The more you prohibit, the more the child will want. The forbidden fruit, you know, is sweet... I had one very funny story with weighing. My first partner was also always very worried before weigh-ins. Firstly, he should wear it. And secondly, you just need to look good on the ice. A figure skater should look like a ballerina in appearance: thin, fragile, miniature. So, after the next weigh-in, I go and buy a large piece of cake, go into the subway with it, take a breathy bite from it, and suddenly someone taps me on the shoulder like that... I turn around and see my partner. He grabs the remaining piece of cake and throws it right in my face, saying, “Are you full?” But I’m a good girl, with character! I scrape the remaining cake off my face and back into my partner.
Julia Vysotskaya: Of course, “and then I’ll carry you!”
Tatiana Navka: A lot of things happened with the weighing. The coach sometimes literally hit the wall with my head after the weigh-in. But it seems to me that all this was useless. In principle, I was a very responsible child both in my studies and in training. I never missed classes. But there were days when I was so tired from everything that I simply could not get out of bed and go to another workout. Then I called my coach and partner and said that I was sick. And for two or three days I just lay on the bed, watching TV, and there was always an impressive pile of sweets near the bed. It was such revenge on everything and everyone in the world.
Julia Vysotskaya: This was your antidepressant...
Tatiana Navka: I lived in Moscow alone, without my mother. And this is how I brought myself into psychological balance.
Julia Vysotskaya: Well, you're in such great shape now. Apparently, your sweet revenge had no effect on appearance. You have such a healthy and joyful look and excellent physical condition. So, your psyche did not suffer from such terrible bullying?
Tatiana Navka: No, she wasn't hurt, thank God. But I think it's genetics. AND…
Julia Vysotskaya:…physical exercise.
Tatiana Navka: Certainly. Genetics by genetics. It seems to me that any self-respecting woman, at least sometimes, engages in self-criticism: here I have too much, and here... I’m exactly the same. And if I forget about everything, lie down on the sofa and don’t exercise, I’ll immediately blur and become an ugly shape. And then, we, athletes, generally have to work hard all our lives, because loads are our drug.
Julia Vysotskaya: Yes, this is already a chemical balance.
Tatiana Navka: There is no way without sports.
Julia Vysotskaya: What else do you do besides skating?
Tatiana Navka: Now I'll tell you everything. When I stood on the Olympic podium with a gold medal and tears flowed like a stream... Everyone thought that they flowed from happiness. Of course, they flowed from this too. But the thought kept spinning in my head: “Well, that’s it, finally! I will never go to the gym again in my life!”
Julia Vysotskaya: So you made this decision right then?
Tatiana Navka: Even earlier. When was the last training day before leaving for the Olympics in Turin. You know, it was such an amazing feeling! No more running, doing push-ups, lifting all those heavy things. I shouldn't make fun of myself anymore. And now almost eight years have passed since that Olympics. And only this summer I suddenly realized: if I continue...
Julia Vysotskaya:...get high?
Tatiana Navka: Yes. Nothing good will come of this. Of course, I tried to replace it with yoga and Pilates. Everything is wrong! This effect does not work. And so I finally got myself a coach. And two or three times a week we go with Tina Kandelaki to the same fitness club. I played sports all summer and, surprisingly, I really enjoyed it.
Julia Vysotskaya: It’s so important to enjoy what you do! What do you remember from childhood, taste associations, Ukraine, maybe something from your mother’s?
Tatiana Navka: You know, I can, as they say, sell my homeland for “Napoleon”.
Julia Vysotskaya: For mom's?
Tatiana Navka: For my mother’s and for any well-made “Napoleon”.
Julia Vysotskaya: What is he, your “Napoleon”?
Tatiana Navka: In Moscow we have a place called... Remember, the former motor ship... "Swallow"?! That's where the best "Napoleon" in the world is. Highly recommend.
Julia Vysotskaya: Is he so wet and soaked there? WITH custard or with cream?
Tatiana Navka: With custard, of course. When my mother baked it, my sister and I were trusted to pierce the cakes so that they would not swell. It seems to me that all the best taste memories are from childhood. New Year, “Napoleon”, Olivier... All from childhood.
Julia Vysotskaya: What are you cooking?
Tatiana Navka: What am I cooking? When we lived in America (until 1996 Tatyana Navka lived in the USA - Ed.), your programs “Eating at Home” were shown there all the time. And I thought: “Someday I’ll take notes and then prepare it all.” And now the Olympics are over, almost eight years have passed, and I’m still waiting for when I’ll have time to cook. I’ll be honest: I really like to cook, but for now I do everything quickly. She came running, made some salad with crab, or quickly fried the meat.
Julia Vysotskaya: Well, give me some recipe. What are you doing so quickly? So you come home today and what will you do?
Tatiana Navka: I'll buy a steak and fry it. I'll make tomatoes and onions Baku style. I really love crab salad with arugula or tuna. I like to do everything quickly. In general, I do everything quickly in life and cook quickly. At one time, when I just got married, I also baked pies and pancakes and made cakes. But it turned out that I ate it all myself.
Julia Vysotskaya: So, pancakes didn’t pave the way to a man’s heart?
Tatiana Navka: Yes, they didn’t pave it. Everyone around me was losing weight and training. And I thought that it was me who was digging my own grave with pancakes. This is where my baking experience ended. When the child was small, of course, I did everything myself.
Julia Vysotskaya: What other weaknesses do you have besides Napoleon? What do you allow yourself sometimes?
Tatiana Navka: I don't eat bread at all. But in Paris this is simply impossible. I can eat the most ordinary baguette there. The bread there is kind of unreal. And there I eat as much as I want.
Julia Vysotskaya: Well, not in Paris all year round you are. I came for a week – that’s all!
Tatiana Navka: Then there is such a load - mom, don’t worry! When you go shopping, you lose a lot of energy. In general, I'm weak-willed.
Julia Vysotskaya: Come on! You?! Said the Olympic champion!
Tatiana Navka: I swear! When it comes to food, I'm weak-willed.
Julia Vysotskaya: What can seduce you? Chocolate?
Tatiana Navka: But no! I'm indifferent to chocolate!
Julia Vysotskaya: Pizza, pasta?
Tatiana Navka: This is possible. Pasta vongole! I generally adore Italy and everything connected with Italy. By the way, when I found out that the Olympic Games would be in Turin, I said: “We’ll definitely win them!” This was 100% my Olympics. It even seems to me that in the past I was Italian or my husband was Italian. They, Italians, are very similar to us.
Julia Vysotskaya: If we talk about your ideal country, is it Italy? Not China, not Japan, not France? And in Italy you eat everything? And meat? And pasta? And tiramisu?
Tatiana Navka: Basically, of course, in Italy I eat fish and seafood.
Julia Vysotskaya: What about Russian cuisine? How will she marry you?
Tatiana Navka: Wonderful! Olivier, vinaigrette.
Julia Vysotskaya: Well, this is such Soviet food after all. And if we talk about buckwheat porridge, pies...
Tatiana Navka: I also like buckwheat porridge, with butter and crispy. Everyone says: you have to sit on buckwheat porridge. I sat like this on porridge with butter m.
Julia Vysotskaya: This is how butter goes well with butter (laughs).
Tatiana Navka: You know, everything related to diets is not about me.
Julia Vysotskaya: No?!
Tatiana Navka: No. I physically cannot sleep hungry.
Julia Vysotskaya: For me, diet and insomnia are two best friends.
Tatiana Navka: In general, I believe that a person should live with pleasure. I enjoyed going to the gym this summer and eat with the same pleasure.
Julia Vysotskaya: What does your menu consist of today? Don't eat bread!
Tatiana Navka: And I try to exclude porridge.
Julia Vysotskaya: That is, you try to avoid dangerous carbohydrates.
Tatiana Navka: I also eat sweets very rarely. And in childhood I screwed up. My daughter is 13 years old and we have the same problems. Of course, I don’t close the refrigerator from her and sometimes bring her something tasty. But I explain: “Sashul, you understand, at the beginning you eat well, meat, fish. And then you can eat the cake as much as you want.”
Julia Vysotskaya: But she plays tennis seriously here. Is this similar to your love affair with skates?
Tatiana Navka: Yes, very similar.
Julia Vysotskaya: Because I say: children to the theater? Are children artists? Never!!!
Tatiana Navka: Now I also say that children are athletes - never! But it's' too late.
Julia Vysotskaya: The train left?
Tatiana Navka: Unfortunately yes! It is very difficult! Why never with the theater?
Julia Vysotskaya: So everything has changed. Previously, this was a heroic profession. The artist and director - they were heroes. And now you don’t need to be particularly talented, you just need to get into the crowd, become a media person - and that’s all. And this is not fair! It's not fair! And therefore, if you have a gift, all this really hurts and you suffer. And all this energy finds no release. By the way, your mother was at our performance.
Tatiana Navka: And yesterday, and the day before yesterday. Twice.
Julia Vysotskaya: Andrei Sergeevich planned it this way - one performance should follow another. First “Uncle Vanya”, then “Three Sisters”.
Tatiana Navka: I was supposed to go too, but, as usual, I couldn’t.
Julia Vysotskaya: Be sure to come.
Tatiana Navka: I have such a crazy schedule...
Julia Vysotskaya: Yes, you have skates now. Tell me, what are you doing there? It's so interesting!
Tatiana Navka: To be honest, we were lucky that we met. There is no time for anything. I still don’t understand how I agreed to the interview. I just really wanted to meet you.
Julia Vysotskaya: I'm very pleased. I also wanted to meet you for a long time. This is our Olympic number, and we really wanted such an Olympic beauty. Tell me, what are you doing now?
Tatiana Navka: Oh, I have a lot of stuff now. And repairs, and...
Julia Vysotskaya: Ooh, renovations! Got it.
Tatiana Navka: A child who needs to plan his day very clearly: school, training, training again, the dentist, another doctor, my skates. My head is swelling. All kinds of interviews, trips to television, trips to the radio. This all makes my life simply impossible.
Julia Vysotskaya: Yes, this is such a separate job... Tell me, after all, “ glacial period» gives you a second wind?
Tatiana Navka: It's great that there is such a project. This time my partner was Artem Mikhalkov. It's a pleasure to work with him. Although Artem is simply an anti-athlete. Usually people have at least some kind of coordination, some kind of predisposition to sports...
Julia Vysotskaya: How can you put an anti-athlete on skates and work such miracles with him?
Tatiana Navka: Artem skates very confidently. But with coordination, with body memory...
Julia Vysotskaya: How many hours did the training take?
Tatiana Navka: Four hours a day.
Julia Vysotskaya: Tanya, you are a hero! I really hope that you will not lose your desire to hunt, as in Turin. And you won’t cry with happiness that the project is finally over and you will never enter the Ice Age arena again.
Tatiana Navka: Of course, at first you exhale that, thank God, the project is over. But then it becomes boring without him. But, you know, Artem must be given credit - he has an amazing ability to work and he tried very hard.
Julia Vysotskaya: That is, now you divide yourself between family life and training. What is your prospect for vacation? What will you do in the coming months. What are you planning for yourself that will make you happy?
Tatiana Navka: Yes, it's just New Year.
Julia Vysotskaya: Do you meet him in Moscow?
Tatiana Navka: Always only at home. I love celebrating the New Year in Moscow. Snow, Olivier, Santa Claus, Christmas tree, president...
Julia Vysotskaya: Will Santa Claus come to you? Come on!
Tatiana Navka: Yes, Santa Claus always comes to us. We usually dress up someone of our own. We have a Grandfather Morozov suit. My child, up to the age of eight, believed in him. And then suddenly she asked: “Why does Santa Claus have a shirt like Uncle Tigran?” (They laugh.) Therefore, Santa Claus is a sacred thing for our company.
Julia Vysotskaya: What about the skiing issue?
Tatiana Navka: After the New Year, yes, but the New Year itself is always in Moscow.
Julia Vysotskaya: Where are you going? Where are you walking?
Tatiana Navka: Yes everywhere.
Julia Vysotskaya: But where do you like best? Austria, Italy... After all, from a gastronomic point of view, they are all different. Fondue in France or Switzerland...
Tatiana Navka: Of course, in France or Italy. Austria doesn't really appeal to me.
Julia Vysotskaya: Do you bring food from your trips?
Tatiana Navka: But of course! From Italy.
Julia Vysotskaya: What are you bringing?
Tatiana Navka: Wine - that's clear!
Julia Vysotskaya: Wait, wait! This is very interesting about wine.
Tatiana Navka: The wine is, of course, Italian.
Julia Vysotskaya: White? Red?
Tatiana Navka: Any. I also like American wine.
Julia Vysotskaya: That is, Californian... Still, wine is present in your life as an object of pleasure.
Tatiana Navka: I don’t know if it’s possible to talk about this - after all, I’m an athlete. People sometimes ask me: “How many glasses of wine do you drink in a week?” I answer: “Glasses or bottles?” (Laugh.)
Julia Vysotskaya: I understand you very well. This is both for the mood and for the general condition... I look at the Italians or the French. When they sit down to dinner, they always allow themselves a glass of wine.
Tatiana Navka: Yes, this is a constant ritual for them. In the summer I most often visit Italy. That’s why I bring bottarga and olive oil from there...
Julia Vysotskaya: Ooh, bottarga! What do you cook with botarga?
Tatiana Navka: The pasta can be cooked. Why am I telling you, you know better than me...
Julia Vysotskaya: But I'm really interested! Everyone has their own recipes and their own bottarga...
Tatiana Navka: We have one simply amazing family dish. It really helps if you need to cook something quickly in the evening, and there are only hungry relatives around. Moreover, it satisfies hunger and helps you lose weight. That is, you will eat and lose weight. Although botarga is a fatty dish. Here is my recipe: cut the celery, pour olive oil and top with bottarga.
Julia Vysotskaya: Do you also know how to make it very tasty? These huge tomatoes are the heart of a bull. You can make a thick carpaccio out of them, with a little on top olive oil, then – bottarga and a little garlic, chopped. This is delicious!
Tatiana Navka: What else am I bringing? Botarga, sausage, cheese... What else should I bring?
Julia Vysotskaya: Who what. For example, do you know what I’m bringing? I'm bringing coffee, I'm bringing cheese, I'm bringing ham, I'm bringing pasta. In Italy there is one manufacturer - Moncini. No one else has such pasta. This is spaghetti that is impossible to digest. I'm bringing rice.
Tatiana Navka: From Italy? Rice?
Julia Vysotskaya: Well, yes! Risotto requires special rice. Sometimes I bring truffles. But oysters, truffles - all these gourmet bourgeois things, are they close to you?! How old were you when you tried oysters?
Tatiana Navka: In adulthood.
Julia Vysotskaya: Of course, not at the age of eight (laugh).
Tatiana Navka: By the way, I love oysters. Especially in France. Oysters and champagne are sacred.
Julia Vysotskaya: Well, yes! Bread and butter - in the morning. Then oysters with champagne.
Tatiana Navka: And in Sardinia there are such things as vongoles, only long ones.
Julia Vysotskaya: I know they're called cannolicki.
Tatiana Navka: In Italy everything is very tasty. I don’t even know what I would give up there. For example, I am completely indifferent to shrimp. But in Italy I eat them with pleasure. And shrimps, and langoustines...
Julia Vysotskaya: Do you buy your own groceries in Moscow?
Tatiana Navka: Well, yes, I'm going to the market...
Julia Vysotskaya: Are there any well-fed grandparents?
Tatiana Navka: Of course I have. Cottage cheese, meat... Everything is like everyone else.
Julia Vysotskaya: What is a typical day for you? What do you eat for breakfast?
Tatiana Navka: Mainly dairy products. Cottage cheese or yoghurts. Unfortunately, I can’t find ricotta in Moscow. I even brought back this box of ricotta from my last trip to Italy.
Julia Vysotskaya: Yes, in a vacuum. I bring them all the time too. True, ricotta is available in some stores in Moscow. You just have to ask them so that they can honestly say whether it’s fresh or not. Because this ricotta spoils very quickly.
Tatiana Navka: What else do I have for breakfast?! Scrambled eggs, omelet, sausages...
Julia Vysotskaya: Coffee or tea?
Tatiana Navka: The morning, of course, begins with coffee.
Julia Vysotskaya: Do you eat three times a day? Only honestly!
Tatiana Navka: Of course not.
Julia Vysotskaya: How many? Two? One?
Tatiana Navka: It works twice. Sometimes I intercept something else. But not three. Three doesn't work.
Julia Vysotskaya: Well, for the night - this is sacred. Turn on the TV, come to the kitchen...
Tatiana Navka: Especially under Vanya Urgant...
Julia Vysotskaya: Yes Yes. You're without bread. And I also like to put something rye in the toaster so that the smell comes out.
Tatiana Navka: Yes, a glass of wine and Vanya Urgant...
Julia Vysotskaya: Wonderful! I need to learn one more important thing from you. Is your kitchen the heart of your home?
Tatiana Navka: Yes, for me the kitchen...
Julia Vysotskaya: Is your whole life in the kitchen?
Tatiana Navka: Certainly. During the previous renovation, I spent a very long time looking for a kitchen. I found it and told my designer: “I want this kitchen!” And she says to me: “Do you understand that this kitchen costs as much as all your furniture put together?” And I answer her: “It doesn’t matter. I want this one!” The kitchen is the most important place in my home. We have a separate living room with a large table, but there is an island in the kitchen with chicken chairs. And everyone swarms around this island, closer to the refrigerator.
Julia Vysotskaya: Name five things that are a must have in your kitchen.
Tatiana Navka: TV, refrigerator... Well, what else?
Julia Vysotskaya: In my kitchen there must be a good bottle of champagne in the refrigerator, dark chocolate, the right coffee... Music - I turn on Vakarchuk’s “I won’t give up without a fight,” and even at five in the morning I’m fine, despite the fact that five days before sleeping.
Tatiana Navka: Well then, I must have candles, bottarga (laugh), a bottle of wine, preferably both white and red (so that there is a choice). By the way, again, when I was doing that renovation right after the Olympics in Turin, they installed a small wine refrigerator for me, and I asked: “God, why do I need such a big one?” And today the chain mail is already too small for me. In my kitchen there is also a special drawer for pens, notebooks, letters, and various documents.
Julia Vysotskaya: Well, the last question: how do you rest, how do you relax?
Tatiana Navka: Unfortunately, I cannot leave often. Many people go on vacation with their children in the fall and spring. In our family there is no such opportunity. Therefore, there is a New Year, after it there are mountains and skis, or, conversely, warmer climes- swim. True, in the summer it is possible to leave for all three months. And then it’s the sea and Italy. And in Everyday life Once a week there must be a bath, a movie, books, girlfriends - this is sacred. If not Vanya Urgant, then girlfriends (laugh). You know, I’m the kind of person - I try to find positive aspects in everything. And if at least some hint of depression or unnecessary anxiety suddenly appears, I try to immediately get out of this state.
Julia Vysotskaya: I understand this very well. You can’t go there in this state! Tanya, thank you so much. We had a heartfelt conversation...
Tatiana Navka: We should have met a long time ago.
“Quarrels and disputes are an inevitable component of any creative process, especially when partners care about what they do. It's like in family life, because there is no couple who would not have conflicts. But if people really love each other and know how to forgive, they find ways to compromise,” says.
— Tatyana, six months ago, when we met for filming and an interview, you were afraid that the new show “Ruslan and Lyudmila” would “steal” you from your family...
- That’s what happened. (Laughs.) The youngest daughter, seeing me out of the house in the morning, asks: “Mom, where are you going, back to Chernomor?” I say: yes, to Ruslan, to Chernomor. She is most suspicious of Chernomor. Nadya is afraid that he will steal me and not return me.
— Despite all the busyness of you and your husband, the other day you were seen at the premiere in Bolshoi Theater. You, of course, went out of professional interest. Didn’t Dmitry Sergeevich get bored at the ballet?..
“I was incredibly interested in seeing this ballet, so I was able to find time. I also persuaded my husband, although he physically does not have time to go to the theater. There was even a humorous phrase: if I fall asleep, wake me up. But the two-hour performance flew by like one minute. It seems to me that this is truly a new word in the ballet world. And Dmitry Sergeevich really liked it.
— Has your husband already mastered some sports terminology? Can he carry on a conversation if fellow skaters, for example, come to visit you?
- Of course, he is not yet ready to distinguish a sheepskin coat from an axel, but at the level of “like or dislike” we can discuss both Evgenia Medvedev and Alina Zagitova. I heard the funniest review from my husband after he came to our show rehearsal one day and saw two acrobats participating in the play. They are not professional figure skaters, but they perform unique tricks on the ice that are breathtaking. And these guys shocked my husband the most. (Laughs.) He says: “No, you, of course, are good, you, of course, are beautiful, but the acrobats...” But seriously, my family is my biggest critics. I am very pleased that for so many months they have all supported and inspired me so much.
— When you were just planning “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” you said that you would like to take Kostomarov as a partner, but were afraid that Averbukh would not give him to you, since Roman was busy with Ilya’s show. Are your fears confirmed?
- Certainly. As you can see, I'm skating with Pyotr Chernyshev. But this is Ilya’s decision, and, probably, he made the right choice.
— And if such a situation happened to you, would you also not give up your artist?
- No, why? I probably would have given it, considering that Roman and I are a couple who won the Olympics. In essence, we are one, like a needle and thread. It’s just that everyone has their own understanding of competition and their own methods of protecting against it. But whatever is done, everything is for the better. I now have an unrealistically cool Ruslan - my old friend, a fantastic figure skater and choreographer. Peter has a suitable noble appearance, he is artistic and one hundred percent harmonious in the role of Lyudmila’s lover. And in general, by some miracle I managed to get world-famous stars, Olympic champions, prize-winners of the World and European Championships into our performance. This Margarita Drobyazko , Povilas Vanagas, Philip Candeloro, Ivan Bariev, Arthur Gachinsky, Alexander Smirnov, Yuko Kawaguchi, Victor Petrenko... Not to mention the vocal parts performed by Philip Kirkorov, Alexander Panayotov and Ani Lorak. You will not see such a star cast in any other production!
— You performed with a variety of partners, especially during your participation in television shows. Were there any serious discrepancies? Or in sports do you have to bite the bullet, overcome your antipathy and just keep working?
— I would not have become an Olympic champion if I had not been able to overcome such difficulties. Yes, you need to be able to grit your teeth, be able to forgive, forget grievances and move forward. Of course, there were disagreements with both my partner and the coaches. Sometimes I wanted to give up everything and go home to my mother, but morning came, and I realized that if I retreated now, then I would definitely not stand on the highest step of the pedestal.
Photo: Philip Goncharov
- In one of documentaries there are scenes about your couple with Roman serious conflicts in training...
— Quarrels and disputes are an inevitable component of any creative process, especially when partners are not indifferent to what they are doing. Roman and I had the same goal. We really suit each other, one might say the stars aligned so well that Roman and I started skating together. Emotions cooled down, our minds turned on, we went out onto the ice and continued to work. It’s like in family life, because there is no couple who does not have conflicts. But if people really love each other and know how to forgive, they find ways to compromise.
- Okay, an athlete must be able to compromise. And the coach? Surely he has to be tough?
- No, all coaches are different. There are hard ones, there are soft ones, and there are those who can be both hard and soft, adapting to the characteristics of the athlete. And the one who wins is the one who is the best psychologist. But of course, at the right moment, the coach must be able to, so to speak, hit the table with his fist. There is no way to do this without an inner core. The carrot and stick method was invented for a reason. The main thing is not to abuse it.
— How tough a coach are you?
— As a teacher and choreographer, I try to find a special approach to each artist in order to allow the person to open up as much as possible and give everything he is capable of on stage, or even more. In coaching, as in education, it is important, in my opinion, that your players do not feel injustice. A person must clearly understand that he is being scolded for his cause, that he himself is to blame and there is no one to be offended by. This is the only way you can learn to draw conclusions from your mistakes and become better. Therefore, first of all, I try to be fair. But, to be honest, I’m still a soft coach.
Photo: Philip Goncharov
For example, we have many students my age participating in the show. eldest daughter, and we are forced to work at night, because during the day all the skating rinks in Moscow are busy, figure skaters, hockey players and paid groups train there. We are lucky that rehearsals begin at ten in the evening, and not at twelve at night - the management of the skating rink in Zarechye was accommodating. Of course, I feel sorry for the guys and sometimes let them go early, like, okay, it’s already three in the morning, go to bed. Although I Peter Chernyshev says: “Tanya, why did you let them go, let them work.” Which, in general, is also correct. Business is business.
— Were there any problems that at first seemed insoluble?
— Since now the level of ice shows is very high, we were faced with the task of surprising the viewer, showing something that he had never seen before. For example, from the very beginning we wanted to integrate light into the ice, that is, so that the colored lighting during the show would come from within. This is one of the creative solutions that can only be seen in “Ruslan and Lyudmila”. It looks unreal! Back in the summer, we had to decide on the light design and install it in Megasport, so that ice could then be poured on top. We generally have a very interesting scenography with holographic and 3D effects. But I note that director Alexei Sechenov and I create such complex things not just for the sake of entertainment: all this works for the overall dramaturgy.
— There is no feeling that because of your work you are missing out on something in communication with youngest daughter?
- Of course have. You always want to spend more time together. I’m sure I’ll make up for everything, because after the show I’ll go on vacation with my family and be able to devote myself entirely to my daughter. To some extent, “Ruslan and Lyudmila” is a gift to her, and to all children. I really want our musical to attract the attention of children to both Pushkin and fairy tale world ancient epics and legends, and to the history of our native country.
Photo: Philip Goncharov
— With your daughter, you continue according to the method early development study?
— I am not a supporter of any harsh methods. All classes take place in game form. Nadya continues to study languages, goes swimming and gymnastics. IN kindergarten they are preparing for the New Year, playing, sculpting, drawing. My daughter has a very rich life. But we don’t have a goal for her to become an Olympic champion or a polyglot. It is important for me to give Nadya every opportunity to develop and help her find her favorite activity. I wouldn’t want to rush things, everything should happen in due time.
— Did your parents want to make you a champion from the very beginning?
- No, I wanted to study myself figure skating and dreamed of winning the Olympics. A large, beautiful Meteor Sports Palace was built in our city, and children from all areas flocked to go there. A competition was announced, and I was accepted, and that’s how it all started. And at first my mother, a master of sports in gymnastics, brought me to the gymnastics section. I said that I would study if they would only let me jump on the trampoline. It’s so funny that my Nadezhda goes to gymnastics for the trampoline too.
“Maybe she wants to imitate her mother.” Does she have a desire to dance, for example?
- Yes, she is now at such an age that she copies me in everything. We bought her skates back in the summer. She asked for them herself. And recently I was Funny case: my bracelet fell off my hand, I walked around the house looking for it, and they told me that when I left, Nadya got up and, with my own words, with my gestures, walked around the house looking for the bracelet. This is such an actress.
— Your eldest daughter Sasha is already 17 years old. It is generally accepted that this is a difficult age, when problems often arise both with studies and in relationships with parents...
— Fortunately, we don’t have these problems, although the period is really difficult: Sasha is preparing for the Unified State Exam. And, of course, she worries and studies a lot. I am very glad that she has a sports background. My daughter played tennis professionally for ten years and knows firsthand that nothing in this life comes easy. I am very glad that she has no illusions, she understands that neither mom, nor dad, nor connections will do anything for her. In general, I am convinced that a child should be instilled with a love of work from childhood. And sport is the best way to help with this. It could be fencing or chess, but the child must be able to set a goal for himself and strive for it with all his might.
Photo: Philip Goncharov
— Does Sasha share her problems with you? Are you trying to convey some of your experience to her, or has time changed so much that examples from your parents’ youth no longer apply? modern life?
— It seems to me that at all times people face the same problems and questions. Sasha, of course, shares a lot with me. Lately we have been discussing even serious life issues. She is not only a daughter, but also a friend. Sasha is very wise, and her advice also helps me
— Ahead new year holidays, holidays, the whole country is relaxing, and you are working. Isn't it offensive?
- No, no, I’m happy. I'm looking forward to the show's premiere. For figure skaters, working on holidays is a common thing. I remember on January 2 we usually trained. And when I already lived in Moscow, I came home on the 31st in the morning by train, celebrated the New Year, and went back on the first evening. Now it will be about the same as in the old days good times. (Laughs.) I’m performing on the 31st in the afternoon, but evening show We won't have it. On the first we rest, and on the second we have a morning performance. I can go on vacation later - I can imagine how much pleasure I’ll go there.
- You know, it’s like pregnancy, when the last month has been so difficult that it seems: no, I never want to experience this again, but then a child is born, several months pass, the woman gets into shape, your small miracle It grows and gives you so many positive emotions that, of course, you forget how much you suffered and want a child again. (Smiles.) This is approximately the same story with both producing and directing. Now I’m thinking: my God, I wish there was a premiere soon... But I’m sure that there will be a show and after a while I will again want something new and even larger-scale. That's the kind of person I am.
We thank the country estate Agalarov Estate for their help in organizing the shooting
Tatyana Navka and Dmitry Peskov are raising their daughter Nadezhda. Now the girl is 2.3 years old. According to the famous figure skater, she is more strict with the baby than her father and other relatives. “I have discipline, I’m probably more strict than our dad and everyone else,” says sports training. I don’t yell at my daughter under any circumstances - in our house they don’t even know what it means to raise your voice, but I can seriously say, what you can’t do, and what you can do, and explain in detail why. I differentiate, for example, the time when you can fool around, and when you need to adhere to the rules,” said Tatyana.
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Navka is sure that it is necessary to instill discipline and rules from birth. “Many parents make a mistake because in infancy they allow everything without exception. And when the child starts crying, screaming, they follow his lead. And then the children come to school as spoiled hooligans. And it’s too late to educate,” the figure skater concluded.
The athlete noted that if Nadya needs something, she goes to her mother and asks permission. But Dmitry Peskov is more loyal. “Dad, due to the fact that he sees her much less often due to his busy schedule and work schedule, of course, mostly loves and pampers his daughter. And I really like it,” Starhit quotes Navka.
According to Tatyana, the youngest daughter collected best qualities her and her husband, as well as other relatives. "She can be calm, she can be chatty, playful. Since childhood - real woman, likes to sit at my dressing table and, imitating my mother, pretends to be putting on makeup. It's very funny to watch. Despite the fact that she is still very little, my daughter loves life, she likes everything, her eyes sparkle. Loves to sing, dance, read, swim, go to the circus, and the zoo. I am sure she will grow up to be a radiant, interesting, multifaceted person. The main thing is that she is surrounded by a lot loving people. This is happiness,” Tatyana Navka is sure.
