Aliona Savchenko's new job

http://tinyurl.com/qltcw and http://tinyurl.com/rqyzg
Aliona Savchenko has refused to serve in the German military as a "sports soldier" saying that she did not move to Germany to carry a gun and miss training for 8 weeks (induction into the military requires 8 weeks of basic training). The sports soldier option is used by many German athletes to have some sort of income and insurance coverage while training, but it does require basic training and occasional brief periods of service.

Robin Szolkowy is a sports soldier and was concerned about how Aliona would be covered without having to find a job, but she has signed an indefinite contract with a car dealership in Chemnitz to support their advertising campaigns.

The question of Ingo Steuer's future has not yet been addressed. That will all be handled after Worlds.

Thank you very much for this, Anke. I think this goes waaaay beyond basic training issues. For a Russian to be serving in a German army in any way shape or form is difficult beyond belief. I don´t think many Americans can quite appreciate how WWII affected the country and its people. When I was in pre-school (late 70´s/ early 80´s) I though ¨German¨ was a synonym for ¨enemy¨. Now, I am afraid I just opened a can of worms with everyone abot to beat up poor Alyona for taking up German citizenship if she doesn´t really feel ¨German¨, but that´s a whole other issue alltogether.

Ptichka said:

Thank you very much for this, Anke. I think this goes waaaay beyond basic training issues. For a Russian to be serving in a German army in any way shape or form is difficult beyond belief. I don´t think many Americans can quite appreciate how WWII affected the country and its people. When I was in pre-school (late 70´s/ early 80´s) I though ¨German¨ was a synonym for ¨enemy¨. Now, I am afraid I just opened a can of worms with everyone abot to beat up poor Alyona for taking up German citizenship if she doesn´t really feel ¨German¨, but that´s a whole other issue alltogether.

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Thanks for your insights, Ptichka. I always appreciate hearing from someone who has actual first-hand knowledge of life in another culture or political system. I'm just reading German news stories, so I have no first-hand knowledge, but I suspect Aliona would balk at military service in the Ukraine as well. The assumption really did seem to be that she would join Robin, and most other German skaters, as a sports soldier. She is really focussed on training, however, and doesn't want to be even a part-time soldier to get some income and health insurance. I think her motivation is skating, and my guess is that where her partner is, is where her citizenship desires lie.

To her great credit, Aliona has made a great effort to learn German, and from the bits I've heard during Eurosport interviews, she is doing very well. When she got her citizenship, she promised that she would quickly learn the words of the national anthem. But then the Ingo saga broke, and no reporter has asked her to sing the anthem. Depending on how things go in Calgary (they are gunning for the top), the reporters may have a chance to return to that theme.

Ptichka said:

Thank you very much for this, Anke. I think this goes waaaay beyond basic training issues. For a Russian to be serving in a German army in any way shape or form is difficult beyond belief. I don´t think many Americans can quite appreciate how WWII affected the country and its people. When I was in pre-school (late 70´s/ early 80´s) I though ¨German¨ was a synonym for ¨enemy¨. Now, I am afraid I just opened a can of worms with everyone abot to beat up poor Alyona for taking up German citizenship if she doesn´t really feel ¨German¨, but that´s a whole other issue alltogether.

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Ptichka - Agree Russia was at war with Germany during 40-45, but at first Russia was aligned with Germany. Other than that, Russia has been at war with France, Japan (before WWII) Finland; Spain (over California). I think Sweden too although I am not an expert on European wars.

My feeling is not to forget the past but to get on with better relations. If Aliona still feels pain over WWII (I do not begrudge her that), then she should never had gone to Germany in the first place. Apparently her personal feeling about skating outweighs her love for Russia.

Joe

My two cents..
I don't think that Aliona not going to the army has anything to do with not wanting to feel German or still feeling pain over WWII. If she really had hard feelings towards Germany or the Germans because of the war, she would not have gone to Germany, no matter how big her love for skating. It's not a compulsory military service, and as long as she can support herself without having to become a soldier, why not? Becoming a sports soldier just is the easiest option to have an income and to have insurance, it's not a compulsion. Young men in Germany underlie compulsory military service, but a lot of them choose alternative service (like working in retirement homes or hospitals) in lieu of the military if they can.

So maybe the girl just doesn't want to serve in the army. Any army. Other German skaters, like Tanja Szewczenko, didn't go to the army either and no one ever mentioned it.

I tend to agree that i don't think it has to do with nationality. If you don't want a job in the army the prospect of having to do it would make most people run for the hills, i know i would if i had to suddnely work in the army. I think the nationality difference just exacerbates it. I can't speak for other countries but in terms of the lowest level of the UK army, my experience has been that the majority are extremely ignorant and biggoted and if a "foreigner" were to join i think they'd have a really horrible time of it.

Ant