Evgeni Plushenko

[plushyfan]

https://twitter.com/Lily_shenka/status/864827296770736128 good morning!

https://twitter.com/Lily_shenka/status/864693139935641600

https://twitter.com/Lily_shenka/status/864692982389157888

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUH-52LFWty so nice!


https://www.instagram.com/p/BUJ2WQKB-AJ/ - plushenkoofficialThis year I will have a lot of shows in Japan! I have not been skating in the Prince Show for a long time! In July I will skate in 4 shows specially for my fans from Japan! As always, there will be a lot of surprises on the Prince show) See you soon, my amazing Japanese girls and ladies

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUJwxSKBdqu/ - See you very soon my amazing Japanese girls ❤Makuhari - from May 26 to 28 , Kobe - From June 9 to 11 , Niigata - From June 16 to 18 ! Tickets for Kobe and Makuhara are already sold out.


https://twitter.com/Lily_shenka/status/863717150179053568

https://twitter.com/Lily_shenka/status/864692354120273925

https://twitter.com/Lily_shenka/status/864692569397121024

 

[plushyfan]

continue:

p.26
- Tatyana Vsiljevna , good morning! How are you?
Mom couldn’t stand it anymore and started crying.
- Is it something wrong with Zhenya? – Tatyana Anatoljevna got frightened.
Mom told her how we were living. Menshikova was terrified.
- What are you talking about? – She took 200 roubles from her purse.- Take it, please, this is for Zhenya. Feed the boy.
On the other day she gave mom 100 roubles more:
- This is from my dad.
Now we had money! I was happy! Now we shall go and buy many things to eat.

From starvation I was saved by the sbors^. Alexey Nikolaevich Mishin took me with him and there I was eating – three times a day!
When dad had money he could take mother to live with him in Volgograd. When there was no money, she stayed alone in Petersburg. She could not find work, because she had no “propiska”^ /record of place of residence//She had no right to be registered in Petersburg/. So there was for her only tea to drink and bottles to collect…

I was aware how hard it was for mom and how hard it was for dad to support himself, Lena and both of us in Peter. It was a very complicated period and it lasted not days, not months, but several years. I am very thankful to my parents that they stood it, did not break up and overcame everything. Our family did not fall apart, but just the opposite – it became stronger and stuck together.

One morning I could not stand up from bed.
I was 13, I started growing up. My skeleton was not fully formed yet, but the loading was increased every day.
p.26
- Tatyana Vsiljevna , good morning! How are you?
Mom couldn’t stand it anymore and started crying.
- Is it something wrong with Zhenya? – Tatyana Anatoljevna got frightened.
Mom told her how we were living. Menshikova was terrified.
- What are you talking about? – She took 200 roubles from her purse.- Take it, please, this is for Zhenya. Feed the boy.
On the other day she gave mom 100 roubles more:
- This is from my dad.
Now we had money! I was happy! Now we shall go and buy many things to eat.

From starvation I was saved by the sbors^. Alexey Nikolaevich Mishin took me with him and there I was eating – three times a day!
When dad had money he could take mother to live with him in Volgograd. When there was no money, she stayed alone in Petersburg. She could not find work, because she had no “propiska”^ /record of place of residence//She had no right to be registered in Petersburg/. So there was for her only tea to drink and bottles to collect…

I was aware how hard it was for mom and how hard it was for dad to support himself, Lena and both of us in Peter. It was a very complicated period and it lasted not days, not months, but several years. I am very thankful to my parents that they stood it, did not break up and overcame everything. Our family did not fall apart, but just the opposite – it became stronger and stuck together.

One morning I could not stand up from bed.
I was 13, I started growing up. My skeleton was not fully formed yet, but the loading was increased every day.
p.26
- Tatyana Vsiljevna , good morning! How are you?
Mom couldn’t stand it anymore and started crying.
- Is it something wrong with Zhenya? – Tatyana Anatoljevna got frightened.
Mom told her how we were living. Menshikova was terrified.
- What are you talking about? – She took 200 roubles from her purse.- Take it, please, this is for Zhenya. Feed the boy.
On the other day she gave mom 100 roubles more:
- This is from my dad.
Now we had money! I was happy! Now we shall go and buy many things to eat.

From starvation I was saved by the sbors^. Alexey Nikolaevich Mishin took me with him and there I was eating – three times a day!
When dad had money he could take mother to live with him in Volgograd. When there was no money, she stayed alone in Petersburg. She could not find work, because she had no “propiska”^ /record of place of residence//She had no right to be registered in Petersburg/. So there was for her only tea to drink and bottles to collect…

I was aware how hard it was for mom and how hard it was for dad to support himself, Lena and both of us in Peter. It was a very complicated period and it lasted not days, not months, but several years. I am very thankful to my parents that they stood it, did not break up and overcame everything. Our family did not fall apart, but just the opposite – it became stronger and stuck together.

One morning I could not stand up from bed.
I was 13, I started growing up. My skeleton was not fully formed yet, but the loading was increased every day.

p.28

And all this time mom took care of me. It was she that did not allow them sometimes to stick me, she made me massages herself, let her exhausted from overloading boy come round. And for this I am very grateful to her.

p. 29

I have never learned especially how to fight. When father thought about giving me to the karate section, I was already training figure skating. My parents never told me that I can raise my hand at anyone, and, of course they never showed me an example. Ever since childhood I felt badly about any injustice – to myself or the others around me. But when they tried to hurt, offend and humiliate me, I understood that one has to know how to defend oneself.

At ten I went to the cup of Russia. In one of the towns, in which we stopped, I asked the elder ones to buy a pepper spray for me. I wanted something to defend with. It seemed as though with the pepper spray in my pocket I felt more confident. After all this was a tear-gas weapon and I could protect myself. Or may be this pepper spray made me feel older.

p.30

Anyway, to have a pepper spray was great!

We went to Perm. We had free time and went to spend our pocket money. There were four of us: I, my friend and two girls. The money we had was so little, but then it seemed a whole fortune! We bought some products and I still had some money left. We went out on the street.
- Do you have money? – Suddenly in front of us there appeared a boy – one head shorter than us, ten years old.
- What money?
- Do you have money - he repeated. He was small but so impudent !
- No, we have no money, go away!
We went further. And suddenly we heard him shouting piercingly on the street:
- They have money!
We turned back and saw some sixteen year old boys coming towards us. They were hiding something under their coats – may be stones or sticks. They surrounded us tightly. While I was trying to explain to them that we did not have anything, my friend and the girls unnoticeably sneaked away and ran. I was left alone.
- You remained, give us the money – The boys thought I was an easy pray.
I remembered about the pepper spray, which I always carried with me just in case. Imperceptibly I took it from my pocket, directed it to the mocking faces and pressed the spray with all I might. I hit the mark!
The boys started coughing, bending, their tears ran. And I ran away. I had to run three bus stations to the hotel – and in Perm this is an enormous distance.


p.31

Luckily, I came to be near the hotel of some of our figure skaters. I rushed into the lobby, gathered my breath, sat down for half an hour. But somehow I had to go to my hotel. What should I do? Take the trolley? But they were standing at the corner. And I decided – I shall run! So I ran fifteen meters and saw them in the arch rubbing their eyes. One of them turned, saw me and shouted :
- There he is!
I was shocked. There was in my head only one thought like a siren sound : “It’s the end of me. They will catch me any minute and cripple me.” And this was the moment in which I said many thanks to my Volgograd coach Michael Makoveev, who made us run 10 kilometer races. I was not running, I was flying.
Fortunately, on my way I met some sportsmen from our hotel.
- Whom are you running from?
- There, from these ones.
- Don’t be afraid.
At this time my chasers, having seen the older boys, turned away and took another direction. Under the escort of the older ones I went to the hotel.
The pepper spray was in my pocket. I was walking and thinking how great it was that I had it!
When I went to Petersburg I had to defend myself very often. The students from the eleventh class didn’t like me.
- Oh, a figure skater!- frowned the boys - Only girls do this kind of sport!
When I heard this, my fists clenched by themselves and I started fighting.


continue...



https://www.instagram.com/p/BUOrzHoh0zu/ so much fun on the training!

 

[plushyfan]

p.32

In the class there were groups formed. And I spent months at the sbors^, then I appeared and disappeared again. I was taken to be “a white crow”^ - very different from them. Moreover, I was not good at school and I trained a kind of sport which the eleven class students did not like. A figure skater in a tight suit who dances all the time!
Once, after one of the insults we started fighting – not for life, but for death. I was fighting with legs and hands, they too. My clothes were torn. After the bell rang, I rushed into the classroom torn all over and disheveled. The teacher understood everything from first sight and let me go.
I fought desperately. And I did not care with whom. I was not stopped from my offenders being boxers or from me not winning every time.
But after these fights they started to respect me and I won some friends in my class. I succeeded to defend myself and for a boy it was very important. If you think that you are right and they have offended you unjustly, you have to be able to defend yourself.
In school I had conflicts not only with the students, but with some teachers too. Of course, I did not fight with them – this is one of those cases when fists are no use.
I arrived after sbors^ or competitions, received homework and…… did not understand anything. And there was nobody to help me or explain anything to me.
Sometimes, after the second training I went to school and did my lessons additionally with the teachers. But it was hard and did not work every time. The loading at the trainings grew continuously and for the school lessons there were no time and strength left. When I went home I switched off - I fell asleep even with my clothes on.

p.33

Some of the teachers, of course, sympathized with me. But others were vexed from my figure skating trainings and my continuous absence. And when at last I appeared in school they paid me back with a full program.
I had just arrived from my latest competition. The lesson started.
- Today we are writing a test. All of you will work in their notebooks and Plushenko – on the blackboard.
I had not been at school for a month, I was back from my classmates with uncountable quantity of homework and paragraphs. If I had sat on the desk, I could have copied from somebody. But the solo performance on the blackboard promised another poor mark. It seemed to me that in these cases the lady teacher received a somewhat peculiar pleasure. For me to write on the blackboard was equal to a knock out or punch below the belt.
In general, with some of the teachers I led a silent war and now I can say honestly, that we could not stand each other.
But when I went to school after winning the World Junior Championships, the first teacher I met appeared to be the one, who gave me mercilessly poor marks. She jumped towards me :
- Zhenya, do you remember how I helped you?
I could hardly refrain from laughing in her face.
I finished school like an external student. There began serious competitions. Teachers out of respect for my victories were often indulgent; they tried to make such a program for me so that I could catch up with the class. Nevertheless, I finished school. With ‘satisfactory’ marks /3/, of course, but I finished. Thank God!

p.34

I was 10 years old and I participated in the Cup of Russia. After the competition we were sitting with the boys in the hotel playing cards. I won and the elder ones were embittered, so one of them decided to command me:
- Go and bring me something to drink.
I didn’t want to serve anybody and refused:
- It’s you who need it, - take it yourself. And I am going to play.
At the same time someone was boiling water in the same room. One of the boys took the hot kettle from the ring and put it on my arm. This sportsman’s hand did not even tremble – as if he was not burning a human being, but putting the kettle on a board. I cried out of pain. On my arm there immediately appeared a blood blister. The pain was hellish.
I rushed out of the room, run along the corridor and cried. There was pain. I cried not out of pain, but out of insult, that someone could do such a thing and the others did not even defend me.

p.35

Running along the corridor I met my choreographer Tatyana Mihaylovna.
- Zhenya, what has happened?
I was holding my arm. She drew away my hand and saw the swollen, inflamed wound. She immediately understood everything and went to talk with the seniors, who had done this.

In this way I met humiliation for the first time in my life. Then it seemed to me that it was only a coincidence and it would never happen again. I was wrong, everything had just started. When I went to Peter I was eleven years old. I was the youngest of Mishin’s sportsmen. I trained together with Urmanov, Yagudin, Novoseltzev, Tataurov and others.

In Volgograd I experienced no humiliation at all. The cruel, even merciless coach Makoveev insisted on an iron discipline. There was no way that the elders could commit outrages on the younger.
It was not so in Peter. The younger were humiliated and commanded. The elders showed off all the time that for them everything was allowed.
The elder skaters hat a company welcome : when the young were taught, they were beaten with the skate guards on their body and from the hit there remained on their skin the label “Nike”. Also they could throw the skate at you or beat you with the sporting shoes on the head.
If you by chance stood in the way of the senior sportsmen when he jumped, there was always a punishment for you. They would either beat you or humiliate you.
Before the training I went to the changing room to change. Every sportsman had a locker, where he put his clothes, the skates, the sport uniform. I opened the door and saw that there were seniors inside.

p.36

I greeted them. They assumed an air as if they had not heard me.
- Go out, then enter again and greet.
I did this.
- We did not hear how you greeted us.
I entered a third time and shouted:
- Hello!
- Why are you shouting? You have to be punished.
They determined a punishment : ten hits on the head. But they were not satisfied with that. They made the “Nike” sign. A bright print was left on my skin from the skate guard. The insult was stronger than the pain. Why? I rushed off from the changing room, hardly keeping back my tears.
Then I understood why the seniors are behaving in such a way. I had come from the country, I was only eleven, but I appeared to be a perspective sportsman – at this age I could jump all the triple jumps, I was learning continuously new things, grasped everything instantly. They understood that later it would be complicated for them, I would grow up, overpass them and become the first. Actually it happened so.

Mom arrived for the first time. Before her arrival I had had much to endure from the seniors – I was beaten with the sport shoes on the head. My head split. We went to the station with Tanya Ermachek, with whom we had come from Volgograd half an year before.
Mom came out of the train and looked at me carefully:
- Why are you so pale?
- I have a headache.
- What has happened?
I decided not to confess. But then Tanya spoke:
- The seniors beat him.
- Why?

p.37

- For nothing. They have beaten him with the sport shoes on the head.
Till mom’s arrival I had no defenders. At this time Alexey Nikolaevich Mishin had many sportsmen, he had also other urgent things to do. He had no time to care of what was happening in the changing room. Urmanov had already become an Olympic champion, Yagudin was growing up and the coach set great hopes on him. Mishin cared of what was happening on the ice, he needed results. He rarely looked in the changing room.
I was the youngest one and it was early to be said whether I would turn out to be a champion or not.
It is true, once the seniors had to endure from Mishin too. Alexey Nikolaevich came to our changing room just by chance and saw me crying. Next to me were robust senior skaters, who were laughing in their sleeve.
- Who has insulted him?- there were iron notes in Mishin’s voice.
All were silent.
- If I find out who has committed outrages at him, this sportsman will be out of my team.
So they got off my back for a while.

Once in the changing room one of the famous sportsmen and already with a title was eating pistachio. He carefully collected the shells in a box. I was sitting in the corner lacing my shoes. Before he went out of the changing room he said to me:
- Take these away!
- I will not!
- You know what will happen if you don’t, - said he and went out skating.
I waited till all the skaters dressed and the changing room was empty. Then I put the garbage behind the lockers.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_fgqwyMuYk Portrait of the star - Early years :thumbsup: english subtitle

continue...

and som old pics https://www.instagram.com/p/BUUXh4thUTD/?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUUrYhiBJDX/ how beautiful he was!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUWdBDaBmCN/ his hands are amazing!

 

[Rada]

Nevertheless, I finished school. With ‘satisfactory’ marks /3/, of course, but I finished. Thank God!

It is said that once Mishin has said something like "What do you want from him? He has only six classes!" (it means six years of school instead of ten). However, Plushy`s last words about school sounds like a sigh of great relief, especially in russian.

 

[plushyfan]

continue

p.38

The training finished. The one with the pistachio went back in the changing room, saw that everything was cleaned and praised me.
On the morning the cleaning woman came and saw the garbage.
- What is this? – she scolded our titled sportsman like a small boy,- You are a grown up sportsman and you do such things! Aren’t you ashamed!
After this I had terrible time with this boy.

For some years I was the youngest one. And all these years the changing room was for me a dungeon cell – with its cruel laws and chieftains.
Sometimes one sportsman told another one:
- Listen, Plush called you stupid behind your back.
- Not at all ! I did not say that!
But no one was listening to me. The hits on the forehead and on the back of my neck were usual. Sometimes, to have fun, the seniors hid my sporting shoes. Sometimes they did incredible things: an eighteen year old sportsman could hit me with his foot in my stomach. I writhed with pain, waited till the pain passed and went out on the ice.

The only sportsman, who never allowed himself to raise hand on the younger, commit outrages at them, was Sasha Abt. He had grown up on the street and then suffered outrages much. He went through humiliation himself and managed to become a class sportsman. Abt always defended me and the other youngers.
But Sasha lived and trained in Moscow and we met only at sbors. There I felt more confident, because I was under his defense and I was very sorry that we lived in different cities.

I go out after training, choking with tears.
- Zhenya, what has happened?


p.39
- Nothing, mom, I have just pinched my thumb in the door.
I told mom about the outrages only in extreme cases, out of despair.
Once she came in the changing room :
- You have strength and conscience to beat the youngest one. Well, beat me too, then!
All laughed at her.

There was no point to strike back. They were many, elder and stronger. I tried to be the first one in the changing room, to change quickly and go out on the ice. I skated till everyone had gone home, so that I did not make anyone nervous.
Those, who were offending me, told me edifyingly:
- Plush, don’t be afraid, you will grow up, then you can strike back on us.
- Yes, I will grow up and it will be very bad for you!
But gradually we got accustomed to one another. I started giving real results, winning European and World championships. The seniors accepted me in their pack.

Then so happened that the seniors ended their sport career, scattered to different shows and to other countries. In the Palace of sport only the youth remained.
I grew up. I don’t bear a grudge towards anybody and did never take revenge.
It is true, when I was insulted, I got very angry. And because of this anger I made ten times more than it was required. All the time I wanted to prove, that I was stronger, that it was not easy to break me.
When I was accepted as an equal one, I told my ex-enemies:
- Boys, thank you, I grew up thanks to you, you gave me so much strength.

p.40

Later, we had never remembered the humiliation, but with many of the sportsmen became friends. Now we do shows together, we can go to play bowling or billiard.

I promised myself, that when I grew up, I would never be like my seniors. I remember very well how I cried out of pain and insult, injustice and helplessness. But I became a good sportsman and never humiliated anybody. I always considered such a behaviour a display of weakness.
Now I know for sure that in Petersburg there is no humiliation in figure skating.

p.41

VII- LIFE SETTLES ON

Till I was eleven I did not suspect, that one can earn money with figure skating. I was convinced that the champions and the prize-winners were given only medals. About the money I understood, when I eavesdropped a conversation between the seniors. Someone said, that if you win at international tournaments, you can earn good money. I went to mom and told her this.
- You know, the seniors earn money with that. I will do my best.
On that day I decided for myself, that when I had much money, my parents would not work.

Life started to settle on when I was thirteen. At the World Championships in Australia I was on the sixth place. We went with mom in Moscow and received prize-money –one thousand and five hundred dollars! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRZoZWEzCYQ - Don Quixote
All the money I gave to mom.
- Let’s go and buy you a nice dress!
We were walking around the Moscow shops feeling like rich people. We bought two suits for mom, a shirt for dad and a blouse for Lena.

p.42

In Peter we rent a better room, which was nearer the Palace of Sport. Till then we had no tv set. With the prize-money I bought a small tv set and a videotape recorder. And also a bicycle, with which I rode to the “Yubilejny”^.

The next year, 1997, I took my first gold in Seoul – I became the junior World champion. I competed there with Americans and Chinese, who till then always won against me. This time I won against them – you cannot imagine the feeling!
Mother remained in Peter and took me to her heart very much. When I received my gold, Alexey Nikolaevich rang her up and said three words to her: “Your son won.” For the first place I won ten thousand dollars – at this time a fantastic sum! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwutW1wxCL0 -Junior worlds

This money was serious help for us. From then on we could eat enough, dress and feel well. We lived in the same room, but life was completely different.
With mom we went to Volgograd to see dad and Lena and I gave dad a part of the money to buy a car. Dad is a strong and resolute person, but when I gave him the money tears came in his eyes:
- Thank you, son!
- Dad, I owe you so much, because mom lived with me for so long. I will do my best, so that we live together again. And the car – it is just a car!
The victory was not only mine, it was of all my family.
Father bought “Zhiguli” 99-model dark green /LADA/. For us she was a beauty. When I went to Volgograd I sat behind the wheel and dad taught me to drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1c3pE1bK84 Portrait of the star - Early years 2 - english subtitle

 

[plushyfan]

Plushy arrived in Japan https://twitter.com/purupurukuro/status/867192767054725121

https://twitter.com/yokotanpeshenko/status/867206378279976960

https://twitter.com/yokotanpeshenko/status/867202720817569793

https://twitter.com/yuuu_atb/status/866246622765654016 they were waiting him https://twitter.com/WanakaSachiko/status/866568183750184961

part of his new ex? https://www.instagram.com/anais167/

 

[anonymoose_au]

Awww, BB!Plushy winning in Seoul and buying his family a car, that's so sweet. It's so nice he was able to help his family and learn to drive!

Plushy arrived in Japan https://twitter.com/purupurukuro/status/867192767054725121

I was wondering when he'd arrive! That shirt is so weird...I don't understand fashion. He sure likes that New York Yankees cap though!

https://twitter.com/yuuu_atb/status/866246622765654016 they were waiting him https://twitter.com/WanakaSachiko/status/866568183750184961

Those banners are nice! How did they know when he'd arrive? Is it on the Official site (I keep forgetting to visit it!)?

part of his new ex? https://www.instagram.com/anais167/

Ooo, I wonder! Although that music sounds super familiar? Has he skated to it before? Or is it Muse? I thought I saw someone mentioning Plushy skating to Ashley Wagner's music and it's not Sweet Dreams (Although I'd kinda like to see that!)

 

[plushyfan]

I was wondering when he'd arrive! That shirt is so weird...I don't understand fashion. He sure likes that New York Yankees cap though!

I like that T-shirt

Those banners are nice! How did they know when he'd arrive? Is it on the Official site (I keep forgetting to visit it!)?

probably from the Airport..or the show's organizers..

https://twitter.com/yokotanpeshenko/status/867200013142642688

Ooo, I wonder! Although that music sounds super familiar? Has he skated to it before? Or is it Muse? I thought I saw someone mentioning Plushy skating to Ashley Wagner's music and it's not Sweet Dreams (Although I'd kinda like to see that!)

It is the Muse - Exogenezis Ashley and Voronov and I think Jeremy Abbott, too

 

[LRK]

Yes, Exogenesis... (shudder)

ETA - I'm afraid my feelings on the subject can only be summed up with the inelegant expression: "Bleurgh!" I'm just noting that here, but won't keep on repeating it, so as not to rain on the parade of anyone actually capable of enjoying it. Needless to say, I'm not one of them.

 

[plushyfan]

Yes, Exogenesis... (shudder)

ETA - I'm afraid my feelings on the subject can only be summed up with the inelegant expression: "Bleurgh!" I'm just noting that here, but won't keep on repeating it, so as not to rain on the parade of anyone actually capable of enjoying it. Needless to say, I'm not one of them.

I have no problem with the music but that's not my favorite..


Plushenko News_Eng Retweeted Consuelo Valoppi

It is confirmed @EvgeniPlushenko will participate in the 2017 "Intimissimi on Ice"(06 -07 October)

https://twitter.com/PlushenkoNews/status/867369234040475648

 

[Rada]

ETA - I'm afraid my feelings on the subject can only be summed up with the inelegant expression: "Bleurgh!" I'm just noting that here, but won't keep on repeating it, so as not to rain on the parade of anyone actually capable of enjoying it. Needless to say, I'm not one of them.

And what`s wrong with this music?

 

[LRK]

And what`s wrong with this music?

For me? I loathe it. Some people apparently love it. Each to their own.

As I had said, I had no intention of elaborating further. But Plush is my favourite skater of all time. If I'm unable to enjoy a program of his for whatever reason, of course it's a severe disappointment to me. And I just wished to note that here, among people who love him also. I hope others are able to enjoy it. That's all, and I don't see that there is anything strange in this at all.

 

[plushyfan]

videos at airport

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUehrCuD4Ny/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUeiE-DD3wY/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUfUzN0DLVk/

so cute https://twitter.com/jelly_fish_moch/status/867406299696209921 :thumbsup:

nice pics https://twitter.com/raikaira/status/867328147783467008

 

[plushyfan]

continue..

p.43

One year passed. The season was over. At fifteen I became the second one in the European Championships and the third one in the World Championships among the seniors. I received prize-money and decided immediately – I would buy a flat for my family, we had suffered enough with mom in the communial apartment. It was great.
I had a big family, so the flat had to be spacious too.
With mom, Mishin and the immovables’ agent we went about all the town, looked at unimaginable number of flats and houses. And I chose one – in the newly built block of flats in the Primorsky^ region of Peter’s, on the 13th floor – this was very important for me, because the devil’s number is my favourite one. I wanted very much to go with mom to take the documents, but I lost so many nerves on this that I got ill and had a high temperature. Mom went with Mishin to take the document for the ownership.
The flat was empty. But I was inspired that soon it would be comfortable there for all of us. While the repair was going on we lived in a room in Petrogradsky District^ and collected stuff. My parents went to the flat continuously and watched how the repair went on. Sometimes dad stayed there. We rang up and my happy father said:
- It’s nice here.
- Well, soon I will live there too.
At the end we moved. I was very proud, that it happened thanks to me. I was happy for my family, that after all we did that. We managed to overcome the hardships and get out of the misery. I was beaming myself, I looked into my parents eyes all the time and I was glad that they were happy too.
The flat seemed to me like a palace, I was running around and repeating:
- Oh, how big it is!

p.44

You could ride a bicycle in this flat. I played hide-and-seek with mom. It was so great.

At this time I was invited by the most prominent American producer Tom Collins^ to take place in the famous tour “Champions on ice”. He is a great professional. With his help I started earning money. I am very grateful to him and his family.

I started winning international competition and I attracted notice. At the end of 1990s Mishin and I were offered to go and skate for America and Spain. Also there came an offer for other clubs in Moscow. The money was good.
At this time many sportsmen, who could not strengthen their positions in their own country, where there were first-class sportsmen and a wild competition, went to skate for other countries. They received citizenship or another kind of allowance to live in the foreign countries. I had no problem to participate in European and World Championships and I did not want to go away.
I have to say that the offers were more than tempting – luxury living conditions, excellent contacts with people. I could receive a citizenship, to leave one year out and participate for other countries, which were ready to provide the best for me.

To participate for another country was not spoken of at all. We refused this immediately. Then the Americans made another offer. A luxury house in Florida, a good salary, a permission to take our families with us if I represent an American club. On International competitions I could skate for Russia. The club needed good sportsmen. They wanted to higher their level with prizes and titles let only of one of their members. Alexey Nikolaevich would train me and American skaters.


p.45

By the way, many people did that. Mishin refused definitively:
- In Russia I have a family – a wife and two sons. What are they going to do? And I love Russia.
My family lived in Russia too. Briefly, we refused. There was a time, though, when I wanted to buy a flat in America and go to train there for a while. But it didn’t happen.
I had a tour in America for four months. It was quite enough time to realize, that it was not my country, there is another attitude of mind there. Although I communicated with Russians every day and worked much, after half a month it became sad and hard. I missed home awfully, the Russian people, the communication. I could hardly breathe, the air of my country was not there, the landscape, the native faces, the peculiar energy, which is characteristic only for those who live in Russia. My American dream fell down like a house of cards. At this point I had definitely decided that the only country I want to live in is Russia.
Till my victories began and I started to earn money, hardly anyone helped us. It was only Mishin and the director of the Palace of Sport. I received presents very rarely and they seemed to be an incredible luxury. And I wanted to have all : tasty things to eat, new clothes, some belongings. The desire was even stronger, because I knew that there was no chance that I get them.

We were sent to Germany by the heads of the Palace of Sport “Yubilejny”^, to take place in a show. All of us were quartered to stay with German families. I and another boy, Kostya, were quartered to stay with old Germans. We called them Grandma and Grandpa.
Our German family had an iron schedule. They stood up at 7.00. If they spoiled the rhythm the day was lost and they were very upset.

p.46

Grandma and Grandpa tried to get us accustomed to their schedule. I did not like this at all – I wanted to sleep more in the morning, I did not have this chance every day.
When we met with the other Russian children, they bragged of their German families and presents.
- Today they gave me a jacket!
- And I have jeans and a cap!
I envied them and hoped much, that whenever I would receive a present too. Once the German Grandma and Grandpa said:
- Tomorrow we go shopping.
- Great!
We were told by the more experienced children, that the Germans always go shopping with a purpose. This promised many presents. But this is what happened.
In the shop they said:
- You can look around now and choose something.
I chose a cap “Chicago-bulls”- the latest fashion, also a T-shirt and other small things. My friend also chose some nice clothes. With the clothes we went to the Grandpa, but he took everything and put it away.
- Today we don’t buy anything. There is time for that.
And we went out of the shop. It appeared we were brought only on a tour! We thought we had no luck with the Germans. The other kids had generous Germans, who gave them jackets, jeans and T-shirts. And we were not given even a cap! Our disappointment was immense, we were much upset.
At the other day we met our friends again and again they bragged with new things. We listened to all of that and felt so bad. What could one do? We had just no luck!

p.47

But just before our departure home the German family brought us to the shop and bought us all we wanted. Now, Kostya and I had new things too. It appeared we had to suffer for our presents like it was always in my life.
Later, when I already had money, I did not forget these feelings – when you want so much to receive a present from somebody. That is why I started making presents to the other skaters. Sometimes after training I invited them all in a café. These were boys, who were my age, but did not have any title yet. Or I invited the youngers to go shopping and bought something for everyone of them – sporting shoes, a sweater, a toy-car with a remote controller.
I never told mom about that. But Mishin did and she said:
- Zhenya, nobody gave you presents, why are you doing it?
- Why? Now I have everything, let the others have something too.
I needed badly to have something to enjoy. And I wanted this for the others too.

p.48

VIII – THE GOLDEN BOY

I was eleven when I competed among sixteen years old ones and won against them. I had a title “Master of Sport” and jumped all the triple jumps. When I went to Petersburg I considered myself a leader and a champion. Neither humiliation nor hits from the elders could lower my self-respect or my self-esteem. This was great. If you don’t consider yourself a champion, you will never become a champion. You will just have no power to fight for the title – in sport and in life.
If you always think that in an instant you will make a mistake, you cannot acquire any success at all. The main thing is to believe in your powers, to lead your body and your skates. When you go out on the ice you have to feel like a king.
I started to believe in that and I became the king of the ice.

One cannot describe the feelings after a victory. Only the one who has felt this knows what it is. You become famous.

p.49

You are not only well-known, but people treat you in a completely different way.
There was a time when we trained with Alexey Urmanov on one and the same ice. I was only a boy and he already an Olympic champion. Very often girl-fans came to ask him for an autograph. Sometimes he nodded towards me and joked: “Girls, there is Evgeni Plushenko skating. Go to him and ask him for an autograph.” I turned away, made an appearance that I did not hear anything and continued training hard. These jokes insulted me, but even then I knew that girl-fans would come to me too, and they would be even more than anybody else’s.

Mishin always gave us, the youngs, Urmanov for a model, his first student-a champion. We watched Urmanov with admiration – he was a great sportsman, an Olympic champion. Of course, we learned from him.
But I did never want to copy Urmanov. I wanted to have a style of my own, a style of Evgeni Plushenko. Of course, I took something from different sportsmen : Petrenko, Urmanov, Yagudin, Browning, Boitano, Fadeev.
I liked the quick legs and the speed of Elvis Stojko, the precision of movements of Todd Eldredge, the artistry of Victor Petrenko, the classical programs and classical choreography of Alexey Urmanov. I took a little from everyone of them, added something from me and I had my own style of skating. May be now, some young skaters take something from me too, this is normal.

When I was eleven, The Good Will Games took place in Petersburg. In them participated my idol Victor Petrenko – a talented skater and an Olympic champion. Till then I had seen him many times on the tv. I took care not to miss any competition with him.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqOquG6xh8A - Plushenko, Portrait of A Star - Rise of the Champion (4)

 

[anonymoose_au]

For me? I loathe it. Some people apparently love it. Each to their own.

As I had said, I had no intention of elaborating further. But Plush is my favourite skater of all time. If I'm unable to enjoy a program of his for whatever reason, of course it's a severe disappointment to me. And I just wished to note that here, among people who love him also. I hope others are able to enjoy it. That's all, and I don't see that there is anything strange in this at all.

Aww, I hope you're still able to enjoy Plushy's program, LRK! I have to say the only music of Plushy's I didn't like was "Assasi" - the voices creep me out! But I sort of tune them out because that exhibition is a beautiful, hilarious thing.

Speaking of music, except not really I just want to bring this up because it's Nijinsky Plushy retweeted this on his instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUXV1amhn9e/ - One of my favorite program. Not only mine as it turned out) Best moments ) #Repost @theskatinglesson

And is he actually surprised other people love it too?...Nijinksy especially at the Russian Nationals is the greatest program of all time. OF. ALL. TIME! I could watch it forever.

so cute https://twitter.com/jelly_fish_moch/status/867406299696209921 :thumbsup:

Plushy Matryoshka! I love the costumes picked - Pasadena Plush is a happy sight!

nice pics https://twitter.com/raikaira/status/867328147783467008

This uniform is super nice! Do the youngest students get them too, because Sasha's one is sure to be adorable!

Also thanks again for the Plushy autobiography. Also, for the links to that Plushy doco, I love that one, although it's a bit sad seeing Mama Plush, she was so proud of him!

 

[Rada]

For me? I loathe it. Some people apparently love it. Each to their own.

As I had said, I had no intention of elaborating further. But Plush is my favourite skater of all time. If I'm unable to enjoy a program of his for whatever reason, of course it's a severe disappointment to me. And I just wished to note that here, among people who love him also. I hope others are able to enjoy it. That's all, and I don't see that there is anything strange in this at all.

Oh, I see. I've just listened and... well... it's just... music) it's not very intresting of course but... may be it fits to Plushy's current ability? It sems to me that he can't to be very fast now...
Unfortunatly, he will hardly know what a brilliant music I found for him, so...

 

[LRK]

Oh, I see. I've just listened and... well... it's just... music) it's not very intresting of course but... may be it fits to Plushy's current ability? It sems to me that he can't to be very fast now...
Unfortunatly, he will hardly know what a brilliant music I found for him, so...

The same - I've also found what I feel to be perfect pieces for him, but... alas, he'll never know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZw6kkw5NJE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOrE2Qr1FMU

 

[plushyfan]

Oh, I see. I've just listened and... well... it's just... music) it's not very intresting of course but... may be it fits to Plushy's current ability? It sems to me that he can't to be very fast now...

Maybe that is one of the reasons of his choice, he is not so incredible fast as he was in the past. But if this Ex will be really balletic many fans' dreams will come true. I asked him to make a real balletic program for years . I directly wrote to Yana and him ( but I don't know he read it or not, he didn't reacted) to make such a program!! I know many other fans who did it also.

Unfortunatly, he will hardly know what a brilliant music I found for him, so...

The same - I've also found what I feel to be perfect pieces for him, but... alas, he'll never know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZw6kkw5NJE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOrE2Qr1FMU

Why don't you try to send him the musics?

LRK, beautiful musics indeed!

 

[LRK]

Maybe that is one of the reasons of his choice, he is not so incredible fast as he was in the past. But if this Ex will be really balletic many fans' dreams will come true. I asked him to make a real balletic program for years . I directly wrote to Yana and him ( but I don't know he read it or not, he didn't reacted) to make such a program!! I know many other fans who did it also.

Why don't you try to send him the musics?

LRK, beautiful musics indeed!

How? I don't have Twitter, or Instagram or any of these things...

I'm glad you liked them too - I think they would be just perfect for him.

 

[Rada]

Great music, LRK!
And I want this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VFvPxhAZ3ks
Very sad romance)
And this. About spring, and youth, and the beginning of something... All things wich are gone...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YPrujPL3aWs