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This interview is originally from www.smena.ru
"Mother of a Champion" It’s not easy to be a mother of a famous and talented child. Some parents become their shadows, following every step, involved in every detail. Others hide away from public and publicity. Tatiana Vasilievna Plushenko, the mother of one of the best skaters, is not willing to do one or the other. Evgeny to her, first of all a son, a very loved son, and "Champion" – is secondary. Q: How did Zhenya became a Skater? Tatiana Vasilievna: I met one of my lady friends on the street, she told me her daugher no longer wants to skate, a set of skates was being wasted, she offered Jenya to take them. It was a pure coincidence. Zhenya was a brave boy. He learned to ride a 3-w-cycle when he was only 1 year, 2 months old. At the age of 3 – he was riding a bi-cycle. He learned to skate 1 week after he got on skates. He fell a lot, kids were teasing him, and he cried. His first coach was great – Tatiana Nikolaevna Skala. She told him “keep trying. You will pass them all.” So, when he turned 4, he truly did pass even those who were skating for 2 years. Q: What’s is Zhenya’s personality? Tatiana Vasilievna: He is kind and sweet. And very agreeable. If you ask him something, he’ll do it. Q: Were you strict as parents? Tatiana Vasilievna: Not really. There was not a single reason to be strict. He was an honor student, 5th Grade for example he had all 5’s (“A” equiv.). He had so little time to study – lots of time was spent on training. He started real competitions since he was 6. He traveled without us, only with a coach. Q: Was he heart broken when he had to leave you? (to more to the training center) Tatiana Vasilievna: I did not want him to go. My husband and I never had any desire to take our child to another town, to seen a new coach. He was skating – and that was fine with us. We had not big plans. But the local rink was shut down. His current trainer Makoveev offered him to go to St. Petersburg. I still can’t believe myself, how did I ever let him go. We tried to talk him out of it, suggested hockey, football. But he insisted to get his way “I want to go”. So he went. Lived there all alone without me for 6 months. Q: I read someplace that during this 6 months he cried a lot into his pillow. And you? Tatiana Vasilievna: Oh, did I cry! Little child, all alone in a big city. At the rink the big boys hustled him. And he had nobody to defend him. After his practice he would leave the rink – and that’s it, he was totally alone, and nobody cared (what happens to him). It’s hard for me to even picture it. Of course, I called him everyday. Once I spent a week with him. I could not come more often, my job was complicated and money was an issue. When I left that time, I cried terribly. He was running after the train, yelling “Mama, Mama”. I cried the whole ride home, it was so difficult. When I got home, I told my husband – “we got to do something”. We decided that I will move with Zhenya. Q: What was the most difficult part during these times? Tatiana Vasilievna: Finances. Now only my husband worked, and we commuted between 2 cities. In Volgograd we had to pay apartment living expenses, in St. Petersburg we had to rent a room for 200 rubles (a room in a communal apartment). Zhenya was not earning anything. (The apple thing. Having only one, cutting it in half to save for next day). At the skating center (Jubileiniy) he sometime would get lunch coupons, some times not. But Zhenya is not the kind to demand. (she means he was entitled to lunch coupons every day, but they did not always remembered to give him one, and he did not ask). He always said “I’ll get buy somehow”. Even now he is not demanding (picky). He likes certain foods of course, especially my dumplings, but if there is nothing special to eat – fine with him. Q: How long did you live between two cities? Tatiana Vasilievna: All together – 7 years. When Zhenya went to competitions, I went back to my husband. My husband (Viktor). Rarely came to Leningrad. We lived there in a highly populated communal apartment and other residents did not like when even more people came to stay. Then we rented another similar apartment. There it was easier. My husband could visit, and daughter (Zhenya’s older sister with her baby). Then Zhenya bought an apartment. To be honest, we never expected that figure skating will turn into a work that earns money. My son never expected (or thought there would be) any money – he just wanted to skate. Is it true that when Zhenya was 12 he bought you a winter coat? Tatiana Vasilievna: Yes. He got the food stipend money from the Federation on monthly basis. He chose not to collect them for 6 months, he was saving them. Then he brought them all to me and said “Here mom, this is for your winter coat”. That was nice. In general he loves to make presents, and knows how to. (she means, he knows how to do it so that the recipient does not feel obligated). Zhenya dreamed of our family being all together. He bought his sister an apartment, and she moved there with her family to Petersburg. Jenya was so happy, we were all together finally. Q: Do you see him in competitions? Tatiana Vasilievna: In Volgograd I did. But now my nerves are out with age. I save them and my soul. I don’t go. It’s better for Jenya also. I watch it on TV. But the best way is on video when I know the outcome. Q: Is Zhenya prone to falling in Love? Tatiana Vasilievna: He was 5 years old when he first fell in love with a girl at his rink. She was cute. When we took the same bus, he kept trying to kiss her. She kept saying “Don’t. My father does not allow”. And he would say “But my mother does allow”. Then he fell in love with another girl at the rink, Katya, she was 4 years older. She was short and a good skater. And later he became more mature so are his emotions. Q: Does he tells you everything? Tatiana Vasilievna: No not everything. But I see a lot for myself. Q: He speaks with great warmth about his family in all his interviews. Tatiana Vasilievna: Yes, he loves us, worries and takes care of us. He is always concerned about my health. He knows that I will hold up as long as I can, but if I had to lie down during the day – then it means I am really ill. If he has a trip planned at such time – he’ll try to cancel it. We are very close, as if we are “one whole”.
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