Alexey Yagudin had different dreams. As a child, the boy wanted a dog. Being engaged in figure skating, he firmly decided to become an Olympic champion. The plans for his personal life included a large friendly family and happy fatherhood. Everything came true, but by no means by magic
Athletes who are professionally engaged in figure skating and reaching sports heights have a lot in common in their destiny. They are put on skates at an early age, often being brought to the rink in order to promote poor health. Achieve results only by those who have hard work and patience, have healthy ambition and backed up ambitions, and early develop a strong strong-willed character. Spending a lot of time at training sessions, sports camps and competitions, they are rarely in the family, and therefore appreciate the care and attention of loved ones.
The famous athlete Alexei Yagudin and his wife, the famous figure skater Tatyana Totmianina, in addition to what was said, are also united by the fact that both of them were the only children in their families, from which their fathers left early. Alexei was raised by his mother and grandmother from the age of four. Tatiana's parents divorced when the girl was 7 years old. Creating their own family, famous athletes had the same idea of what it should be: necessarily big and certainly friendly. In a marriage that is more than 10 years old, not soft and fluffy "cat and bunny" came together, but difficult and sporty tough characters. The relationship was not easy, but Alexey and Tatiana found kindred souls in each other. They are unanimous in one thing: on any family issue one should not argue to the point of victory, as in sports, but be able to negotiate. When asked by journalists about whether this is quite successful, Yagudin replies that children do not allow them to quarrel. The married couple are raising two daughters. Elizabeth was born in 2009, Michelle in 2015.
Alexey Yagudin is a single skater in a "figure" (that's how her pupils call their sport with the light hand of T. A.). Everything was changed by a meeting with his friend Maxim Marinin, his partner in ice dancing sports. A marriage proposal to Tatyana was made on December 31, on the eve of the new 2009. In addition to the Moscow region, the family determined the suburb of Paris as a place of residence - a place next to the largest forested area, near the French castle of Pierrefonds. Several Russian families live next to them in the town of the same name. Among themselves, they jokingly call this place Pierfondovka.
By that time, Tatyana was already seriously thinking about children, while Alexei, it seemed, was not quite ready for the appearance of a baby. But today he calls November 20, 2009 the starting date of his happy fatherhood. Yagudin confidently took care of Liza, especially since his wife during this period really needed his support. While pregnant, she lost her mother, who died as a result of an accident, and was mentally not quite ready to take care of the baby. Both parents wanted a girl, and she became their great joy. Elizabeth is called "daddy's daughter", because both externally and in character she is in Alexei.
When the family talked about the second child, Yagudin firmly decided that it would be a girl who looked like her mother, and she would be given a foreign name. And he and his wife also agreed that in honor of the birth of the baby, a second dog will appear in the house. Amazingly, Totmianina managed to realize such unrealizable, at first glance, dreams of her husband. After all, it is impossible to defeat nature, there can be no one hundred percent guarantee of the sex of the child and his gene pool, even taking into account the achievements of modern medicine. As for domestic animals, they already had a Yorkshire terrier Varya (full name Varvara Alekseevna). And this is despite the fact that Tatiana does not really like pets. Another pet in the house was the beagle Asti. True, the dog was not taken immediately, but after a while.
Little Michelle was born on October 2, 2015. The first three weeks were critical and difficult not only for a baby who was born 2 months ahead of schedule. But like the first time, her husband was next to Tatyana both during childbirth and throughout all subsequent periods. The health problems of the newborn were eliminated. The growing up cheerful and mischievous dandelion Michelle is absolutely "mother's daughter".
It would seem that a certain parental balance has been achieved, everything is according to the law: the first child is in the father's family, the second is in the mother's family. But the spouses' plans include a large family. At the same time, Yagudin has only one wish regarding the third child: "Let it be a girl!" Answering the questions of journalists why he does not dream of a son, Alexey says that he does not have the ambitions inherent in many men about the continuation of the surname. And there are more problems with the boys, he grins. And Tatyana says with a sly smile: “Lyosha just likes to be the only one in the“female kingdom”, because he is the“Mouse King”with us. I mean the role of this fairy-tale character, which Yagudin brilliantly plays in the ice version of The Nutcracker, staged by Ilya Averbukh.
Currently, the star couple of figure skaters skate a lot in various ice shows: "Romeo and Juliet", "Carmen", "15 years of success." The daughters of Yagudin and Totmianina often attend performances with the participation of their famous dad and mom.
Elder Elizabeth is ready to watch rehearsals or performances of The Nutcracker with all the cast, just to be with her parents more often. Little Michelle, with the spontaneity inherent in three-year-olds, can declare that her dad is BabaYaga (Yagudin is especially successful in characteristic eccentric characters). And when asked who he works, the girl replies "as a parrot." She remembered her dad for the colorful, vivid image of this outlandish bird in the ice musical "Mom".
It is difficult to predict how long the active period of an athlete, both a professional and an amateur, will last - injuries and their consequences are a serious obstacle. Both figure skaters least of all associate their further careers with coaching. Tatiana studies two areas - psychology and fashion industry. Alexey went on a creative path: participation in television projects, acting in drama performances. He comments on sports competitions, gives motivational lectures, writes an autobiography.
Yagudin admits that thanks to the birth of two daughters, the realization came that one must live not only for the sake of medals and awards, but also for the future generation. This prompted him to open a figure skating center in Minsk. Here Alexey is actively involved in coaching and teaching. As part of the "Sports Legends for Children" movement, the spouses often give master classes. At the children's skating rink "Factory of Happy People" in Gorky Park in Moscow, the athlete organized a seasonal figure skating school. Free trainings from Alexey Yagudin and his team of professional trainers are designed for children from 3 to 12 years old. Someone already boldly jumps and makes a "swallow" at full speed. Someone has to shyly mince behind the penguin simulator, trying to catch balance on thin blades. For three months of the season, 120 children are taught to confidently keep on the ice.
Contrary to the expectations of figure skating fans, Yagudin and Totmianina do not put their children on skates, as, for example, Navka and Plushenko do. The reason is simple. When a child starts playing sports seriously, one has to choose: either sports or school. Parents Elizabeth and Michelle prioritize their studies. They preferred that girls receive first of all a fundamental general education: first lessons, and then everything else. Of course, one cannot do without the organization and discipline inherent in sports, without developing character, health-improving activities and physical education. But they are not ready to force their daughters to do figure skating as the mothers of the athletes themselves did.
I must say that Lisa at the age of 5 trained at the rink. In addition, there were swimming and rhythmic gymnastics classes. But later she was more interested in choreography, the girl dances in the studio "Todes". Elizabeth draws well and loves it. However, the question of studying at an art school does not arise. At the next age stage, music and tennis are planned. So gradually the daughter will independently determine what she wants to do in the future.
Ice and skates are liked by the mischievous and artistic Michelle, but she is still too small for sports. So far, Mishka (as Lisa calls her younger sister) has a craving for ballet and rhythmic gymnastics. Yagudin surprises and pleases his followers on social networks, posting cute photos and touching videos from the lives of girls. It could be Michelle's artistic performance parodying Michael Jackson's famous gait. Or a funny statement by a little girl that she is getting married. There is already a groom, a list of guests of the wedding event is ready. But the bride did not have time to warn her parents.
Alexey and Tatiana are quite open to communication. They blog on Instagram, willingly give interviews to the press, in which they have repeatedly emphasized that family is more important to them than a career. “I have joy inside when I see our daughters, Tanya, our dogs. This comfort, coziness created by my wife, cannot be compared with anything. I cannot say that our family is a gift from God, I am an unbeliever. We did everything ourselves. Children are our main achievement, says the Olympic champion, four-time world champion and three-time European figure skating champion Alexei Yagudin.
