philosophy

Mikhail Zadornov: “Our athletes are coming back to life, and officials are getting rich.”

For 16 days, we followed the Winter Olympics. We rejoiced, we were upset. And now, who knows how long we will continue to discuss it. Who is to blame, and what should we do? There is plenty of time to answer the traditional Russian questions before the next, already summer, Olympics. Today, Mikhail Zadornov shares his own, as always, special opinion. Even now, the popular satirist is ready to put all the dots over the “i’s”. Or rather, over the “ё”.

— Mikhail Nikolaevich, were you at the Olympics?

— No. But for the first time in six months, I watched so much television.

— And what thoughts did it inspire?

— First, a low bow to our athletes. I really admire people who don’t have the conditions for training, but they perform so wonderfully. And, of course, like most of our Russian population, I mainly watched figure skating and hockey.

— You probably experienced a full range of emotions?

— I’ll say this. For the first time since the democratic reforms, we felt that pride that we once felt for our hockey players. But, in my opinion, the situation with hockey is as follows. We cannot erase the past. We had very good coaches: Tarasov and Chernyshov. They developed hockey, unlike the Canadians, who only worked for money. And we had no equal when we played our collective hockey, for the country. Today, our hockey players play Canadian hockey. They, like our reformers, have rejected all the best that was in the Soviet Union and began to chase the Western system. This does not suit us. As soon as they started playing our Soviet hockey against the Americans and Canadians, neither of them could do anything to them. But against the Canadians and Americans, our guys got together – they consider themselves the most important in the world, and our guys wanted to prove that they are not pushovers either. But since our hockey players prefer the West, it will be more understandable to them – “consommé with sneakers.” They just had a spring trigger, they became lighters. And they started playing for us, for the country. But in principle, they cannot play for the country, because they betrayed our Russian sport. They have long ceased to feel our country. Imagine that you gather a team of writers from dissidents to create a literary team for Russia. Nothing will come of it. As long as they lived here, they were wonderful. But as soon as the writers leave Russia, they lose their energy. The same thing is happening with our athletes.

— But now the borders are blurred, and a person lives and works where it is better for him.

— I categorically disagree with this point of view. As long as I am not expelled from Russia, I will not leave. The word “Motherland” in Russian, unlike English, comes from the word “native,” and this cannot be replaced. And the cry “hurrah!” does not exist in English. Because the cry “hurrah!” in the ancient Slavic language is “to the god of the sun Ra.”

Of course, if I were in the place of sports officials, I would make sure that all our best hockey players played, as before, in two or three of the strongest Russian clubs...

— This is already totalitarianism, Mikhail Nikolaevich.

— No, I disagree with you. If we adhere to such views, we will dilute not only our hockey, but also everything else that was good in us. I believe that people who do not notice the good in their past have no future. The main drawback of Russia is that we have rejected all the good that was in the Soviet era. And we should have taken this good with us.

— But the figure skaters did lift your spirits?

— That’s what I got the brightest impression from the figure skaters. This is how Russia will come back to life, just as our figure skating is coming back to life today.

— But do you think it is coming back to life? There is Plushchenko, but who else? Totmyanina and Marin, and then what? Slutskaya, and after her? So at the next Olympics, medals will be won by the Chinese and Americans.

— I agree with you. And I want to develop your thought. Figure skating shows that I am right when I talk about hockey players. Because figure skating has preserved all the best that was in the Soviet era. Once I was late for the start of the broadcast. I turned on the TV and immediately recognized that our skaters were dancing. Because our skaters dance as if they are on stage. They are artistic, they dance with feeling. And at the same time, they know how to perform sports elements... Once I was in Africa, in a restaurant, and there was a very interesting tap dancer playing. I called the waiter, asked him: “Is a Russian playing?” He says: “Russian. How did you know?” I can even recognize our tap dancers, they play with extraordinary feeling. And in the same way, I recognize the figure skaters. Moreover, when an American woman was skating, I said: no, it can’t be, this can’t be an American...

— Are you talking about Sasha Cohen?

— Yes, I said: she is ours. The next day I checked: yes, she is ours – the granddaughter of our emigrants.

— And do you know that half of all the figure skaters at the Olympics are trained by our coaches?

— Of course. And I really like this process. That we are spreading, sharing the good with others. This is not totalitarianism, excuse me. I don’t think in totalitarian terms. We need to share. But we need to share not athletes, but our school, so that this develops in the world. And why sell our athletes? What kind of democracy is it if sports businessmen profit from our athletes? Figure skating has proven that we have incredible potential. After all, many fans watched our figure skaters with tears in their eyes. They say that there is still something in us besides war veterans. After all, the country has nothing to be proud of. After all, traders have become the determining factor in the development of the country. And there should be not traders, but creators: athletes, writers, artists. And after watching the Olympics, I understand that Russia can come back to life. But for this, we need to value creators, not traders. And look how the officials humiliate our sport. At the airport, they didn’t even take the athletes through VIP – only those who won medals. Is it possible to treat creators like this? And if you can say “hurrah!” to the athletes, then to the officials – alas! And do you know what “alas” means? If Ra is the god of light, then Vy is the god of darkness. And if our athletes are coming back to life, then the officials are getting rich. But Russia must come back to life. Despite any power. Let the power live and get rich on its own. And we will come back to life!


Dmitry MELMAN