Elena Berezhnaya - biography, information, personal life. A dramatic story for the birthday of Elena Berezhnaya

Elena Berezhnaya. Biography

Berezhnaya Elena Viktorovna both in former times and now it is considered one of the most popular and beloved representatives of domestic figure skating. Despite the termination of her career path, fans have not forgotten her. Elena Berezhnaya was born on October 11, 1977 in Nevinnomysk, in the Stavropol Territory. Her parents put her on ice at the age of 4. As a child, she was smart, flexible and small in stature, over time, even difficult sports figures began to turn out for her.

The little figure skater Berezhnaya made her debut a year later at competitions in Saratov. At that time, the coaches decided that pair skating would be more suitable for Lena. The athlete trained hard, but sometimes “under-twisted” some program elements. Then she was chosen a partner, he became Sasha Ruchkin. The couple came out harmonious. At the age of 13, Elena Berezhnaya received an offer from coach S. Zhuk to continue training in the capital.

The tragic story of the skater was widely discussed in the media. Berezhnaya was half a step away from death, and then went through a long and difficult recovery period. This happened after the fatal fall of her partner O. Shlyakhov, who pierced her skull with a skate, damaging the lining of the brain. Elena Berezhnaya was deprived of the opportunity to move and talk for a long time. A. Sikharulidze, whom Elena Berezhnaya met in the northern capital, came to her and tried to help in everything, for example, together with the figure skater's mother, took Lena to the best medical centers. Then he even settled Elena with his own parents in St. Petersburg. For the sake of the athlete, Anton even left his partner M. Petrova. 3 months after the successful operation, Sikharulidze and Berezhnaya became a duet. So there was a couple that was adored by millions of viewers.

The skaters took silver at the Nagano Olympics and gold at Salt Lake City. They twice won the World Cup, Europe, were third in the championship in Paris. At the national championships, they won four times.

In the future, the athletes had tours as part of ice projects in the United States, until Elena Berezhnaya's partner in 2006 decided to end her career. Almost everyone was convinced that the skaters would soon get married, but each of them met his soul mate on the side.

In 2007, Berezhnaya Elena became the wife of the American figure skater S. Cousins ​​and decided to devote herself entirely to children.

Photo by Elena Berezhnaya

Name: Anton Sikharulidze

Age: 42 years

Height: 182

Activity: figure skater, Olympic champion

Family status: civil marriage

Anton Sikharulidze: biography

Anton Sikharulidze is a Russian figure skater who became famous for working in tandem with. Athletes became Olympic medalists, two-time world and European champions.

Today he is a successful businessman who is engaged in construction in the energy sector.

Childhood and youth

Russian figure skating star Anton Tarielevich Sikharulidze was born on October 25, 1976 in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), in a family that was not connected with sports. He studied at a simple secondary school. Papa Tariel Sikharulidze worked as Vice-Rector of the Marine Technical University. Despite his nationality, Anton never visited Georgia in his childhood. The trip to Tbilisi was postponed every time “for later”.

The boy started skating at the age of 4: when he saw a neighbor's boy, he demanded to buy the same ones. Parents bought their son the first skates, which were attached to felt boots with leather straps. Thus began the sports biography of Anton Sikharulidze.

At the open skating rink of the Krasny Vyborzhets stadium, figure skating coach Tatyana Kositsyna, who recently graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, drew attention to a capable boy. She opened the way for Anton to big sport. After leaving school, the young man entered the Lesgaft St. Petersburg State Academy of Physical Culture, which he successfully completed.

Figure skating

When Anton was 15 years old, the coach decided that it was time for him to move from single skating to pair skating. Sikharulidze's first partner on ice was, with whom they won first places at the World Junior Championships for 2 years in a row (in 1994 and 1995).

Anton Sikharulidze met another figure skater and future ice partner Elena Berezhnaya at the Russian Cup stage. Tragedy preceded their joint work. In Latvia, where in the winter of 1995, the athlete, together with her partner Oleg Shlyakhov, began training for the European Championships, an accident occurred: Shlyakhov, performing a rotation, terribly injured the skater, driving the blade of the skate into her head.

Upon learning of the incident, Sikharulidze took Berezhnaya to St. Petersburg, where she was assisted by the best doctors. Anton supported the girl throughout the postoperative period. Hard training, excellent physical data, temperament allowed this couple to achieve high results.

Already in the 1996/1997 season, the Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze couple took 3rd place at the Trophee Lalique competition, and then won a bronze medal at the European Championship. In 1998, the couple performed at the Nagano Olympics. Athletes flawlessly skated the program, but summed up the error at the end of the performance. They took only 2nd place, losing gold to their colleagues from Russia - and Artur Dmitriev.

The history of figure skating included the Charlie Chaplin program, which Sikharulidze and Berezhnaya skated in the 2000/2001 season as a free program, and then as an exhibition number. In 2002, this bright couple represented Russia at the Olympic Games, winning the highest award.

At the Olympics in Salt Lake City, the situation was tense to the last. Before the performance, during a rehearsal on ice, an athlete from a Canadian couple crashed into Anton Sikharulidze. The Russian narrowly escaped the fall. He only had time to push his partner away and protect Elena from danger. A new injury after a difficult recovery could be fatal for Berezhnaya. This incident confused the audience, but the skaters themselves remained in a collected state.

After a brilliant performance, a scandal occurred involving the Sikharulidze-Berezhnaya couple. The Russian couple, it seemed, should win and get the maximum marks. However, the judges were in no hurry to bring the Russians into unambiguous champions, and in the end everything was decided in their favor by one judicial vote.

The Canadian couple Sale-Pelletier challenged the silver, filed a protest and got the French arbitrator removed, whose decision turned out to be decisive. As a rule, judicial decisions are not changed after the fact, but in this case, Olympic officials decided to award gold medals to both couples. Anton and Elena had to go to the award ceremony for the second time.

Anton Sikharulidze and Elena Berezhnaya left professional sports immediately after the end of the Olympic Games and from 2002 to 2006 toured the United States with the Stars on Ice show. At the end of the contract, they returned to St. Petersburg.

Television and politics

After the end of his career, Sikharulidze began to appear in television programs and shows related to figure skating. He participated in the projects of the First Channel "Stars on Ice" with singer Natalya Ionova () and "Ice Age" paired with a ballerina. In 2010, he appeared in the Channel One project Ice and Fire, paired with singer Zara.

And in 2010-2011, Anton and his former partner Elena Berezhnaya met again on the ice. This time, the athletes became participants in the ice performance "City Lights". They performed the number "Chaplin and the Flower Girl".

Biography of Anton is multifaceted. In the spring of 2005, Sikharulidze tried his hand at the restaurant business, but a year later he went into politics and became a member of the United Russia party, was elected to the State Duma. From 2008 to 2012 - Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports.

While in public service, Anton helped his coach, who made him an Olympic champion, Tamara Moskvina, open a figure skating club in St. Petersburg. The ice arena was provided by Gazprom, the city administration assumed obligations to pay utility bills. By this time, Sikharulidze organized a construction company that was engaged in the construction of panel and monolithic civilian houses. Later he switched to construction in the energy sector.

Personal life

A couple of Sikharulidze-Berezhnaya fans perceived as one. A stately (with a height of 182 cm, his weight reached 76 kg) the athlete and the fragile partner looked harmoniously on the ice. The skaters had a romantic period, but Anton always remained Lena's best friend and figure skating partner.

To the disappointment of the fans of the Sikharulidze-Berezhnaya star couple, their love story did not end with a happy ending. The athletes were close, supported each other, became, according to the skater, each other "brother and sister." Later, each went his own way, warm friendly relations remained.

The couple reunited again in 2014, on the eve of the premiere of the film "". The authors of the sports film almanac, consisting of a number of short stories, found the plot of this couple worthy of filming.

Anton often struck up short romances with models, ballerinas, and students. This romantic relationship was constantly covered by the tabloids. In his native St. Petersburg, Anton had an affair with Zarifa Mgoyan, a singer. But the idea of ​​​​marrying came to him only in 2008, when the skater met with a student of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University Nadezhda Obolontseva. They even set a wedding date and invited guests, but the girl never became the athlete's wife.

A serious relationship arose between Sikharulidze and the young gymnast, Olympic champion. They had a difference in age, but Anton saw in the athlete a girl who was suitable for the role of the hostess of his house. Over time, the lack of common interests divorced the couple.

Anton went to the crown only in August 2011, when he was 35 years old. His wife was the daughter of politician and Russian billionaire Leonid Lebedev, 24-year-old Yana Lebedeva. A luxurious wedding took place in an old Spanish castle. In 2011, Anton Sikharulidze and Yana Lebedev became the "Couple of the Year" according to Glamor, but this did not save their marriage.

In 2013, the relationship ended in divorce. But soon a fateful meeting took place in the athlete's personal life.

In 2014, 37-year-old Anton Sikharulidze became a father for the first time. The baby was named George. He was born on March 24 in the Lapino elite hospital near Moscow. The boy's mother is 41-year-old Victoria Shamanskaya, who manages the Butterfly fashion boutique in St. Petersburg on Nevsky Prospekt.

The couple did not immediately register their relationship, Victoria took her husband's surname.

In 2016, Anton became a father for the second time. The second son, born in the summer, was named Victor. Now the skater and his wife Victoria devote all their free time to children. And not only their own. Sikharulidze travels around the country and organizes master classes for pupils of sports schools.

Anton Tarielevich does not maintain a personal Instagram, he is not on other social networks either, so rare photos of the skater only appear on the pages of his colleagues and fans.

Anton Sikharulidze now

Now the former athlete continues to do business. Sikharulidze's company Gazenergoservice LLC closely cooperates with the Russian concern Gazprom. The organization is engaged in the construction of storage facilities, oil and gas production points in the cities of Novy Urengoy, Syktyvkar, Ukhta, Vologda. In 2018, the company entered into an agreement for the additional development of the second experimental area of ​​the Achimov deposits of the Urengoyskoye field. The cost of the state contract amounted to 1.24 billion rubles. During the year, 6 projects were implemented for the amount of 7.8 billion rubles.

Business does not prevent Anton Sikharulidze from passing on his experience to the younger generation. The former athlete supports figure skating schools in the regions. In the fall of 2018, he visited Tula, where the grand opening of the ice rink on the main square of the city took place. At the festive ceremony, an ice show was held, in which the former figure skater also became a participant. Earlier, Anton held a master class for local young talents. For the same purpose, he visited Novomoskovsk.

Awards and titles

• 1998 - Silver medalist at the Winter Olympics
• 1998, 1999 - 2-time world champion
• 1998, 2001 - 2-time European champion
• 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 - 4-time champion of Russia
• 2002 - Olympic champion

A couple Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze are athletes who performed in sports dancing on ice. The first major victory was won in 1999, they won gold at the World Championships. In 2001, they became European champions, and a year later they climbed to the highest step of the Olympic podium. After these starts, they left the big sport.

Biography of Elena Berezhnaya

One of the most famous Russian figure skaters was born on October 11, 1977 in the city of Nevinnomyssk. Lena's parents separated when the girl was five years old. Over time, she had a stepfather, whom she both loved and understood. At the age of five, her mother gave Lena to the figure skating section to improve her health. As it turned out, Lena was just made for skating. From the first day, everything worked out for the girl. Thanks to the good results that she showed, at the age of 15 she was taken to the Latvian national team. She was talked about as a rising star, future victories were associated with her.

Berezhnaya's first partner was Oleg Shlyakhov. It was a tough partner who could bring a girl to tears. In addition, the couple did not develop a relationship with their coach. The Figure Skating Federation turned to coach Tamara Moskvina with a request to take this pair. In 1993, Lena and Oleg came to train with her in St. Petersburg.

Any mistake Lena made in training was perceived by Shlyakhov with irritation, which more and more pushed Lena to give up everything and go home to Nevinnomyssk. Moskvina tried to resolve the conflicts of her wards. In the sports palace, where Lena and Oleg trained, the couple Masha Petrova and Anton Sikharulidze also had training. Elena Berezhnaya began to communicate with this skater. The sympathy that broke out between Lena and Anton grew into a romantic relationship.

The trauma that changed Elena's life

In 1993, Moskvina began preparing the couple for the Olympic Games in Lillehammer. Final training sessions were scheduled for January 1994 in Riga. At one of the training sessions in the rotation, Oleg twitched and accidentally cut Lena's head with his skate. Lena was taken to the hospital deathly pale and bleeding. In the ambulance, she lost consciousness. After the most complicated operation, the doctors gave a terrible prognosis that Lena would be confined to a wheelchair and would hardly be able to speak.

In an instant, life was crossed out. Anton Sikharulidze arrived at the hospital where she was in Latvia. He was told about the incident by the mother of figure skater Elena Berezhnaya. Anton, having arrived at the hospital, saw the immobilized body of a girl in the ward. From that moment on, he abandoned all his training and spent all the time at Lena's bed, trying to bring her to life with stories about the future, when they would skate together and win all the gold in the world. Lena listened to this tale and did not believe that she, an invalid, would be able to get out of bed, let alone put on skates.

Love is the best medicine

Thanks to the care of her relatives and the love of a young man, step by step, Lena returned to life, learned to speak again. Two months after the injury, she was able to take her first step. And then she had a desire to put on skates and go out on the ice. But the doctors did not allow it. In the spring of 1994, Lena often goes to the skating rink, but the desire to start training is more and more mature in her head.

Six months later, Elena Berezhnaya began to skate, and gradually the restoration of all elements of figure skating began. Lena's partner was now Anton Sikharulidze. Everyone watched their training on the ice. It was a beautiful, graceful couple, from which it was impossible to take your eyes off. Soon the couple began to win national, world and European championships, and in 2002 Lena and Anton's most cherished dream came true - to become Olympic champions. They took gold in Salt Lake City and retired from their favorite sport.

Life goes on

Having completed their career in figure skating, each of the skaters had time to realize themselves outside of sports. The first four years after leaving, from 2002 to 2006, the couple still continued to take part in professional figure skate shows around the cities of the United States and Canada. The rest of the time, the couple learned to live without figure skating.

Anton noticed that the life of a skater from childhood was completely devoted to ice. Training twice a day, competitions, no holidays, no days off, no free time. In the coming life, after a sports career, you begin to open up, to see your other sides.

Elena Berezhnaya notes that at the transitional stage, leaving the sport, you need to join a life in which before that there were only suitcases, transfers, buses, planes ... Over the years of training and competition, there was no feeling of my own home. Everything was somehow fleeting. And she really likes her small cozy apartment, where you can watch the life of the city from the window.

What are skaters doing?

Star skaters live each in their own apartment, and in fact, quite recently the whole country with aspiration followed the romantic relationship between Elena and Anton. But, having completed their performance in sports, the champions put an end to their long-term romance. In a new life, they decided to just be friends. Anton says that they have friendly relations with Elena. And she adds that these relationships are higher than love, they have outgrown the youthful romance of souls in love, maintaining the warm friendship of brother and sister. There is no longer a relationship between a man and a woman, it is a relationship of kindred souls.

After his sports career ended, Anton Sikharulidze took up the career of a businessman. The skater put the money earned on jumps in three turns into another turn. Restaurant with 1500 seats in the busiest place in St. Petersburg.

Lena's business development was not so efficient. In her native Nevinnomyssk, she opened a cafe for her mother, but it became unprofitable. It's just that there are not so many people in the town who would have money to visit cafes.

Plans for the future and personal life of Elena Berezhnaya

Lena loves to draw, but these are amateur portraits in pencil. What she would like to do is make films. But, as she argues, it takes a long time to learn this. Nevertheless, the first videos she shot about her colleagues in sports were a success. But it's true, it's a rehearsal. Ahead of the director Berezhnoy is a film about a great feeling, with a star in the title role.

Lena does not particularly talk about her personal life. All the time in his youth he was involved in sports. In 2006, at one of the famous ice shows Stars On Ice, she became closer to the long-known single skater from England, Stephen Cousins. Their paths have repeatedly crossed at the European and World Championships. Lena did not expect that they would have an affair that would develop into marriage. True, it did not last long.

In 2012, the couple broke up. Lena had a son, Tristan, in 2007, and a daughter, Sophia-Diana, in 2009 during their marriage.

Russian figure skater Elena Berezhnaya is an Olympic champion (2002, Salt Lake City), as well as an Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Elena Berezhnaya was born in the south of Russia, in the small town of Nevinnomyssk. She first hit the rink when she was only 3 years old. Lena immediately showed herself as a promising future athlete, and over the next 10 years she honed her skills in her hometown. Pretty soon after the start of Lena's sports career, her coaches realized that single skating was not for her: thus, in early childhood, the future champion was determined to work in pairs.

When Lena turned 13, it became obvious that both she and her young partner in Nevinnomyssk had already achieved everything they could - it was necessary to move on. And it was at this time that the couple received an invitation from a famous Moscow coach Stanislav Zhuk. Despite the anxiety for her child, Elena's mother was able to let her daughter go to Moscow, where the girl was waiting for new lessons, new victories and a new life.

Elena Berezhnaya / Elena Berezhnaya and Oleg Shlyakhov

In Moscow, Lena Berezhnaya ended up in the CSKA sports hostel, where she was the only girl. It was an interesting stage of her life, full of discoveries and wonderful acquaintances. It was there that Elena found a new partner, with whom she skated for the next few years. They became Oleg Shlyakhov, a young and ambitious figure skater who dreamed of Olympic gold more than anything in his life. Oleg sensibly judged that the young, flexible and talented Lena is quite capable of becoming his partner on the way to this dream. At the time of the collapse of the USSR, he convinced her to move to Latvia, where there were better conditions for training, and to play for a foreign country. Alas, fate turned in such a way that Elena and Oleg did not have a truly friendly relationship - demanding too much, he gave much less. Constant quarrels, pressure from a partner, his aggressive behavior and even beatings did not add to Elena's happiness. However, she tolerated his presence in her life for a long time, not imagining how something could be changed. A temporary move back to Russia, to St. Petersburg, helped Elena to keep her presence of mind. But soon Oleg again took her to the Baltic States, seeing that Berezhnaya had become too close to another skater - Anton Sikharulidze .

Having left for Riga, Elena continued to work with Shlyakhov, but after the upcoming European Championship she firmly decided to return to Russia, to Anton. Oleg understood this, and was against it. But in Latvia, Berezhnaya was kept for a long time not by his kindness or respect, but by the terrible injury that Shlyakhov inflicted on his partner during training. Due to Oleg's negligence during a synchronized rotation, Elena received a deadly blow to the temple with a skate blade.

At that time she was only 18 years old.

Elena Berezhnaya / Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze

Elena's injury turned out to be so serious that she had to endure two neurosurgical operations - the temporal bone damaged part of the cerebral cortex. At that moment, no one was talking about continuing a sports career - just a full life and the ability to perform elementary actions were in question.

Upon learning of the misfortune that happened to Elena, her close friend immediately flew to Riga, Anton Sikharulidze. He not only supported Berezhnaya morally, but also immediately took her to St. Petersburg, where Anton's parents adopted Elena into their family. And no matter how incredible it may sound, but having re-learned to speak, walk and read, the next step Berezhnaya wanted to get back on the ice. And she did it three months after the operation.

The new duet was formed inevitably and by itself. For Elena, this was a completely new level of relationship in figure skating. There were no more screams of a partner, his accusations and cruelty - only complete mutual understanding and the ability to think and act in sync.

The result of the work of this pair was first a silver Olympic medal in 1998, and then a gold one in 2002. In addition, the duo won the World Figure Skating Championship twice, the European Championship twice and the Russian Championship four times.

The duo's stellar career continued until 2006, when they announced their retirement from big-time sports. For Elena, a new period of life began - work in ice shows. Together with Anton, and then without him, she performed in such projects as "Stars on Ice", "Stars on Ice", "Star Ice", "Ice Age".

Despite the excellent relationship with Anton, Elena Berezhnaya married another man - the English figure skater Stephen Cousins, to whom she gave birth to two children. Anton remained Elena's best friend.

Today Elena Berezhnaya is the artistic director of the St. Petersburg State Ice Theatre.

In contact with

Classmates

Well, you really want to say: an athlete, a Komsomol member and just a beauty! Our Elena is a fantastically talented figure skater, but at what cost did she get worldwide fame and high-profile sports victories, awards and titles? Of course, it was hard ... Endless training, separation from loved ones and a serious injury.

TRIAL

At the beginning of a sports career Elena Berezhnaya received a terrible craniocerebral injury (a strong blow to the head with a skate from his partner Oleg Shlyakhov during the execution of the “parallel rotation in the swallow” element, in which it is important that the partners are as close to each other as possible and perform the element synchronously, but this time synchronism Oleg left much to be desired). Unfortunately, in such a beautiful and at the same time very difficult sport as figure skating, there are injuries: - (Elena underwent two neurosurgical operations, after which the future figure skating star re-learned not only to move independently, but also to speak, read. When the doctors allowed go out on the ice, Elena began to skate in tandem with Anton Sikharulidze who supported her throughout the postoperative period. Just two years after Elena returned to the ice, this beautiful couple won European and world championship!

ELENA BEREZHNAYA: childhood, relatives, career, family, interests.

Thanks to figure skating, at the age of six, Elena began to travel to different cities, and she really liked it.

Stephen Cousins- the husband of Elena Berezhnaya and the father of a beautiful baby named Tristan - an eight-time champion of Great Britain in single skating. Steve is 34 years old and the main pride of his sports biography is that he the first of the British completed the triple Axel! Now Steve shines in foreign ice shows.

In a friendly family Elena and Stephen not Elena cooks, but ... right, Stephen! The father of the family manages to cook amazingly delicious dishes, even, as they say, “out of nothing”.

The large family? Elena dreams that her family will replenish over time: “Of course, I don’t want such a big family as Jolie and Pitt, but we have two more names in stock. For girl and boy.

Babysitter for a child. Elena once admitted that she does not treat nannies very adequately and cannot trust them with a child. She believes that only relatives, for example, grandmothers, who do not have a soul in their beloved grandchildren and are able to educate them in kindness, surround them with care, can best cope with this task.

Elena likes to watch good movies- lyrical, romantic comedies. Previously, she could watch several sessions in a row at the cinema, now she cannot afford this due to lack of free time.

Elena Berezhnaya has a personal beautician with whom she consults about what cosmetics to choose, hairdresser, who works on the image of the champion and recommends certain cosmetic hair care products.

Cosmetics. Elena mainly uses only professional cosmetics, which she buys in beauty salons, and before any trip, cosmetics in her suitcase take pride of place.

Elena treats jewelry like this:“If you already have earrings, then diamond ones!”

Glory. Surprisingly, but Elena Berezhnaya not recognized on the street. She really likes it, you see, this is a big plus - annoying paparazzi do not interfere with life. In general, it seems to me that such talented people as Elena are not threatened by annoying people with cameras, because there are no scandals and PR around them, they give us their talent at performances and that's enough for us.

Peter-Moscow. In an interview, Elena Berezhnaya said: “In Moscow, everything is so fast, fussy, but you come to St. Petersburg, and it’s as if you fell into a cozy sofa, it’s good right away ... You can only come to Moscow for work. Stupid tough business."

To the question about figure skater Elena Berezhnaya did if she started to live again, answered: “Probably would go to art school and draw. I like to draw. I would be a great artist."

Here she is such a fragile blonde with shining blue eyes: strong, strong-willed and at the same time romantic, tender wife and mother Elena Berezhnaya.

Mini dossier of Elena Berezhnaya:
Born: October 11, 1977 in the city of Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Territory.
Height: 152 cm
Weight: 42 kg
Titles, awards: Olympic champion in 2002, silver medalist of the 1998 Winter Olympics, two-time world champion in 1998 and 1999, two-time European champion in 1998, 2001, four-time champion of Russia in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002, Honored Master of Sports of Russia
Interests: drawing, music, cinema, ballet, cars.