Svetlana Khorkina is quite a controversial figure in modern Russian society due to her political career. She has quite a lot of opinions and is never shy to voice them. Khorkina used to be a member of the Russian Duma (parliament) and while she’s not officially in the government now, she holds an important position in the army, is still a member of the United Russia party and is one of the founders of the Young Army Cadets – a pro-government youth organization. Yesterday, a new interview with Khorkina was published by Sports.ru which became the talk of the Russian internet. Khorkina expected to be interviewed about sports since the journalist was from a sports website. However, every single question was about politics and most questions were quite provocative or antagonistic which led to Khorkina getting quite snappy with the interviewer.
Q: In 2007, you ended up in Duma. You said then that you got the offer, it was interesting and you agreed. Can you tell more?
A: I’m generally an active person, I achieved high results in the sport and certain goals in public life. I care what people will live in the future and in my country. And if I have the experience of becoming a successful person, I want to share it so that people could have an opportunity to choose their own path. A successful path.
I know that there are obstacles every day and not everyone has the willpower and the character to overcome them. I like to explain: “Yes, it’s hard. It’s hard to become a successful person, to achieve your goals in life. But you have to work hard, to overcome the difficulties and, first of all, the laziness”.
Q: So, you started working at the Duma to overcome laziness?
A: No. I started from afar. Despite being busy, after the training camps and competitions, I made public appearances. In particular, I was invited to meet with teenagers at risk. We had no trouble understanding each other and found solutions. All this happened not just in the Belgorod region but in other Russian cities as well. And I was so good at it that many were steered back to the right path after those meetings. When I retired from the sport, I was offered to participate in the Duma elections. I was the right age, I had experience. So, I joined the party then, it was called “Unity” at the time [the party was later renamed to United Russia]. So, I chose my political direction – what I liked. In the end, my fellow countrymen supported me. and I became a Duma member, representing my native region, Belgorod, there.
Q: But 28 years old is too early [to be a Duma member]… Plus you’re talking about your success with teenagers.
A: I don’t think that 28 years old is early. I became an Olympic champion at 17 years old and the whole world learned about Svetlana Khorkina, the Russian athlete who, for a long time, held the leading position in the international artistic gymnastics.
Q: Still, those are different things. It’s one thing to be an athlete, to instruct problematic teenagers and to say that you have to work hard and another thing – to vote for laws that decide the life of a country with 145 million people.
A: And you think I’m not capable of this?
Q: At 28 years old? No. You have to have an education and…
A: I have to BA degrees [Physical Education and Government Administration] and a PhD in physical education.
Q: Did you get your second BA right after you retired from the sport?
A: No, I decided to get it while I was already working at the Duma.
Q: And you have to have life experience. Athletes…
A: Right. Do you think that I didn’t have life experience? I started traveling around the country and then the whole world at an early age. We had an opportunity to meet politicians, heads of states, other famous people. There were great meetings and interactions from which I learned a lot of interesting details. We [the athletes] have more experience than all of you. Because in the sport, you have to grow up early, you can’t hide from your problems behind your mother’s skirt. You have to know how to make decisions since childhood. And we know how it is – to defend your homeland.
We did a very good job in the Duma. We worked especially hard for our youth. We organized the Year of Youth in 2009. I was one of the first people who organized hearings about volunteering. This was the first step. Today the volunteers are the face of all our international forums and competitions. Look at what level we got to. And the anti-smoking law? Our committee on youth affairs also participated in the work on this bill. After all, it’s really unpleasant when you’re sitting at a restaurant and someone’s smoke is on your food. And what happens to the body! When you see a comparison of the lungs of a healthy person and the lungs of a smoker, it’s scary. I did many good things as a Duma member. There are still people sending me letters and asking for help.
Q: At the same time, you were also remembered by the fact that you often sat with Alina Kabaeva and you two were always laughing. There are even several photos, could you please comment on them?
A: Duma Members also have work breaks sometimes. Some go back to their offices to work and some stay in their seats. Alina Kabaeva and I didn’t sit together in the plenary room, we were at different places. Hence you can conclude that during the break I joined Alina and told her some funny story. Do we not have a right to laugh? I’m not going to tell everyone what was going on there, it was a while ago. And in my free time, I’m allowed to do what I want and to laugh how I want. Now, about the “horns”. [Khorkina showed “horns” or “ears” on her head with her hands in the picture above] I was telling Alina how I was choosing the New Year’s costume for my son. There were costumes or bunnies and squirrels. The stupid things about us are said by the nasty people who have not achieved anything in their lives. And I’m very sorry for them. And that photographer has no shame. I guess he always wanted to discredit us and to publish something outrageous. But in fact, I, like all moms, was just telling about buying the New Year’s costume. Everything is banal and simple.
Q: We are asking the questions because the representatives have to report to people. And people wanted to know about it.
A: And I was reporting to the people from my region. Alina and I aren’t shouting how many people we helped then and continue to help. You could tell and write about this, but no. About how many balls and jumping ropes we brought to schools, how many master classes we conducted, how many problematic issues that were blocked by the local officials we moved forward.
We don’t shout about this but we continue helping everyone who’s in need. Because it’s the duty of a Duma member and just a person who cares. The person who was elected by the people and trusted with their lives. So, why the other people, like you, don’t ask us about this? I’m sure many remember us with gratitude. I remember really well: when I held reception hours, my office was always full of people.
Q: This is all a theory of small things. A Duma member shouldn’t buy jumping ropes for schools.
A: The big victories are made up of small things and small victories. If you helped even one person, the office in heaven will take this into account. That’s why I’m proud of my work in the Duma. And those who ask questions like this, including you, those who think that we just sit there and kind of work… I’m sorry. Sorry for them and for you because they can’t do what I can. And I can become whoever I want and I can learn many more things. I can do anything. But you will never be like me or Alina.
Q: It’s all really amazing. I respect you as an athlete. Same as I respect Alina, Sikharulidze, Rodnina…
A: And even if you don’t respect me, I could care less. I know what I’ve achieved in my life.
Q: At the same time, you also were a Duma member. One of the most memorable events of your term was the voting on the constitutional reform when the term of the president’s office was extended to six years. You voted for. Have you acted correctly?
A: I think so. It was necessary at the time.
Q: What were the reasons?
A: My feelings.
Q: So, there’s nothing wrong with a person being in power for 24 years?
A: 24?
Q: Well, minus the four years of Medvedev [being the president], it’s 20 years.
A: And what do you think?
Q: It’s bad. Studies say that the longer the power doesn’t change in the country, the more shocks there will be later when it finally changes.
A: Well, we had Medvedev as the president. The power did change.
Q: It was a change without a real change. Putin never went anywhere, he just became the prime minister.
A: What do you mean he never left? He left [the president’s position] for the position in the government. It’s a serious governing body, a whole mechanism of executive power. The president is the president. Those are different things. Of course, the power changed.
Q: Ok, 20 years, then. Do you think Putin deserves it?
A: He does. The recent presidential elections are a proof of this. The majority of the people voted for Vladimir Vladimirovich. I think that it’s because of him that [other countries] started talking to Russia, respect it.
Q: By throwing it out of the G8?
A: So what? And what is the G8 without Russia? But we’re in the G20, in BRICS. There are many stages on which we feel great, on which we are heard. Do you think we should tolerate humiliation? If people will throw dirt at you and accuse you of the things you didn’t do, how will you react? Would you swallow it? I wouldn’t. I fully agree with what he [Putin] is doing today.
Q: Crimea, too?
A: And what about Crimea? Don’t people have a right to choose how they want to live? Or do you want them to be murdered like in Syria? They want to speak Russian, to live in peace and to raise their children. They don’t want to burn alive like in Odessa. They don’t want to get arrested for attending a church or for wearing their army uniform with medals on the 9th of May on the streets. Especially since everything was done legally, through a referendum! People aren’t pigs, they have a right to vote and to life. To the kind of life that they want. Almost the whole Crimea said: “We want to be a part of Russia”. And they’re Russia now. We gave people an opportunity to speak freely, otherwise they would have been murdered.
Q: By whom?
A: By the Banderites*. Do you think Bandera was normal? What do you think of fascism?
Q: I’m against it.
A: Great. And do you think they don’t currently have it there [in Ukraine]? If people can’t go on a Christian procession? Or to celebrate the Baptism of Rus the way they want to?
Q: I’ve been to Kiev and Lviv last fall and I didn’t see any Banderites. There are many people in army fatigues in Kiev but I had no issues speaking Russian in public and I could discuss the politics.
A: And in what role did you go there? What organization sent you? I’m asking because our journalists are often bullied there and deported from there.
Q: I went as a journalist, to a seminar on football fans. No one bullied me.
A: I support everything that the president does in the internal and foreign politics. Russia is respected, it is considered. We appreciated our spiritual and moral values very much. We remember our history and carefully preserve it. We are grateful to our veterans for the peace that we are obliged to preserve and to transmit to the future generation. And, of course, there are our sports achievements. We have a very large country, it’s not possible for the things to improve greatly for everyone at once because everything got so neglected in the 90s. Of course, it’s not easy for the president.
Q: I don’t know whether you’ve seen this video [of prison guards torturing an inmate in Yaroslavl region]?
A: And what’s the source of this video?
Q: It’s available to anyone on Youtube. Initially, it was sent to “Novaya Gazeta”. In a nutshell, a naked man is lying on the table, his arms and feet are being held and he is beaten with truncheons on his shins and heels.
A: It’s horrible.
Q: It all happened recently in a prison in the Yaroslavl region.
A: Don’t show it to me, I read about it online.
Q: Is torture in prisons a normal result of the 19 years of Putin’s rule?
A: Do you think there’s only one criterion for evaluating his work?
Q: In Russia, torture occurs everywhere.
A: People are horribly tortured in Guantanamo. So, do the US presidents – the current and the past ones – work fine? What do you think of that result?
Q: There are hundreds of prisons like that in Russia.
A: There are authorities for this which should monitor the order, they have to be more responsible about their job. As far as I know, a case has been opened following this incident.
Q: It’s just one case. Even though this happens all around the country, just read investigations and reports. It’s widespread in Karelia, in Komi.
A: And you just don’t have the information about the hundreds of prisons in America and about what happens there. And when African Americans are killed on the streets of America – what do you make of it? Is it not widespread? When they went to protest in Ferguson.
Q: One person was killed in Ferguson.
A: So, the death of one person is normal to you? More than one person was killed, that’s right! They were shot in mass! The schoolchildren are being blown up, murdered, being shot at. It’s widespread in America.
Q: I’m sure that here no fewer people are getting murdered every day, only one by one.
A: Do you know or are you “sure”?
Q: There are statistics. Russia surpasses America in the number of murders per capita (10.8 murders per 100,000 people in Russia and 5.35 in the US).
A: Tell me, should the president be responsible for the people who work in prisons? There are authorities that are empowered to ensure the order and the observance of human right even if the person is in prison.
Q: He should be responsible, as the guarantor of the constitution.
A: So, [he’s responsible] for everyone who’s imprisoned or works at a prison?
Q: Not for everyone, but at least for Moskalkova [Russian federal human rights ombudsman]. It’s not the first time that such torture happens and she’s still employed.
A: I think she’ll take some action regarding this matter. She’ll try to make sure this never happens again. Plus there are people responsible for solving this locally.
Q: It takes a long time and doesn’t always happen.
A: Then propose your solution how to make this process fast. Perhaps, you should be in Duma?
Q: You weren’t able to watch the video.
A: I wasn’t because you can’t watch it, it’s too horrible.
Q: Do you think this happened in the 90s? When, as you say, everything was neglected?
A: In the 90s, I trained for 8 hours per day – I barely found time to do my homework and get enough sleep. But I remember really well what was happening in the country. Do you know about ration stamps? And when the stores don’t carry anything but seaweed preserves? You’re standing in the lines and waiting to see whether some food will be available in the store today. Ask your parents. They’ll tell you how rare it was to be able to buy a decent piece of meat.
And I think that we got out of that situation. Nowadays, you can buy anything at the stores. Russia is quite good at picking up the pace in several directions. There’s enough to be proud of. Of course, we want things to be better and I’m sure they will be. And we will help it happen.
Q: For now, 20 million people live on less than 12,000 rubles [about $180] per month, so that’s below the poverty line.
A: I know. This year the minimum wage was raised. The raise was perhaps insignificant, but still.
Q: Once again, the seventh of the country’s population lives below the poverty line. Do you call it “picking up the pace”?
A: You have to consider everything together. How is the budget passed? You choose priorities. So, raising the minimum wage is a step forward.
Q: 20 million poor people in 20 years – is this normal? Couldn’t they lower it to 5 million, 10 million?
A: I think that nowadays people have more opportunities to earn money. It’s realistic to get an education and to choose a profession that would allow you to provide for such life that you want.
Q: So, if they are paid 10,000 rubles, that’s how they want to live?
A: Sometimes you can say so. It’s not one size fits all. I’m now mostly talking about our youth that has a lot of opportunities.
Q: You said the government has its priorities.
A: I think so, yes.
Q: Since 2000, Russia’s military expenditures have increased four times in dollars. So, that means that our priority is the army and not the social policies?
A: And why aren’t you saying by how many times the US military budget has increased? And that they are brazenly approaching our borders? ** Have you listened to the latest speech by Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin]?
Q: When he was showing the rockets?
A: Well, that was great. I’m proud of my country. Of the fact that our military industry and science continue inventing such things that provide our security. If you recall that speech, the president said that social policy is one of the priorities.
Q: He’s been saying this for a long time. Same as the United Russia party of which you’re a member. Here’s a quote from you: “Many parties offered me to join them and I replied to each of them “Send your program to me”.
That’s how I got the program of the party that was called “Unity and Fatherland” at the time – United Russia. And here’s a quote from the party’s program of that year: “We plan to restore and build the necessary number of new clinics, specialized hospitals and maternity hospitals around the country and to equip them according to the European standards and to provide them with staff”. Despite that, in 2000, there were 10,700 hospitals in the country and in 2015 – 4,400. Out of 21,000 clinics, only 16,500 are left. Here you can say that perhaps the extra clinics were closed down and people are now getting better treatment. But we remember how a young woman from Apatity called the president’s direct line and complained that she was getting a treatment for her back instead of cancer and the only hospital in the city was closed down. That woman later died. So, the provisions of the program weren’t fulfilled?
A: Why not? You don’t want to say that the modern perinatal centers with the best equipment appeared? That wonderful specialists work there who save the newborns that previously couldn’t be saved? Now we can and do save them.
Q: Those centers only exist in a few big cities.
A: And do you travel a lot around the country? I just remember how the cities looked back then and how they look now. And what kind of hospitals, clinics, kindergartens, and schools existed before. Of course, not everything has been fixed yet. There’s still a lot of work to do. No one says that everything’s accomplished. But I believe that a lot has been done in those years. A lot. The president is saying that we can’t relax. We have to move forward. There are lots of things to be fixed. It’s a pity you don’t notice the improvements.
Of course, some are carrying out the assignments and some aren’t. Why does the president have the direct line? In order to hear from the people directly. I really liked the last direct line when the ministers and the governors also could tell the president online how they’re going to fix the problem that was pointed out. This stimulates everyone to work for the results. And the results of that work are the improvements in the quality of life of our people.
Q: Here’s another item from the 2003 program: “It is necessary that the purchase of housing was available to a regular working person with an average salary. We plan to simultaneously reduce the housing prices and develop mortgages for those who are in need of housing”. Do you think that today a person with an average salary would be able to buy an apartment?
A: I think the mechanism isn’t perfect. Of course, the banks give loans but at such high interest. There’s still work to do.
Q: “It’s also necessary to ensure the availability of drugs for everyone who needs them”. Is it normal that the cancer patients first have to stand in a long line at a clinic to get painkiller patches and the return the used ones? And on holidays, they can’t even do that?
A: I don’t know these details. I’m not ready to give you an answer. But I heard that the Minister of Health reported to the president about a program aimed at solving this problem. I really hope that this program will help many people to be cured of a terrible illness and will eliminate the maximum number of issues about which you’re talking.
Q: Why is all of this happening only in the 20th year of Putin’s rule?
A: It was always being done but perhaps not as systematically. People had cancer then, they have it now and it’s scary. But it seems that the number of patients reached such a point that it’s time to adopt a whole program that would at least reduce the incidence rate.
Q: There were other promises in the United Russia program. In general, the program as a whole hasn’t been implemented. Do you admit this?
A: You keep raising the questions in such a way that I see that you hate the current leadership of our country and in general, the work of the government. Everything’s bad for you, you don’t want to see even the improvements that are visible to the naked eye. You seem a bit like a member of the opposition. Have you participated in any protests?
Q: In any protests – yes. But let’s get back to the program.
A: I’d say that you are exaggerating. I think that a lot has been done. Not just by the United Russia party but by other parties as well. I believe that we seriously moved away from the 90s. Compare the 90s and how it is today. We definitely moved forward. You wouldn’t talk as categorically as you do. I wouldn’t even allow talking like that. It’s wrong.
Q: You mentioned ration stamps. What else did you not like in the 90s?
A: It’s a complicated question. It was a long time ago and this would be a separate interview. I don’t have that much time for you today.
Q: I read that when you joined the Patriarchal Council of Culture, you said during one of the sessions: “There’s a plan to destroy Russia. It’s great that we now know about it. The WWII has ended and someone said to me: “We won’t go to war against Russia but we’ll take away their most valuable thing – spiritual and moral values and patriotism”. Have you really said this?
A: I don’t recall. But I’m very concerned about the problems of the youth. Do you know why The Young Army Cadets exist? Because we want to raise the spiritual and moral future of Russia, the people who love their family, their country and their friends, who do sports and have a wonderful versatile education. It’s probably easy to organize a revolution. We are now seeing it in a number of countries. But it’s more important to give people an opportunity to live in peace, to create families, to have kids, to be happy for their achievements. And to explain that let’s not let a war happen. I probably talked about this then.
Q: To live in peace, to talk about it, all while storming the mock Reichstag in the Patriot Park?
A: I’ve never heard of this.
Q: This was done on May 9 as a part of the Youth Army activities. And you’re one of the founders.
A: I guess I was on vacation on May 9.
Q: And you’ve never even heard that the mock Reichstag was built and stormed?
A: I haven’t. I don’t know about it, really.
Q: And if you were to hear about it, how would you react?
A: I guess I would react in some way. But I haven’t heard about it.
Q: But this happened. All the while you’re saying that it’s necessary to promote pacifism and not militarism. How do these things go together?
A: I’m not ready to talk about it.
Q: In the last year, this was the most prominent event that the Youth Army had.
A: Excuse me, but maybe you should ask how many big events happen in the Youth Army every day. About the summer camps that are very popular among the kids, everyone wants to go there. The forums, the meetings, the initiatives aimed at peace and creation. And what about the cadets marching along the Red Square during the Victory Parade on May 9? For the boys and girls who participated in the Victory Parade the feeling of pride and honor will stay with them throughout their lives.
Q: But the movement itself is called Youth Army. What kind of peace you’re talking about if there’s the word Army in the name?
A: I told you what the Youth Army does.
Q: Under the shield of the Ministry of Defence.
A: It’s a public organization. The Ministry of Defence simply provides comprehensive support for the movement. And you can give it different names.
Q: The main goal of the movement is instilling the patriotism. And you, too, have been talking about it for many years: “We need to add patriotism because patriotic education today is obvious, we need it. If we do not start with school-age children, then we will not be able to raise the youth we want to see – patriotic, spiritual, moral, responsible”. Don’t you think this isn’t what you’re actually instilling? Patriotism is a feeling of pride for the country when looking at modern and clean hospitals, well-taken care of cities and straight roads. And not like in Saransk, where you go into the courtyard in the center of the city and see garages, a rusty staircase, a narrow path in the middle of the lawn. Or Samara – broken pavement, dusty sidewalks covered in sand. Patriotism should be born when looking at how the country is changing for the better. And not through the Youth Army movement while the decrepit hospitals, roads, and courtyards are everywhere.
A: I partially disagree with you. There are questions regarding the improvement of a number of cities – yes, this problem exists. But if you set a goal, then you will find broken pavement, dusty sidewalks covered in sand and much more in any country. There will not be a single perfect city in any country in the world. There won’t be, but one should strive for this. I also want everything to be amazing, but we need to do something in order to achieve that. And the state is doing something.
Q: Cities in Russia are not just imperfect, they are terribly neglected.
A: We have to pass patriotism, education, love and respect to the younger generation. That’s the essence. And not the roads or the broken pavement. You can mend them.
Q: Then mend them and raise the children on that.
A: I don’t agree with you. Do you think that the pavement is more important than heart and soul? If your children will grow up indifferent to the misfortune of a stranger or an animal, it will be our fault that we didn’t instill love and creating in them. You have to invest in education. Not just financially but to create conditions like the ones in the Youth Army nowadays. So that every child would have an opportunity to take a ride on a sea ship, to climb a tank***, to learn facts about historical and geographical events, to go on a hike or even on an expedition to the North Pole. That’s the Youth Army.
Q: You asked me if I participated in any protests. Do you think that people that go on protests can be patriots?
A: I guess so, yes. After all, everyone’s family has the memory of the terrible war [WWII]. And I’m sure that all people want to live in peace, have an opportunity to choose their education and jobs, to create families, to raise children, to travel.
Q: In my opinion, the people who protest are even bigger patriots than the Youth Army, than the ones who talk a lot about the love for the homeland or the Duma members. Because they go on protests in order for Russia to become better.
A: I’m sure that every resident of our country strives to improve life. The question is – with what actions and methods. You can go on protests and get paid from abroad for doing that or you can work and improve your successes so that, as a result of your work, the country would move to the leading positions in many areas. We have the freedom of speech now, the democracy – go on, express your opinion, just don’t break the law.
Q: So, that means you’re not against the protests?
A: I can’t say whether I’m for or against. As long as they don’t break the law and don’t undermine the country’s security. I’m for security and lawfulness.
Q: And do you think the people undermine the security with those protests?
A: Stop picking on my answers. Every case has to be considered separately.
We’ve been talking for a whole hour already and so far you haven’t asked me a single question about the sports. But your accreditation says that you’re working at an online media with a sports-related name. You had the unique opportunity to talk to the two-time Olympic champion and to ask her about the present and the future of the sports, what are the difficulties nowadays or whether there are any difficulties at all. But it became clear that you don’t care about the sports at all, you only care about the “hot stuff” and not about the sports. You don’t like anything in our country – starting with the government and ending with a youth movement.
Turn around. Try to write about the good things, after all, there is a lot being done. Our country has many successes. And today my stand is this: under the management of Putin, Russian once again became a serious player on the international arena. And like him, I will never allow to insult and humiliate our country.
Q: You repeated several times already that other countries started to consider Russia during the Putin’s time. In what way did they not consider Russia before him?
A: My opinion is that it’s a pity that the Soviet Union broke down. I guess, its time has come. And after the USSR’s breakdown there were mistakes made in a number of areas. That’s my personal opinion. And then people had to seriously deal with those mistakes in order to restore everything that was lost during that time.
Q: And could you give specific examples? One or two examples of disrespect for Russia in the 90s?
A: I’d have to remember and talk about it in a separate interview as well. But, as you know, we’re out of time already, I’m 15 minutes late to a meeting.
Q: A short block of questions about Alina [Kabaeva], you definitely don’t need to prepare for them. Are you still in touch?
A: This question is not included in the list of the ones that I’d be willing to answer. Ask for an interview with Alina and ask her all the questions that interest you. I attend her [rhythmic gymnastics] festival every year. And I’m really glad that new technologies are adopted there. The festival is becoming colorful and interesting. Many kids come in order to show Alina their skills. Alina personally brings many kids there.
Q: Why don’t you want to answer the question about being in touch with Alina?
A: Of course we’re in touch as much as we can. But is it interesting to the public? I’m friends with a whole army of Olympic champions and we’re a huge and close team.
Q: Considering the rumors about Alina, yes, it’s interesting to the public.
A: I try to believe the rumors less and to do more good for the country. Let the people who have nothing to do to pay attention to rumors. I have too many things to do.
I’ll tell you now about my national competition that I’ve been organizing in Belgorod for 19 years now. In April of 2019, in Belgorod, the 20th annual national two-time Olympic champion Svetlana Khorkina artistic gymnastics competition will take place. During these 20 years, the competition became an important start on the path to Olympic victories not just for the pupils of Russian gymnastics schools but for the athletes from other countries as well. I’m expecting the record number of participants in the upcoming competition, more than 1500 athletes. The main goal of the competition is to identify the strongest and talented young athletes, to add deserving gymnastics to the national team’s reserve and to strengthen the friendship and cooperation in the international sports scene.
If you only wrote about such festivals like the one Alina organizes, about my competitions, about the children that will soon defend the country’s honor at international competitions, I’m sure your writing talent would have more fans.
*Banderites were members of right-wing organizations in the 30s and 40s in Ukraine. Currently, in Russia, the term is often used to call the Ukrainian nationalists.
**The interviewer commented here that these two sentences about America weren’t in the original interview but Khorkina added them later when the interview was sent to her for vetting. When the journalist saw these sentences, he asked Khorkina about her son’s citizenship. She gave birth to him in Los Angeles and according to US laws that would make him as US citizen. In a 2010 interview, she confirmed that her son has both Russian and US citizenship. However, she said to this interviewer that it’s a lie that was published because the 2010 interview was never sent to her for vetting and her son isn’t a US citizen.
***”Climbing a tank” might seem like a weird children’s activity to people outside of Russia, so here’s some context: lots of out of commision tanks were placed around the Soviet Union after the WWII as Victory monuments. Many parks had them and children indeed climbed them. Below’s a T-34 tank that stands two blocks from my childhood home and which I climbed a lot as a kid.
****The interviewer commented that he also asked Khorkina whether she’s met Alina Kabaeva’s husband (since Kabaeva’s rumored to be in a relationship with Vladimir Putin) but Khorkina not only refused to answer this, she asked to delete the question from the final interview.
Photo: Sports.ru
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