Biography of Laysan Utyasheva
The future champion was born in the Republic of Bashkiria in the small town of Raevsky on June 28, 1985. The Laysan family never dreamed of a sports career for their daughter.
The girl’s mother, Zulfiya Utyasheva, worked as a librarian and is Bashkir by nationality. Father Albert Utyashev is a historian; the roots of the Tatar, Polish and Russian peoples are mixed in his blood.
Laysan received her unusual name from her maternal grandmother. Her grandmother was a native Bashkir, carefully honoring all traditions and respecting the national language. On the date of birth of little Laysan, there was a mushroom rain, thanks to which the grandmother decided to name the newborn with an unusual name, translated as “affectionate”.
Laysan's unusual appearance always raises a lot of questions about her nationality. By nationality, Laysan Utyasheva is 1/2 Bashkir, as well as Tatar, Polish and Russian.
As a child, Laysan was raised according to Muslim traditions, and at a conscious age she accepted Orthodox Christianity.
Coming to the gym
In 1989, the gymnast’s family moved to the hometown of the father of the family - Volgograd. When the girl turned 4 years old, the slender Laysan’s parents wanted to sign her up for ballet. However, by chance, the future athlete was noticed by gymnastics coach Nadezhda Kasyanova.
This happened in the store when Laysan and his mother were standing in line. Kasyanova approached them and said that the girl had very flexible joints for her age and invited them to training. Zulfiya Utyasheva was strongly against starting a sports career. She wanted Laysan’s life to become stable through quality education.
However, the girl begged her parents to take her to a trial lesson, and her parents believed that they would support their daughter’s desire. This lesson turned their lives 180 degrees. Laysan fell in love with gymnastics from her first training session. Already at the age of 4, she began telling her parents that she would become the winner of the World Cup. From that moment, Laysan Utyasheva’s long and successful life in sports began.
First victories
When Leysan turned 12 years old, she and her family moved to Moscow. Here the athlete’s career begins to rapidly gain momentum. Nobody understands where such a talented athlete came from. Her training takes place with famous metropolitan trainers Yanina and Skaldina. Since 1997, the Russian athlete begins to participate in major competitions, including the Russian Championships. At her first Russian Championship, Laysan was younger than all the participants, but was not inferior to them in skill. The year 1999 was marked for the gymnast by receiving the title of Master of Sports, and in the first year of the new millennium, a series of victories in big-time sports began.
Big sport
At the championship in honor of Kostina Oksana Laysan Utyasheva earns a silver award. In 2001, Laysan expected triumph. At the World Cup in Germany, Utyasheva won in 6 categories. One month later, she brought back the title of World Champion from the World Championships in Madrid.
After such significant victories in her sports career, the gymnast was awarded the title of international master of sports.
Weight problems
During training under the supervision of personal trainer Tatyana Sorokina, Laysan began to have problems with weight. Tatyana Sorokina, seeing the figure of young Laysan, put her on a strict diet. The diet was so strict that the girl stole food from Sorokina’s dog’s bowl. A strict diet and grueling training led to depression and nervous breakdowns. However, she never once had any thoughts of leaving the sport. Through all the hardships and trials, she walked towards her goals.
Change of coach and serious injury to Utyasheva
In 2002, the famous Russian coach Irina Viner became Laysan’s mentor and personal trainer. Just at this moment there is a complicated story with the disqualification of Alina Kabaeva. Everyone understands that Irina Viner is preparing Utyasheva for the Olympics. And the main thing is that she has a chance to win the Olympics, especially under the leadership of Wiener.
At the same time, Laysan’s series of victories at international competitions continues: silver at the International Tournament in Slovenia, gold at the unofficial World Championships in Corbeil-Eson and four golds at the Youth Games in Moscow.
In September of the same year, an event occurs that will completely change Laysan’s life, dividing everything into “before” and “after”. At a performance in Samara, a young athlete landed unsuccessfully on poorly prepared mats and injured her foot.
Laysan is one of the most outstanding rhythmic gymnasts in the world, a famous TV presenter, a beautiful girl, a loving wife and a caring mother.
Numerous examinations revealed no damage to the legs, and the pain in the feet became more and more severe. The gymnast continued intensive training, but the injury did not allow her to give it her full strength. Repeated studies also did not reveal any abnormalities; the athlete's envious people spread rumors about faking an injury. Utyasheva continued to give performances, but this only aggravated the problem.
In December of the same year, thanks to the assistance of Irina Wiener, Laysan was sent for examination to one of the best clinics in Germany. Magnetic tomography gives a disappointing result: multiple fractures of the scaphoid bone. In addition, due to the constant increased load on the second leg, bones begin to diverge in it. The disappointing diagnosis not only almost put an end to his professional sports career, but also threatened his ability to move independently. The hope for recovery became less and less every day. Laysan did not give up, she believed that she would still prove herself in big sports.
In 2003, Laysan entrusted her legs and her future to Russian surgeons, who performed the operation brilliantly. This was followed by a difficult recovery period, at which point Laysan showed all her courage and tenacity of character, thanks to which she returned to big-time sports. Laysan Utyasheva decided to start her career all over again.
In 2004, as a member of the national team, she won many international championships, including the European Championships, and planned to go to the Olympics. But the injury turned out to be more serious than everyone expected, the pain returned with renewed vigor, and the doctors pronounced a sentence: either the end of professional sports or a wheelchair. She lived through the 2004 sports season with a strong-willed character and, together with Irina Viner, made the decision to end her professional sports career.
Laysan Utyasheva: “I underwent 6 operations that lasted 5-7 hours”
Vladimir Polupanov, AiF.ru: Laysan, admit it, what sports award did you get at the highest price?
Laysan Utyasheva: Everything I won during this period when my legs hurt. The same World Cup in Berlin was very important for me, because for the first time I topped the list of the Russian team. We went there without the victorious “team shield” of Kabaeva and Chashchina . Older girls. And they carried the burden of responsibility on themselves. Everything we won in the team competition was thanks to these first two numbers. It is clear that I also contributed. I remember in the Netherlands in the Grand Prix final I beat Kabaeva on points. There was such a noise. Laysan won Alina! Only gold medals were expected from her. And there are always fewer complaints about the third number. As for our football players. Did not work out? Well, understandable, expected. And if you win - wow! I came to Berlin for the first time as the leader of the Russian team. And then my leg began to “creak.” I was very afraid to admit that I had a serious injury.
- Why?!
- Because at this moment you are afraid of losing everything you have been working towards for so many years. I felt like any person who goes for tests and is afraid to get the result. In Berlin I had to compete with fierce eminent rivals, and I won everything. Irina Viner gave me a standing ovation. For Wiener to clap while standing, it must be earned. She, of course, will praise you, but then she will say: “Fox, you understand, she didn’t finish it here, she didn’t finish it there. We must continue to work." And Irina Alexandrovna also has a catchphrase: “We stood on the pedestal. We thanked God and the country. The flag rose. They sang the anthem. And then they stepped off the pedestal, took off the crown and moved on. You are nobody and there is no way to call you.” It is with this attitude that I go through life. She stood and listened to the applause in her honor. I dusted myself off. And I went to start from scratch.
— You returned to professional sports after 6 operations. How is this possible?
“Both Wiener and the doctors unanimously said that the injury I received was a death sentence. Usually after this they end their career. Because the scaphoid bone does not heal. There was only one option - to sew in an implant. Another question is whether it will take root or not. With this injury you can walk, but with a severe limp. With every step, pain shoots from the leg to the teeth. At some point, I began to extinguish it with painkillers, then I began to get used to it. Then I began to convince myself that I could live with this injury. “Well, I’ll limp,” I told myself, “I’ll walk not in elegant shoes, but in sneakers and sneakers.”
Now in an interview I talk about this easily. And how many of my tears, my mother’s, were there... I underwent 6 operations that lasted 5-7 hours on both legs with bone tissue transplantation. Anesthesia, recovery, depression. It was an experimental operation under X-rays, which was performed by surgeons Makarov and Arkhipov - two of our medical luminaries. “Little fox, you are our pioneer,” they said. I gave permission because I wanted to save my foot and return to gymnastics.
I went through fire, water and copper pipes and proved that you can return to sports even after 6 serious operations.
— Laysan Utyasheva
The doctors said: “We’ll patch you up a little.” You will be on crutches for six months and will return to normal life. But you will still have to part with sports.” This wasn't enough for me. I really wanted to return to gymnastics, although I perfectly understood that I would not become an Olympic champion. While we were busy with operations for 2 years, other girls took my place on the team. The bench in rhythmic gymnastics is very long, thanks to the system that Irina Viner built. There are no irreplaceables. One drops out, the next one immediately takes her place.
Wiener told me that I am a “girl in spite of.” Perhaps they loved me more not for the awards, but because people saw in me something familiar, understandable, because every person has their own pain. They saw in me a person who overcame this pain. I was the first to talk about the fact that there is no need to blame anyone for injuries (they say that some doctor made a mistake or overlooked something).
I went through fire, water and copper pipes and proved that you can return to sports even after 6 serious operations. I walked on crutches for two years. And then she returned. I was either removed from the competition or left. And I won 6 World Cup medals at once. The Western yellow press was choking with bile: “These Russians are only hiding behind their injuries.” I read this to myself when I was 16-17 years old, of course, and my psyche couldn’t stand it. But it hardened me and made me bulletproof. I smiled and said to everyone: “Thank you.”
With my temperament, I could have made such a mess if Irina Viner had not been there.
— Laysan Utyasheva
— Irina Viner admitted in an interview that she is almost involved in organizing the personal lives of her charges. This is true?
— She has a wonderful sense of humor. She's like a mother to us. And she cares what happens to the girls after sports. She, like any parent, has the right to know who her “daughters” love. Or “Who is it that isn’t calling us back?” And she also has a favorite expression: “Who is making us nervous?” (laughs).
I didn’t let anyone near me for a long time. And when Wiener met my future husband Pasha Volya, she talked to him and laughed for a long time. During this acquaintance, at some point I even felt superfluous. After meeting with her, Pasha came out and said to me, raising his thumb: “Great woman! Just super!” Many parents don’t know how to get their child to wash the dishes or talk to them during adolescence. He slams the door, leaves and closes himself off. And in the team there are 8 such girls aged from 13 to 17 years. And all the beauties who are courted. Try to make them work and give their all to the end. With my temperament, I could have made such a mess if Irina Viner had not been there. We were all into sports. Romance, relationships and dates began much later, in my twenties.
Laysan Utyasheva. Photo: From personal archive
— Were you held with a tight rein?
- Those are the rules. It's just discipline. And there’s no time to think about boys if you have endless training sessions, training camps, and competitions. This is obvious - the sooner a girl begins to live an adult life, the faster her figure begins to change. Well, a barrel can't roll on the carpet. It's not beautiful. Our sport is very similar to ballet. And in ballet, they specifically tighten the breasts and lose weight. It's the same in gymnastics.
— Have you tightened your breasts too?
— I just didn’t have it (laughs). The weight was small. It wasn’t until I was 20 that I started to develop some roundness.
— Does Irina Viner only have a stick or do they also have gingerbread?
“She immediately asks: “Are we working or not?” In every work group this can be taken as a whip. But in essence, there is no whip there. Either you work or you leave. I think that's fair. Make room for someone else who wants it. There is no room for whims: I want it, I don’t want it. This is tough discipline. If only there was such a thing in those sports that are “lame” in our country...
— For example, in football?
- Yes. By the way, our guys showed at the World Championships in Russia that they can also pull themselves together if really necessary. I was one of the ambassadors at the World Cup, and at a press conference I was asked a question: “Laysan, as an athlete, can you say what are the chances of our team in the match with the Spanish team? How many goals will we get into our own goal? It even offended me. It's like laughing at a younger brother who tries very hard, but something doesn't work out because of his age. Our country hosted a grand world championship, which was perfectly organized. We still receive compliments from all over the world.
- He is officially recognized as the best.
- Yes. “Our guys need to be supported. They themselves are scared. You will see,” I said then, “our football is just beginning.” And the guys will still surprise us.” I believed in them so much. And the whole country believed in them. Remember the match with Spain? We were surprised. We have good football players. There is potential. But you need the same discipline as in gymnastics. In our gymnastics there was a world championship every day. We didn’t gather from championship to championship, but went out on the mat every day as if it were a championship.
I know what I need to eat to keep myself in shape and what gives me energy. And not just tasty or tasteless.
— Laysan Utyasheva
Wiener had an attitude: if you want to be on the national team, meet this level. Give it your all. We could have control training every day. Judges were called to them and judged as strictly as at competitions. At some point you felt like a universal soldier. And I understood that there was no other way.
It still helps me in my life to this day. That's why I have a lot of projects. I know what I need to eat to keep myself in shape and what gives me energy. And not just tasty or tasteless.
— Do you eat tasteless food?
“I already love the food I eat.” In the “Willpower” course, I adapted the discipline of gymnastics and try to show that even in different aspects of life it can be useful for every person.
Laysan Utyasheva: “How I came back from maternity leave and lost weight” Read more
— What are the ground rules?
— If you take food, then you need to remove all fatty and floury foods, sugar in any form. Honey, fruits, raisins, dark chocolate are possible and necessary. This is where you need to get your glucose from. Be sure to drink warm water in the morning on an empty stomach. Get rid of all bad habits. Why does a person start smoking? Can't control himself? Weak willpower? I got nervous. Don't be nervous. How? Inhale and exhale. You can get out of any situation.
— As a child, you dreamed of becoming a ballerina, like Maya Plisetskaya. But they became a gymnast. Having finished their sports career, they began to dance “Bolero”. Dreams Come True?
- They are coming true. But the path to your dream sometimes cannot be calculated logically. I ended up in ballet after all. About 10 years ago I was invited to work with the Imperial Ballet of Gediminas Taranda. There is just the classic “Bolero” staged by Androsov . It is beautiful. But in my performance I focused on modern dances, which in our country for some reason are not as developed and popular as in Europe. On the “Dancing” project on TNT, I met two amazing production directors, Garik Rudnik and Ekaterina Reshetnikova . Their style, vision, pace, sharpness of transmission are closest to me. They speak the language of modern dance very well. Our “Bolero” is the story of the relationship between a man and a woman, about the path to oneself, about love in a world of lost guidelines and illusory values.
— It is written about your performance that it is “provocative and daring”, “in some places the action becomes too frank, even bold, challenging the foundations.” Are you naked there?
— Nobody even bares their shoulder here (laughs). Our “Bolero” has become overgrown with templates and clichés. No matter how much I retell the plot of the film “The Godfather” to you now, the story will still not convey the beauty of the film. You come to my performance on December 11 at the Barvikha Luxury Village hall and see everything with your own eyes.
— Many young guys become professional dancers. How is a dancer paid today?
- If a dancer has a head on his shoulders, and at the momentary peak of popularity he does not start walking and hanging out, for him this can develop, like Katya Reshetnikova and Garik Rudnik, into a serious profession and income - a choreographer-producer, giving lessons and master classes . A dancer who is seriously involved in the craft and a stage director receive very decent money. I make sure that my dancers are not bullied and that they are paid well and on time. But, alas, I have a limit - there are only 9 of them. But they are the best.
— All from the “Dancing” project?
— Not all, but it so happened that the core is from “Dancing.” I met someone a little earlier, thanks to Alexei Nemov’s sports and dance show, in which I also took part for 10 years.
— Is it true that the “Dances” mentors Yegor Druzhinin and Miguel can’t stand each other, or do the script require them to conflict with each other on camera?
- There is no hatred between them. They are sensible people, but with different views and approaches to dancing. In real life they communicate well. But sometimes they argue vigorously on camera. Perhaps, partly because we have a very lively and non-standard project, we were awarded the TEFI award.
— When you walked along the editorial corridors, one of our technical employees quietly asked me, pointing at you: “Is this the wife of Pavel Volya?” Doesn’t it offend you when people know you exclusively as Pavel Volya’s wife?
- Not at all.
It's even very pleasant. Because I love my husband very much. I have already satisfied my ego so many times with victories and achievements. If your employee only knows me as Pavel Volya’s wife, that’s great. Perhaps, thanks to the Comedy Club, he will someday become acquainted with rhythmic gymnastics. And he will make another discovery for himself. Laysan Utyasheva. Photo: From personal archive
Life after sports
Show Business
After finishing professional sports, Laysan discovered show business. The popularity of the ex-gymnast grew every day. Proposals and projects were constantly received from television companies, radio stations and advertising agencies. At the same time, Laysan had many of her own plans and creative ideas.
As a result, Laysan became the host of several television programs of a news, sports and dance nature. In addition, she is often invited to work as a commentator. She participates in the Cafe Romantika program on the radio.
The athlete finally finds time to fulfill her childhood dream - learning to dance. Just a year after recovering her leg, Laysan Utyasheva appears on stage as a dancer in the ballet Bolero. And already in 2009 the world saw her original dance project “Sign of Infinity”. Laysan Utyasheva is the permanent presenter in “Dancing on TNT”.
Laysan Utyasheva is the permanent presenter in “Dancing on TNT”.
In addition, Laysan starred in the video of the singer Yolka, and also played a cameo role in the film “Champions”. Laysan cooperates with serious advertising companies for automotive, sports and clothing brands. She also published her autobiographical book “Unbroken.”
Unbroken Laysan Utyasheva is not going to stop there. In terms of the ex-gymnast, there are still many creative projects.
Mom's death
In 2012, life prepared another test for Laysan. On March 14, the ex-gymnast’s mother suddenly dies. Doctors diagnose a heart attack. In an interview, Laysan shared this terrible news: the athlete and her mother were sitting together in a cafe when Zulfiya suddenly became ill. Upon arrival, the emergency doctors confirmed to the girl that these were trivial pressure surges. However, when mother and daughter got home, Zulfiya became ill again. The ambulance did not arrive soon, the doctors confirmed the death of the athlete’s mother.
After finishing her sports career, Laysan tried to spend more time with her mother, because they were very close. According to her, Zulfiya never complained about her health, all the women in the Utyashev family were long-livers, and the ex-gynast’s mother planned to live to 140. Death took her at the age of 47. Laysan had a very hard time with the death of her loved one and had to visit a psychologist frequently. At this moment, the support of one of her closest people, Irina Viner, helped her a lot. However, she was truly able to let go of the situation only after the birth of her daughter.
Personal life
Laysan is a very extraordinary, beautiful and smart girl, she had many fans, but professional sports did not leave time for her personal life. Although gossip column rumors connected her with many young men, including Orlando Bloom. Laysan's serious relationship first became known in 2010. The athlete’s gentleman at that time was Valery Lomadze. This relationship lasted for about 2 years, but ended in ugly court proceedings.
Pavel Volya and Laysan Utyasheva
Comedy club resident Pavel Volya was just a friend for the ex-gymnast for a long time. Pavel helped Laysan survive the sudden departure of the heroine’s mother. Many acquaintances of the stars believed for a long time that this relationship was a long-running joke. However, in the close circle of stars, many knew that the wedding was already approaching.
Comedy club resident Pavel Volya was just a friend for the ex-gymnast for a long time.
The star couple got married in September 2012. Soon Pavel and Laysan became young parents; their family has two children, Robert and Sofia. Despite the heavy workload, the couple always finds time for family.
Laysan Utyasheva now
The former athlete devotes all her free time to raising two children. They often travel as a family. Laysan Utyasheva is also actively developing in her career. She presented the theater and dance show “LaysanBolero” to the audience in 2020 in Kazan. Soon this performance was shown in Minsk. From time to time the girl appears on television. Last year she took part in the filming of a video for singer Yolka.
Star family - Laysan Utyasheva and Pavel Volya
