Maxim Marinin. Biography of the champion
Maxim Viktorovich Marinin was born in 1977 in Volgograd. From early childhood, parents instilled in their sons a sense of responsibility and hard work, and in a fairly humane way. Children were never beaten for their offenses, but were deprived of sweets or entertainment.
As a child, the boy was in poor health, and his parents enrolled him in the figure skating section. Although 7 years is already quite a late age to start a professional career, hard work and the pursuit of a dream helped the young skater become what he is now.
Maxim's first professional coach was Mikhail Makoveev. It was a time of intense training and numerous competitions, where the guy had the opportunity to communicate with the entire “sports crowd” and compete with those whom he had previously only seen on TV.
“YOU CAN’T SITT ON TWO CHAIRS”
— It turns out that this phrase accompanies you throughout life. After all, at one time you started skating solely because of your poor health...
- Yes, my dad brought me to the section. Like many, due to illness, to toughen up. After all, healthy people don’t need sports! (Laughs.) If there are problems, you need to solve them with the help of doctors and sports. And if not, live and be happy!
— But sport has become your profession. Did your parents object?
“And they had no other choice.” At the age of 13, I already considered life in Volgograd hopeless. I went to competitions around the country, watched, compared. My surroundings did not suit me; this was not what I wanted in life. And figure skating was a chance, an opportunity to change something.
— You lived and trained in America for a long time. Why did you come back?
— The first two years were euphoric. But when the euphoria wears off and you begin to understand something, it becomes uncomfortable. Their credit and financial system forces you to look at the floor. You just think about how to earn money for this, for this, for this. You have to pay for everything. Life there is very hard. What about earning here and spending there?..
From my American experience, I realized that you cannot sit on two chairs with one butt. It is stupid to have some property abroad, thinking that the day will come and you will move there. Your whole life passes in this expectation. And at this time the house is collapsing.
This is what I think: any matter is prone to destruction. If you don’t live in the same house, it falls into disrepair. The space around needs to be filled with something. Let’s say, I now have a dacha in the Moscow region, but it only gives me a headache. There is no time to go there. Just a tick: made, built, acquired. (Laughs.)
The beginning of the career of a talented skater
The turning point in Maxim’s life came when he turned 16 years old. Not everything in singles skating went smoothly, so it was decided to try pairs. There were no prospects in regional Volgograd, and he went to St. Petersburg without even asking his parents’ consent, but simply presenting them with a fait accompli. But they didn’t mind, understanding the importance of sports activities for their son. This step was the right one, since it began a series of awards, victories and high success. In St. Petersburg, Marinin graduated from the Academy of Physical Culture. He became the ward of coach Vasiliev. At the age of 20, Maxim joined the Russian national team. Tatyana Totmyanina became her figure skating partner for many years. Fans and leading athletes consider the pair of Maxim and Tatyana to be one of the best in the world of figure skating in terms of technique and complexity of program elements, and excellent, relaxed style.
Marinin and Totmyanina are Olympic champions
Between 1999 and 2002, Maxim and Tatyana took second and third places in competitions across Russia. They became European champions twice - in 2004 and 2005. The sports couple trained in Chicago for more than 5.5 years.
In 2004, a tragedy occurred. During the filming of Skate America at the Grand Prix, Marinin fell along with Tatyana. Totmyanina was hospitalized, and the skater himself received a concussion and psychological trauma, which took more time to overcome than his partner’s recovery.
Fortunately, Maxim Marinin found strength in himself, in particular thanks to the support of his common-law wife. He managed to force himself again to perform that ill-fated “support” from which Tatyana fell.
Self-effort and tedious training yielded results. In 2006, Marinin Maxim, a world-famous figure skater, and his partner Tatyana Totmyanina won the XX Olympic Games in Turin.
After enormous success, the couple decided to leave the big sport due to unresolved financial claims with the Figure Skating Federation.
Figure skating
At the age of 20, Maxim Marinin became a member of the Russian national team. For many years, Tatyana Totmyanina became his ice partner. Their relaxed skating style, complexity of the program, performance technique and artistry fascinated the audience and judges. In 1999-2002, the couple took second and third places at the Russian figure skating championships. In 2004, they won the European Championship for the first time, and then received gold medals in such competitions twice more.
The Marinin-Totmyanina couple won the World Championship twice, and in 2006 they were preparing to compete at the Olympic Games in Turin. The athletes prepared seriously - they trained in Chicago for more than 5 years. There was a year and a half left before the Olympics, when Marinin couldn’t keep his partner on the set of Skate America. Tatyana fell onto the ice from a height of two meters and hit her head. For Maxim, the fall became a serious psychological trauma.
In one of his interviews, he said that he blamed himself for everything, because figure skaters have a rule: grab your partner by the hair, but don’t let her fall on the ice. Fortunately, Tatyana did not receive any serious injuries from the fall and resumed training two weeks later.
In 2006, Marinin and Totmyanina became Olympic champions. After this victory, the couple took time out for a while, as they were involved in several television shows. Maxim Marinin planned to return to big-time sports, but could not agree on material issues with the Figure Skating Federation.
Tatyana Totmyanina and her path to success
The childhood of the future Olympic champion was not easy. Totmianina ended up on the ice, just like Maxim, due to poor health. Tatyana is a native of Perm. At the age of 7, he and his mother lost their home and father due to the attacks of their grandmother, who suffered from mental disorders. We had to live with friends and live at train stations. Later, the mother was given a room in a warehouse at the company where she worked as an engineer.
Mom invested all her strength and resources into Tanya, spending her budget on finding the best trainers. The girl tried to justify her mother’s efforts by any means and worked diligently on the ice. The future champion was noticed and invited to train in St. Petersburg. The road to success was given to her through the thorny path of life.
“NEED TO BE HOME MORE OFTEN”
— Maxim, you have two children. And the eldest, Artemy, is already skating with all his might. Did you insist?
- No, he wanted it himself. I had the opportunity to work with him: I took him with me to training camps and improved his physical development. Although it is known that nothing good comes of it when parents train their children. But I just helped him. I decided to direct him because I see that he has abilities. The main thing is not to overextend. He, feeling the pressure, begins to move away from the topic. But something can only be achieved when a person is passionate about business. If not, it can only be brought to a certain level, and that’s all.
— Do you want him to become a professional athlete?
- Don't want. Now the time is different. I grew up in a provincial town. And in Moscow there are a lot of other opportunities. Therefore, to be honest, it is difficult for me to understand how to motivate children to play sports under these conditions.
- So who do you see Artemy?
“The main thing is that the son finds himself and does not lose the right guidelines. This worries me more than his career, some financial component. I want him to grow up to be a normal person. So far, pah-pah-pah, everything is going well. It will only get more interesting. Now it is still possible to suppress it with the help of authority, roar or force. And then you will need to negotiate.
- Isn’t Artem jealous of your younger sister Ulyana?
- There is little. I’m with my daughter sushu-musyu, and he also wants warmth... Ulyana, by the way, does not have a girlish character at all. He clearly knows what he wants. This even worries me a little. In her I see myself as small and stubborn.
-Who is most involved in raising children?
— While I’m busy, Natasha does a lot. The eldest has school now, so she keeps an eye on everything. And when I don’t see my children for a long time, I feel that something happened during my absence. The distance, for example, has increased. This is what happened with Ulyana: she didn’t see me for a month and a half - then for a week she didn’t come over at all. She pretended that she didn’t know me. And when he took her in his arms, she began to cry. Then I realized that I need to be at home more often.
- So what happens?
“It’s hard now because I work seven days a week – training, filming. After filming, two or three days are spent searching for new music and ideas; three to four days to test the number. And again filming. I have been in this mode for almost five months now.
Parents of Maxim Marinin
Tatyana and Victor Marinin live in their native Volgograd. During the competition at the Olympic Games, they were very worried. Maxim’s mother says that she stood on her knees at the icon all evening, and prefers to watch her son’s performances in recordings, since the excitement is transferred to him, and he begins to make mistakes.
Until now, Marinin’s parents communicate closely with Tatyana’s mother, share news, and together provide support to the children. Maxim’s mother says that she talks to her son on the phone very rarely because he is busy and looks forward to his call, but she is afraid to call him.
Maxim Marinin: circles of Olympic paradise
How to live in the Olympic Village
— What is happening in the Olympic Village? You have your own life, which either spurs you to results, or vice versa.
— Life in the village is a hostel. This is the dormitory where you live, like in an Olympic reserve school. There are skiers in the room here, bobsledders there, someone else there. It all depends on the conditions. For example, the Olympic village in Sochi, I think, based on my Olympic experience, was one of the best, because fairly high-quality housing was built. And the sound transmission in Salt Lake City, where there was a standard North American house, which is built from plywood and residual particle board, was fantastic! When people were talking in the next room, it felt like they were talking in your room. And you can hear everything - the knocking of doors, conversations, and any noise in general. And this is all on the eve of the start, when your nerves, one might say, are like bare wires. You need to sleep at night, you have a competition tomorrow, and there is noise around you. Now we are talking about the girls who are waiting for the start.
“They were even given two nights and a day.”
- This may be even worse. Because you still walk around, think about it, no matter what you do, you live in a closed area.
— In this situation, do you arrange a lighter training session?
— Usually it’s a half-hour workout. In principle, you can go to the second one, if there is one. I just don’t know the schedule, whether it’s available in Pyeongchang. But an additional day off is another test, and in fact, quite a serious one. After all, you constantly push away thoughts from yourself when everything should be accomplished. Then you have to go out on the ice and do what you have to do.
Mikhail Kolyada. Why was the leader beaten?
— Do you go through the program in your head?
- Naturally. We are all, of course, different people, but all you do, at least this was the case with me, is to drive away thoughts about the upcoming day X. And you push it away all the time: not now, not now, don’t think, don’t think... And when all this is still fueled by journalists! Naturally, this is their job, but an athlete in such a situation is at the limit. And I want one thing - let everyone leave you alone. At the Olympic Games, any success is tripled, but so is failure. These photographs with Misha Kolyada and videos of his mistakes spread all over the world. If this were the World Championship, then, in general, all this would remain behind the scenes. And so, all this came to the attention of the general public, which, well, how to say, is like hungry seagulls. And what will happen to the person, how his sports career will develop further, what he will worry about, how he will get out of this situation - we don’t think about it.
- Can Misha get out of this situation?
“Well, now we just have to wait and watch.”
— He, in principle, is the skater who can really show results. But I’ve been watching him for two years, he is a “minus start,” that is, an athlete who can do everything in training and fails in competitions.
- “Minus start” why? Because it is much easier to achieve than to hold on to. He made a great debut two years ago. After the injury, when I came out with sparkling eyes, it was clear that the guy was hungry for competition. Then he became the leader of the team, quite quickly. Moreover, he did not have to fight too hard for this place - it was vacant. What happened next is hard for me to say. The fact that he is mega-talented is understandable. Maybe he was given some responsibilities too early? And there is another point that all three of them - Samarin, Kolyada and Aliev - learned the most difficult element only this season. But, there is one “but”, a small one. For this element to become stable, it must be tested in more than one tournament. Aliyev, for example, at the Olympics, did it in the short program at a super start. Let it be once, but cleanly. And there is such a thing as muscle memory. That is, when you can perform this super element under stressful conditions, only then does it become yours. That is, if you have conquered the peak, you can come down from it, but the body has already remembered everything. And you can reach this peak again. In principle, the guys haven’t had time to test the quadruple lutz yet. Kolyada did it only once at the Grand Prix stage in China. And all the other starts he, let’s say, passed by this element. Therefore, there was no expectation that he would be able to fulfill it at the Games, that a miracle would happen.
— Is it possible to psychologically get a skater out of such a situation?
- Well, of course, you can. The question is that athletes of his class are people outside public access. Not everyone can come up and say: listen, let me help you. Any communication goes through the coach. If the mentor understands what is needed in order to steer a person out of this situation, then everything is in order. Just like it happened, for example, with me when Tatyana Totmyanina fell from the support. It seemed to me then that everyone now, when we compete, is waiting to see whether they will see show number two again or not. And the same thing, I think, can happen with Misha. When you do everything well in training, but subconsciously the mistake is still in your head. And, approaching this element, doubts simply begin to gnaw at you. Now I’m even a little offended for Kolyada. In the free program, which he started off well, in general, he performed two sheepskin coats. But for some nonsense, and for him it was absolutely nonsense, he did a “butterfly”, that is, he did not perform the jump at all. What is this, inattention or, conversely, super-confidence, I don’t know. One thing is clear - Mikhail already has internal obstacles that must be overcome.
Medvedev forever
— Maxim, who is Evgenia Medvedeva?
- I know her a little from the outside. It was interesting for me to watch her on Tarasova’s show, when Tatyana Anatolyevna had her anniversary. Relatively speaking, Medvedeva managed to make five elements per unit of time. She, like a race car, rushed from one corner to another. The last time I probably saw this was in 1993 at the national championship, when Gordeeva and Grinkov performed. It felt like I had come not to figure skating, but to a ping-pong tournament. People were flying from one end of the skating rink to the other. It was probably the same with Medvedeva. While other girls managed to complete one or two elements, Medvedeva managed to complete five. This determines the skater’s class, his degree of readiness. How much work does he manage to do per unit of time? And these were just demonstration performances. It’s hard for me to even imagine what she does in the training process. Therefore, I think that it has a great reserve of strength. We can be calm for Evgenia.
— Another thing is worrying: Tutberidze seems to be playing with juniors.
— I can say that my child is engaged in figure skating, and I see that more or less talented children already at the age of eight or nine work with other coaches. Parents see that they are losing in the competition if they do not go to a mentor who works for results. Nobody wants to lose. And parents deliberately throw their children into this cauldron where potential champions are cooked. That is, a person has created some kind of trend for the production of talent. Whether this is good or bad, everyone can relate to it differently. But in sports, the main thing is the result, right? And Tutberidze is the person who produces this result. And he, like a magnet, attracts young people who go and cook in this cauldron of competition. Internal rivalry actually gives birth to super-people, like Medvedev or Zagitov.
About Alena Savchenko and other greenhouses
- What's going on with our couples?
- Nothing bad. It's just that pair skating becomes much more difficult. And all competitors are five pairs. Previously, there were one or two leaders who competed with each other. Back then it was also said that there are diesel locomotives, and there are trailer cars. Now, with the current system, look, the first five pairs, including the French, can shoot at any time. This also leaves a certain imprint on the psychological preparation for the start.
— Is Alena Savchenko a genius or crazy?
— As Oleg Kimovich Vasiliev, our coach, says, luck smiles on those who know how to work. Probably, Alena is such an example for many future generations in pair skating, how perseverance and persistent movement towards the goal, without the pressure of a coach, and, according to her own awareness, leads to victory. Alena is just the engine, the locomotive, which she has simply pulled through more than one Olympic cycle, herself, and even her partners, and more than one. I just admire her as an athlete.
— What kind of strength do you need to have to complete five Olympic cycles?
- That's another question. This is where will and hard work come into play – everything coincides. When a person so sincerely wanted it and did everything for it, the decisive performance turned out. Wonderful rental!
Maxim Marinin - figure skater
— Have you ever regretted leaving? Don't feel drawn to it when you watch Korean events?
- No, no regrets. Many times we were written off and kicked. In general, I've had enough of it all. Already when we were going to the 2006 Olympics in Turin, I made a decision for myself that, regardless of the outcome of these competitions, this would be my last start. I began to get a little tired of living in this narrow sports corridor. When you are young, everything is cool and interesting. But then you just start thinking about what will happen next.
— Have you found yourself, is there any certainty yet? After all, ice shows don’t last forever.
— One way or another, you understand that now, and most likely later, my whole life will be connected with figure skating. In what capacity, I don’t want to say yet.
- Does the family understand?
“If you sent your son to figure skating, you understand, then life will be connected with figure skating.
Family and personal life
It often happens that people who devote themselves to a common cause eventually become a couple. But in the case of Maxim and Tatyana this did not happen: they were always partners on the ice, colleagues, friends, but nothing more.
Maxim Marinin and his wife met thanks to a psychologist. After Totmyanina fell from the top support, the skater developed fear, which was very difficult to fight on his own. For help, Maxim turned to a female psychologist, who advised him to switch, find a good girl and start a relationship. And she already had one such good girl in mind. Skeptical Maxim Marinin, whose personal life was indeed devoid of bright colors, at first did not share the psychologist’s opinion. But now, after the passage of time, he thanks fate for that important meeting that changed his life.
Meet Natalya Somova, ballerina of the theater named after. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, happened in 2005, a year before the Olympics. Soon after their first date, the young people decided to live together. Two years later, in 2007, their son Artemy was born. My grandparents helped me combine my career with my family. A babysitter was also hired. When deciding to live together, Maxim set a condition - all issues would be decided by the man, and the family lived according to this way of life.
In 2012, their daughter Ulyana was born. By the way, the couple still has not legalized their relationship due to constant moving and workload. According to Maxim, there was simply no time for wedding preparations. The skater continues intensive training and actively participates in television shows.
Personal life
Maxim Marinin’s personal life is not a “closed secret” for fans. Many viewers were sure that the skater’s love was his partner, Tatyana. But the champion’s wife became a completely different woman. In 2005, Marinin met Natalya Somova, a ballerina. The love between them flared up instantly. And after the first date they realized that they were made for each other. They passed the test of long separation, but retained their feelings.
Maxim Marinin’s wife at the time they met was the leading ballerina at the Stanislavsky Theater. The skater immediately liked her for her restraint and lack of arrogance. In addition, Natalya is also a very beautiful girl. After the first meeting, they had to part for a long time, as Maxim flew off to the next competition. But they kept in touch constantly through text messages and phone calls. Both of them really didn’t want to be apart for a long time.
Maxim Marinin’s wife, Natalya, gave birth to her beloved husband’s first son in 2007. The happy parents named their son Artemy. Maxim and Natalya hired a nanny. Parents also helped. At first, Maxim and Natalya rented an apartment, then bought their own. After that, they began building a country house.
In 2012, Maxim and Natalia had a daughter. The girl was named Ulyana. Before they started living together, Natalya and Maxim agreed that the man was in charge in the family. He must resolve all major issues and problems. Therefore, peace and harmony still reign in their family.
Marinin's participation in the show
The first program in which Maxim Marinin (photo presented in the article) took part was the “Stars on Ice” show. Channel One invited the athlete to film in 2006. The partner was Maria Kiseleva, Olympic swimming champion. A year later, Marinin performed with Olga Kabo in Ice Age. In 2008, work continued with Zhanna Friske, in 2009 - with ballerina Anastasia Volochkova. At the 2010 performance, Natalya Podolskaya became the champion’s companion. Together they took third place and reached the final. In 2011, Maxim trained under the guidance of his other half Natalya Somova in the Bolero show. In 2013, work on the television project continued with film actress Lyanka Gryu.
A television
Marinin first appeared on television in 2006 in the “Stars on Ice” program, which was broadcast on Channel One. For a while, his partner was Maria Kiseleva, who won the Olympics in swimming. In the period from 2007-2011. Maxim Marinin constantly participated in the Ice Age program. The skater performed with many famous personalities: A. Volochkova, J. Friske, O. Kabo and N. Podolskaya. In 2011, Marinin took part in the Bolero program. But already together with his common-law wife.
But Maxim did not limit himself to ice dancing. He participated in the “Show with Dolphins”, where he had to learn a new profession - a trainer. In 2013 he played in the play “Mama”. In 2014, he returned to the show Ice Age. But this time with my first partner - Tatyana. Maxim is not going to interrupt his television career. And ahead of the audience will be new shows with the participation of the famous figure skater.
Marinin and dolphins
Maxim does not stop there. This time he decided to master the difficult profession of training the smartest animals on Earth - dolphins. According to the program's design, show participants are dressed in wetsuits. The children's task is to convince the jury that it is possible to perform acrobatic exercises with animals, for example, swimming past on a dolphin's head. This demonstrates strength, agility and the ability to maintain balance while moving on the water. At the skater’s command, dolphins must perform simple maneuvers: jump out of the water, roll over. The jury includes Sergei Shakurov, Vladimir Korenev, Efim Shifrin and Tatyana Tarasova. They evaluate the level of preparation and give grades.
Creative projects
In 2009, an attempt was made to open a figure skating school named after. Maxim Marinina. A few hours before the official start of work, the refrigeration units broke down. The skating rink was moved to the north-west of the city, but the famous skater refused to perform due to bad weather. The organizer of the school, young businesswoman Daria Gartung, said that the project is semi-social and semi-commercial in nature. The purpose of its creation is primarily to popularize this sport in the city. The site provides the opportunity to train for children from orphanages free of charge.
Marinin’s major project on television in 2013 was the filming of the play “Mama,” the plot of which is based on the fairy tale “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats.”
In 2014, on Channel One, Marinin took part (paired with his Olympic partner) in the program “Ice Age. Professional Cup". The competition was divided, as at the Olympic Games, into individual competition and team performance.
In 2020, Maxim Marinin tours around the world as part of the star team of Ilya Averbukh. This time, viewers will see the musical “Carmen” performed by their favorite artists, including Roman Kostomarov, Tatyana Navka, Alexey Yagudin, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Maxim Shabalin, Elena Leonova and many others. This production has no equal in terms of the number of special effects, incredible scenery and cast of participants. In addition to figure skaters, actors, singers, dancers, acrobats, and jugglers are involved. They play on stage, skate on ice, soar in the air. Six incredible sets with mirrors immerse the viewer in the plot of the play and create an indescribable atmosphere of Italy.
Many successful people dream of stopping there and living a calm, quiet life, but not Maxim Marinin. Family for him is the main incentive to move forward, so we will see his name more than once on the pages of famous publications and on the posters of popular productions.
