Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii: “We’re amazed by Eteri Tutberidze. We haven’t seen anyone work so much. We wanted to have the best possible working atmosphere, and we succeeded.”
Interview with Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii. About new season and work with the new coaching staff.
source: fsrussia.ru / RSport
This season, in a certain sense, will be new for you. Do you see it as a challenge for yourself?
Aleksandra Boikova: I don’t see it as a challenge. You have to approach everything more simply. Yes, new coaches, a new group, a new environment, but it’s normal to start something new in your life and it’s better to approach it with a cool head. You’re still stepping onto the ice wearing the same skates, with the same partner… No, I can’t call it a challenge.
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: We want to step onto the ice and perform, perform our best routines. So, I agree with Aleksandra, we’re entering this season with the goal of skating clean, skating well, and most importantl, with a calm and clear head. Right now, we’re in a very comfortable working atmosphere and want to maintain that throughout the season.
How quickly did you adapt to life in Moscow? Or, as the song sings, “If I had to be a Petersburg native, Moscow will never become native to me”?
Aleksandra Boikova: I agree because for now, it’s a bit tough in the sense that Dima and I miss our hometown, St. Petersburg.
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: In reality, we don’t have much time to miss it, there’s so much work.
Aleksandra Boikova: That’s true, but still, when you leave the rink and go home, you think, “Back in St. Petersburg, I would be driving along the beautiful embankment…”
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: But you have to understand that we moved to the capital, a big metropolis. We train in excellent conditions, we live in great conditions…
Aleksandra Boikova: We came here to work…
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: We came here to work. In one of the most beautiful cities in the world. That’s true. Of course, St. Petersburg will never replace any other city for me, but to say that we are suffering or struggling here, absolutely not. We are focused on our work. So, I would say: Moscow is a wonderful city, but in its own way.
You announced your decision to join Eteri Tutberidze’s group during the May show in Mongolia. I’m not asking about the reasons for the transfer, they are more or less understandable, but it seems worth explaining why you made this decision after new programs were choreographed?
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: Everything happened in a timely manner, there are specific transfer deadlines.
Aleksandra Boikova: We announced our decision during the “transfer window.”
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: From an ethical point of view, we tried to be as correct as possible with all participants in this process and were guided by all the above-mentioned aspects.
Aleksandra Boikova: We asked for consent from everyone. No one was against it.
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: The process was lengthy. It took a lot of time, and while all the necessary formal procedures were taking place, we strictly adhered to the rules.
You are experienced athletes, and you probably had an idea of what programs you would like to skate in the new season. How did this work go?
Aleksandra Boikova: Valeria Chistyakova and Nikolai Moroshkin choreographed the short program for us. For the free program, it was Anjelika Krylova with the assistance of Nikolai Moroshkin. We found the music for the short program (Aznavour – La Bohme (Stelios Remix)) last autumn, put it aside, thinking that we could consider it for the next season. And when it was time to choreograph it, we didn’t think for long – everyone liked the music, so we took it.
As for the free program, we chose it together – Dima, me, Anjelika Krylova, Nikolai Moroshkin. I remember sitting in the hall, talking, listening, thinking… Dima and I wanted to try something new for ourselves. We often had programs that were vivid and featured instantly recognizable characters. But this time, the free program is different – “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi as interpreted by Max Richter. We have our own story, and maybe we’ll tell it later. For now, we want each viewer to see their own story in it.
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: You know, not long ago, I had an interesting moment, even a kind of shift, which is possibly related to the process of maturing as an athlete or something else. I have moved away from the formula in programs: like – don’t like. Now, the most important thing in my understanding is that the music works, the program works. This is an absolutely cold, rational approach based on professionalism. It doesn’t mean that I don’t like the programs. The music is great, there’s a fantastic idea, great choreography… But still, I think that when an athlete reaches a certain level, relying solely on the thesis of whether I like it or not is no longer the format. The program should meet several criteria. It must engage the audience. It must be winning. And it must contribute to development.
A large team of coaches is working with you now. Can you tell us about this?
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: We are currently working with a large coaching team, and it’s great, we enjoy it. When we started our collaboration, we worked on camps with Pavel Slusarenko, and later Maxim Trankov joined. Eteri Georgievna is always present on the ice…
Aleksandra Boikova: And now we also have Alexei Tikhonov…
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: Sergei Viktorovich Dudakov, Daniil Gleikhengauz – everyone constantly comes and brings something new. And it’s genuinely interesting. There’s no routine; something is always changing. You immerse yourself in the energy, the “flow” of another person, which allows you to constantly change your perception of training. You feel this “pulse,” the dynamics, and it’s great. At the same time, there’s no rush. Everything is very organically systematic and coordinated.
Do you practice on the ice alone?
Aleksandra Boikova: No, with the group of Filipp Tarasov. Also, Evgenia and Vladimir (Tarasova/Morozov – ed.) occasionally join us.
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: You know, when I think about our work now, I’m really amazed by Eteri Georgievna. I haven’t seen anyone work so much.
Aleksandra Boikova: That’s true.
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: She’s always on the ice. I think she works without taking any days off.
Aleksandra Boikova: Sometimes, Eteri Georgievna comes onto the ice to say a few words to us and stays for the entire training session. You can see that she wants to do this, that she’s charged for work, wants to help everyone, feels that she can help, and she does it.
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: I noticed this during our training camp in Novogorsk when some of the coaches and specialists took occasional days off, but she didn’t take any at all. We were simply amazed, wondering where she gets so much energy to give… A athlete’s job is to absorb everything possible from the coaches. And a coach’s job is to give – their energy, knowledge, everything that’s required to each athlete individually. Where does Eteri Georgievna get so much energy for this? It’s a mystery to me.
Dima, you graduated from the master’s program. Will you continue your education?
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: Of course. I’ll tell you more about it later. I got into exactly where I wanted to. It’s my second higher education…
Sasha, are you still studying journalism at the university?
Aleksandra Boikova: I’m in my fourth year, and I’ll be working on my thesis.
What’s your thesis topic?
Aleksandra Boikova: It will be related to sports journalism…
And the traditional question about your goals for the season.
Dmitrii Kozlovskii: To skate clean, show improvement from one competition to the next, and most importantly, as I’ve mentioned before, it’s about becoming the best version of ourselves.
At the test skates Dmitrii Kozlovskii also commented on the change of coaching staff.
During the offseason, Aleksndra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii switched from Tamara Moskvina to Eteri Tutberidze.
“We are glad to return to the atmosphere of big sports. We got tired of practicing; we want to perform in front of the audience. The adaptation is going well; we wanted to have the best possible working atmosphere, and we succeeded. Moscow has a very strong work energy,” said Kozlovskii.
Related topics: Alexandra Boikova Dmitri Kozlovski, Eteri Tutberidze
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