Ivan Shmuratko: “My short program is a story about a father whose child is killed by a missile. We created this program without hints: we wanted to show everything as it’s happening in Ukraine right now.”
Translation of Ivan Shmuratko’s comments about his program, Grand Prix Espoo and training during a war time.
original source: suspilne.media dd. 25th November 2023 by Katerina Makarevska and Evhen Moroz
Here’s a translation of Ivan Shmuratko’s comments made in an interview for Suspilne.
Ukrainian figure skater Ivan Shmuratko shared his impressions of the Grand Prix in Espoo, Finland:
“Ivan Shmuratko: Of course, it was good that I was preparing for Warsaw (note – a challenger event Ivan planned to compete before he was invited to the Grand Prix stage). For an hour, I thought, talked with my close ones, and finally decided that it would be a good experience, and Ukraine would be represented at the Grand Prix.
It’s just a bit of an adjustment to different competitions, a different arena, a different country. But essentially, I step onto a 60×30-meter ice rink and skate on frozen water. The mindset is different, but the external aspects are the same.
Our country is at war, so (competitions abroad – ed.) it’s a completely different world. And the Grand Prix is not just any competition; it’s a series of the best competitions in our sport. It can’t be compared even with the World and European Championships. They invite the best. So, starting from the first bus from the hotel to the rink, I just wanted to be in the moment and enjoy this experience.
In the short program, I fell on an element that I could perform at night with my eyes closed. In the free skate, there was also a series of mistakes. But this competition taught me, first of all, to focus on what went well and then think about the not-so-good. So, overall, I’m happy with the entire event.
Certainly, there were technical mistakes, and now I’m skating programs with a simplified content. I practice during public skating sessions, which I will change because I need to train to compete, not just participate in a competition,” said Shmuratko.
About training during public sessions:
“Ivan Shmuratko: I’ve spent many training hours this fall on crowded rinks, and it’s my choice because I saw it as the best preparation for myself in Kyiv. Now I need to quickly figure out how I will prepare for the European and World Championships.
Everywhere is crowded. Many people skate in Kyiv from other cities: from Kharkiv, Dnipro. Currently, the situation is such that there is no ice for the national team. I skate with kids, with figure skaters of different ages, and for everyone, it becomes traumatic and not very safe. Therefore, I am looking for options to improve my training opportunities.
Returning to Ukraine is entirely my decision. I am Ukrainian, and my home is here. I feel good here. And I want to improve the state of figure skating in Ukraine. I will find these conditions,” said Shmuratko.
About the short program created in collaboration with Mikhail Leiba.
“Ivan Shmuratko: We have recently discussed that we wouldn’t even call it a program because a program is like executing a plan, but what we have is a performance.
There are no words to describe it. Miroslav Skorik is a legend of Ukraine. It’s a brilliant composition – ‘Melody.’
Through the movements, I convey the story of a father and child. The child is born, grows up, learns to walk, plays with the father. And then the child dies because of the missile, and the father has to live with this afterward.
We created this program without hints: we wanted to show everything as it is happening in Ukraine right now,” said Shmuratko.
About the idea of the Free Program:
“Ivan Shmuratko: It’s quite simple. It’s called ‘Skrypka Hraie’ (The Violin Plays). The words are ones that every Ukrainian can understand. I feel that even those who don’t understand the Ukrainian language resonate with it.
The music I choose is what I live through. It’s Ukraine’s message to the global audience. Vasyl Zinkevych sings, ‘The violin plays, the heart aches, our summer is burning out.’ Throughout the song, various events unfold, and the violin continues to play.
For me, it’s a story about everything happening around us. It’s our life. We have a war, and it’s horrifying and surreal for the 21st century. But each of us is doing our job, and we need to help those who are fighting for us on the front lines. Not to lose hope and to live. They are fighting for life.”
Related topics: Ivan Shmuratko
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