A love triangle under state control: at the 1972 Olympics, Shakespearean passions were in full swing in the USSR national figure skating team

The real sensation of this summer was the marriage of the silver medalist of the Olympics in Sochi, Fedor Klimov, and the silver medalist of the Olympics in Beijing, Evgenia Tarasova. Klimov and his partner Ksenia Stolbova were connected only by joint training and performances, but Tarasov and his partner Vladimir Morozov were a couple not only on ice for a long time. When there were reports of Evgenia’s wedding, many were sure that Morozov took her to the registry office.

Half a century ago, when there was no Internet, no gossip columns in Soviet newspapers, such stories were passed from mouth to mouth, and the skaters’ novels were controlled by … the state.

Declaration of love from a printed page

In 1972, the Winter Olympics were held in Sapporo, Japan, and Muscovites Irina Rodnina / Alexey Ulanov and Leningraders Lyudmila Smirnova / Andrey Suraikin claimed victory in the sports couples competition.

By the way, both before and after the trip to the Olympics, documentaries were made about talented athletes: they became the main characters of the films “Young Skaters”, “Stars of Figure Skating” and “Two on Ice”.

Leningraders were considered the heirs of the classical style, the founders of which were the legendary Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov. For some time, Smirnova and Suraikin even trained with two-time Olympic champions. Although it is not necessary to say that Belousova and Protopopov were real coaches. After all, they themselves continued to be active.

“Most often, in training, Andrei himself took on coaching functions, and his mother, Kalisa Davydovna, helped him,” recalls Smirnova. – She worked as an engineer, but did not miss her son’s training. She made sure that we correctly performed all the movements on the ice.

A real sensation in the USSR was made by an essay by the famous journalist and writer Stanislav Tokarev. Throughout the country, he replicated Lyudmila’s declaration of love for his partner.

“I liked Andrei from the very beginning of our joint training,” Smirnova said. – It was the first love that many girls have. There were no relations between us today that are put on public display. We went to the theater together, tried to surprise each other with something. Andrei’s mother and grandmother also liked me.

Perhaps Suraikin was so sure that his partner would not go anywhere from him that he was in no hurry to call her to the registry office. And at that moment, Ulanov began to persistently look after Lyudmila. He considered himself the leader of the trio, which included his partner Rodnina and coach Stanislav Zhuk. He often offered some ideas in training, even brought music for championship programs. Blago graduated from a music school in the accordion class.

For four years, the Rodnina / Ulanov couple won all competitions both in the USSR and abroad. Smirnova and Suraikin were always second. At the Olympics in Sapporo they had no serious rivals, so no one doubted that gold and silver would go to our country. Only the doctor of the Soviet team, Viktor Anikanov, told the MK in St. Petersburg correspondent that everyone in the Olympic delegation was concerned about one question: will our couples be able to complete the competition, or will the partners cripple each other earlier?

Wedding after the Olympics

Smirnova herself claims that it was difficult to have novels in the Olympic village. In addition, the delegation included representatives of government agencies. They always closely followed the moral character of Soviet athletes. The skaters themselves were introduced to these “coaches” before leaving for the competition. One of them, as Smirnova assures, was a good friend of Ulanov.

After 50 years, when the statute of limitations for archival documents expired, an account of the events in Sapporo was published. It stated that Suraikin could not come to terms with the loss of his partner and made his way to Ulanov’s room at night, hoping to find Lyudmila there. I did not find it, but the conversation with Ulanov took place in raised tones.

Until the end of the competition, the conflict was contained. Rodnina and Ulanov became champions, while Smirnova and Suraikin won silver. Although several referees put the Leningrad couple in first place. After the tournament of sports pairs was over, the champions went on a month-long tour of foreign countries. For Soviet athletes who were not spoiled by foreign trips, this was a luxurious gift.

Silver medalists were sent to Leningrad on the very first flight. The city leaders encouraged Smirnova and Suraykin by issuing orders for new apartments, and … began to persistently hint that it would be nice to have a wedding. It was just too late. Lyudmila fell head over heels in love with Ulanov.

Whether there was a great feeling on the part of Alexei, or whether he simply considered that Smirnova was an ideal partner for him, is unknown. In the summer of 1972, they got married and began performing together. Naturally, a pair made up of an Olympic champion and a silver medalist automatically became number one in the USSR team.

Children and divorce

Only the Beetle did not accept such a scenario. He found a new partner for Rodnina, the Leningrad figure skater Alexander Zaitsev, unknown to anyone until then. In a few months, Zhuk pulled up the new partner of the Olympic champion to the level of the first number of the national team. For two seasons, Rodnina and Zaitsev beat Smirnova and Ulanov at the USSR championships.

It was not so easy for established skaters from different schools to perform together. Smirnova and Ulanov had different techniques and different styles. The partner was impatient. He even declared to Lyudmila that she did not know how to train until she began to ride with him. I wonder how, at the same time, she became the winner of the World and European Championships, not to mention the Olympics, along with another partner?

Ulanov was a terrible individualist. In a long-standing interview, he told the correspondent of “MK in St. Petersburg” that he did not endure quite a bit. If he knew that Rodnina and Zaitsev would leave Zhuk, he would certainly have stayed with Smirnova in amateur sports. However, the professional career of Lyudmila and Alexei was successful. They became the first Soviet skaters who were officially allowed to sign a contract with a foreign show, the famous Holiday on Ice. For some time they even lived with the head of this ice troupe.

Immediately after the end of her sports career, Lyudmila gave birth to a son, Nikolai, and after the family moved from Moscow to Leningrad, a daughter, Irina. In overseas shows there was a place for them. Smirnova and Ulanov worked at Holiday on Ice for eight and a half years. Nikolai also performed in some programs with his parents.

Although, as Lyudmila admits, their couple with Ulanov lasted many years on the ice and in life only thanks to her patience. They divorced in 1997. Smirnova regarded her husband’s betrayal as a betrayal and still cannot find an answer to the question of why life punished her so much. Many years later, Alexey asked for forgiveness, tried to find a common language with the children, but they did not want to communicate with him.

parted ways

For a long time Smirnova worked as a coach in America. For ten years I waited for my husband to return. She came to St. Petersburg when her father fell ill.

“They persuaded me to stay in America, they even promised to find a new husband,” Lyudmila said with a smile. – I promised American employers that I was leaving for a short time. Although I understood that I was returning to my hometown forever.

Today, together with her children, Lyudmila works at the Dynasty school in St. Petersburg. “This is not just a school, this is a real family! – Smirnova emphasized in an interview with a correspondent of MK in St. Petersburg. – We have a warm relationship between coaches, and work gives joy. I never thought that my children would become coaches, but they take great pleasure in even with the smallest ones.”

Ulanov also returned from America to Moscow. He has a new family. Tried to find family happiness and Suraikin. He married several times, but, apparently, he could not forget his first love. The silver medalist of the Sapporo Olympics died at the age of 47 from cancer.

Today, Shakespeare’s passions of half a century ago are reminded only by a magazine stored in the library with an essay and Smirnova’s declaration of love for her partner. Moreover, the report of employees of state structures published after the statute of limitations.