Mountain of goodness: Svetlana Zhurova spoke about the hero of the day Nikolai Valuev

State Duma deputy and ex-world heavyweight boxing champion Nikolai Valuev celebrates his 50th birthday. Valuev has repeatedly rejected offers to star in Hollywood films, and Russian viewers know him as a boxer Yegor Golovin in the domestic film “Stone Head” and – unexpectedly – in the image of the host of “Good night, kids!”. Our hero celebrates his anniversary with close people in the village of Diveevo, Nizhny Novgorod Region. Colleagues of the legendary Nikolai Valuev spoke about him and for him “MK” today.

“People attack him everywhere,” says State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova, a colleague and countrywoman of Nikolai Valuev, in an interview with MK. – He takes pictures with them to the last person and never refuses anyone. This is surprising, because, of course, sometimes there is a crowd of people who are waiting for Kolya for photo shoots. I remember that my friends once gave me a cat of the British Golden Chinchilla breed, I went into the entrance with her, Kolya came out to meet me (we live in the same house). When he saw the kitten, he took it from me and said, “Give it to me, please! I dreamed of just such a breed. I really want my children to live like this at home.” I answered him that if she gives birth to kittens, I will give them. He told me: “So, I’m the first in line!”. Now imagine: Nikolai Valuev is standing with this little cat in his arms, a kind, nice, absolutely incredible person. I even took a picture of them together because it was a touching picture. Then he bought himself such a kitten. He is an amazing family man, loves his wife and children. He always says: “I have a very strict wife and I am very afraid of her.” Imagine Nikolai, big and huge, and little Galya.

“Like none of the deputies, Nikolai spends a lot of time on business trips,” continues Svetlana Zhurova. – When you need to go to the polls to support someone, he is always the first on the list, in any subject. I call us “The War Elephant Team” (laughs) led by Nikolai Valuev. Because he is a real war elephant in front, and we are behind him.

– Are there too many athletes in the State Duma?

– There are not many athletes in the Duma for 450 people. It seems. We are just bright media faces, and we are recognized. There are many more teachers and doctors in the State Duma than athletes.

– And all the athletes-deputies from the United Russia party?

– In this convocation – yes, only in United Russia. In past convocations, there were athletes in other factions. It’s just that these are all famous people, and because of this, more attention is riveted to us than to the rest. Nikolai Valuev is one of them. It’s just that there are Olympic champions and there are world champions, and many ordinary non-athlete deputies have a sports category. Many deputies were engaged in sports schools. Then we have the entire Duma sports. And that’s good! But there are special ones among us, such as Nikolai. To Valuev in the Duma in general a special relationship.

– What is Valuev interested in in his free time?

– Our guys in St. Petersburg once wanted to involve Nikolai Valuev in playing golf, which he really liked. And I, being the honorary president of the Russian Golf Association, decided to make his dream come true. When Kolya took the club, it was like a toothpick in his hands – in reality, golf clubs were simply not invented for his height. Then he was offered footbgolf – a sport derived from football and golf and holes with a bucket. Nikolai liked this sport, and he became interested in this game as an unusual pastime.

– Did Nikolai Valuev regret that he could not take part in the Olympics?

– Of course, like all athletes, he dreamed of becoming an Olympic champion. His sport is Olympic, so hypothetically, of course, he could participate in the Olympics. But he came to the sport very late, it was not easy for him. And the title of world champion is also a very high title.

– What do you know about the “gangster past” of Nikolai Valuev?

– I heard about the gangster past of Nikolai only as myths. There are no facts to support this. People really wanted it to be like that. Let them think so. The big guys have a lot of stories like that. Friends of my acquaintances to shot throwers suggested “Come with me to the arrow, just stand there, you will scare with your appearance” (laughs). It was scary to go from yard to yard. Big guys are healthy, especially at a young age, were popular – and here you have a guy behind your back: “And he is with us!”

– And in the Duma are they afraid of Nikolai Valuev?

– No, what are you? There is no such attitude as to Nikolai in the Duma to any of the deputies. Everyone is in awe of him. Nicholas radiates goodness. He is like a mountain of kindness.

– We met Nikolai in 2007 on the set of the film The Way. He played a killer prisoner who wanted to escape, and according to the plot, I fought with him, ”recalls Dmitry Nosov, the bronze medalist of the Olympic Games in judo, in an interview with MK. – Kolya immediately set a condition for the director that he should not lose in battle. But I, as the main character, could not be defeated. In the end, we found a compromise on how to get out of this situation. You will recognize it if you watch the movie.

During the filming, Kolya and I could not even think that in 4 years we would meet again, but already in the chairs of the State Duma (IV convocation. – Ed.). It is curious that a separate place was made for Valuev. He became the first deputy who did not fit into the chair – the dimensions did not fit into the standard. I thought that they would make a separate podium for him (laughs). By the way, unfortunately, I didn’t see Valuev’s speech on the podium, but in private conversations Nikolai is distinguished by special eloquence, prudence and an excellent sense of humor. I remember when his son was born, I asked how much the boy weighed – 10 kilograms? To which Kolya laughed and said that, alas, only about three kilograms.

– Nikolai is a very kind, attentive person. Clever rare, – says “MK” State Duma deputy Elena Drapeko. “He performs well in front of the voters. His speech is very intelligent. You can see a well-educated person. We traveled together to Gagauzia. In Comrat, after the meeting, he was surrounded by residents in the courtyard of the House of Culture. Everyone wanted to take a picture with him. He stood on the square for more than an hour until he took a picture with everyone. It seems that it was the entire population of a small town. Nobody refused. What a good man! He will do a lot of good for our Fatherland!