Hockey Legend - Legend No. 17
On this day, January 14, 66 years ago, a brilliant hockey player and great man Valery Kharlamov was born in Moscow.
He most accurately spoke of his extraordinary sports talent. Valeria Kharlamova composer Dmitry Shostakovich: "What an amazing talent, what a combination of thought and movement, what a diamond among diamonds!" And the words are best suited to the fate of Valery Vasily Shukshina O Sergei Yesenin: “They regret it: Yesenin did not live long enough. Exactly - with a song. If this song were long, it wouldn't be so nagging. There are no long songs ... ".
Valery Kharlamov was born on January 14, 1948 in Moscow, into an international family. Father, Boris Sergeevich, worked all his life as a test fitter at the Moscow plant "Kommunar". In the same place, since the 1940s, his mother, Aribe Abbad Hermane (Begonita), a Basque from Bilbao, worked as a revolver-turner, one of the many Spanish children taken out in 1937 from the Spanish Civil War and brought up in an orphanage in the USSR. ...
They named their son after the legendary pilot Valery Chkalov. Later, Valery had a sister, Tatiana.
Valery was addicted to sports by his father, who played Russian hockey for the factory team and often brought his son with him. And when a summer skating rink opened on Leningradsky Prospekt in 1962, he, secretly from his wife, took his son there and enrolled in the hockey section. Kharlamov himself recalled: “I was not a very healthy child. My father believed that sports should help me become stronger. He did not think that I would be a hockey player when he was driving the puck with me in the yard and even when he brought me to CSKA. They accepted 13-year-olds, and I was 14. I had to cheat - fortunately, the growth was not great ... ". Valery's first coach was Vyacheslav Tazov, and later - Andrey Starovoitov.
The hockey talent of young Valery was noticed early by his first coaches and they recommended him to the senior CSKA team, but Anatoly Tarasov at first he was not impressed by Kharlamov - mainly because of his small stature. However, in the spring of 1967, Valery flashed in Minsk in the final tournament of the USSR junior championship, and upon returning to Moscow he was invited to CSKA. After the summer training camp in Kudepsta, a completely different Valery returned to Moscow. Vladimir Bogomolov, Kharlamov's partner in the youth team, recalled: “Upon returning from Minsk in 1967, when Valera began to be tried in the team of masters ... I encouraged him not to shake himself among the masters, where every hockey player is a national team player. It was hard for him - neither impressive physical data, nor a sonorous name even at the junior level. Later he went to the training camp in Kudepsta. And when I saw each other, I did not recognize my friend. Powerful legs and arms. And what a back, what a press! The muscles were playing all over the body. The athlete returned home, even though he was molding an ancient hero from him. "
In the 1967/68 season, Valery was sent to the second league - to the Chebarkul "Zvezda", the "army" team of the Ural Military District. As the head coach of Zvezda admitted Vladimir Alfer, he received a strict instruction from Tarasov: “You must create conditions for him to train three times a day. In calendar meetings, Valery must spend at least seventy percent of his time on the ice, regardless of how the game is going. "
The coach appreciated Valery's game, and informed Anatoly Tarasov about this. On March 8, 1967, Kharlamov returned home and on the same day was summoned by Tarasov to CSKA training.
He managed to gain a foothold in the main CSKA team only in the next season in the top three with Boris Mikhailov and Vladimir Petrov... In December 1968, Kharlamov was invited to the second USSR national team to participate in the international Moscow tournament (later it became known as the tournament for the prize of the Izvestia newspaper), and immediately after the tournament Kharlamov, Mikhailov, Petrov was invited to the main team for two exhibition games with Canada. It was from these games that the three Mikhailov - Petrov - Kharlamov appeared in the USSR national team. It was not just a brilliant hockey troika, they all became true friends. Valery Kharlamov spoke warmly about his friends: “It's great when real friends are next to you! Those who will not dissemble, seeing that you are wrong, will not be afraid to offend by saying this in the face. I appreciate in my friends honesty, frankness, frankness, a desire to help, help out ... They are sometimes funny, sometimes harsh, but do not lose heart under any circumstances. You know, it rarely happens that players of the same three are friends. Others, if they come together - except on the site. We with Mikhailov and Petrov almost never part, although everyone is different. Volodya Petrov has a difficult character: he is quick-tempered, stubborn, and there is no person in the world who could argue with him. In serious matters, Petrov is principled and will express his point of view to any, the most recognized authority, including Tarasov, and will defend it to the end. Well done! Mikhailov enjoys special respect in the national team and at CSKA. I appreciate in our right extreme dedication with which he gives himself to the game, justice and modesty. Boris once said: "A person in any situation must remain himself." And he himself strictly follows this rule. "
This troika of CSKA strikers was created over the course of three years. First, Boris Mikhailov appeared in CSKA, since 1967, Vladimir Petrov began to appear at the base of the army team, who was seen as a replacement for Alexander Almetov, who was leaving hockey, and after the CSKA team went to the games in Japan, Kharlamov joined the troika.
Each of the players in the legendary troika had his own unique style of play: Mikhailov was passionate and scored the most in the troika, Petrov, unusually physically developed, knew how to fight powerfully, and Kharlamov stood out for his unique stroke, scored fewer teammates in the troika, but gave them a lot of goals gear. This trio became the first in Soviet hockey to play in a power manner. Kharlamov himself characterized the game of the troika as follows: “We understand each other not from a half-word, but from a half-letter. I know what they can do at one moment or another, I guess about their decision, even if they look somewhere in the other direction. More precisely, I do not so much know how much I feel what they will do in the next second, how they will play in this or that situation, and therefore at the same instant I rush to where the puck is waiting for me, where, according to my partner's plan, I should appear. Without saying a word, just glancing at one another, we immediately find a solution that suits everyone - having lost the puck, we know who should run to help the defenders, we know when a partner is so tired that it is you who should “work out” back, although he is closer to his goal , at any moment of the match we know who to fight, who to attack the player who owns the puck. "
Since the early 1970s, Kharlamov has become one of the leading ice hockey players in the country. His greatest strengths were excellent technique, impeccable skating, puck control, and striking goalscoring qualities.
In the USSR championship in the 1970/71 season, he became the top scorer, having thrown 40 goals into the opponents' goal. At the 1971 World Cup, it was thanks to him that the decisive puck in the match with the Swedes was thrown, which led to the victory of the national team.
On the eve of the Olympics in Sapporo, Tarasov decided to transfer Kharlamov to another three - to Vikulov and Firsov. And Valery played brilliantly in this trio. He became the top scorer of the Olympics, he managed a hat-trick twice (in matches against the Finns and Poles). During the Games, Kharlamov scored 16 points, scored 9 goals and gave 7 assists. The gold of the USSR at the Sapporo Olympics is largely due to Kharlamov.
Valery Kharlamov said: “I can't play against the weak. I don't know why myself. I guess I feel sorry for them. Here would be to fight again with the professionals! You play against them - you feel like a man. How they fight powerfully, how they fight until the last second! Canadians spare neither themselves nor rivals. But when you beat the team of Phil Esposito or Bobby Hull, you feel that it was not in vain that you took the stick in your hands. " And in the USSR-Canada super series in 1972, Kharlamov demonstrated all his best athletic qualities and received universal recognition in world hockey.
Kharlamov always tried to play against strong opponents, "transporting" the weak is not for him
Along with Tretyak and Yakushev, he was one of the leading players of the USSR national team in these games. Goalkeeper Ken Dryden said about Kharlamov after the first match: “It was Kharlamov who broke our mighty team, removed the question of the winner. I have never seen a striker like this again. ”
Another significant sporting event in Kharlamov's career was the USSR super series - Canada in 1974 - in 8 games he scored only 2 goals, but both of them are recognized as masterpieces. On September 17, 1974, in Quebec, Valery scored a goal that delighted both fans and professionals. Canadian defender Tremblay recalled: “When Stapleton and I were rolling back, I was calm: not a single VXA or NHL forward would dare to wedge a wedge between us. Without false modesty, I will say that it is less dangerous to find yourself between two millstones. However, this Russian striker rushed right at us. What happened next? I saw that the forward was going to bypass me from the outside, to the left. Pat Stapleton, as it turned out later, noticed the exact opposite: they say, the Russian wants to bypass him on the right and also from the outside. When we parted to catch each “our” Kharlamov, he slipped between us. And to this day I do not understand how he left us in the fools. But one thing I know for sure: there is no other such player. " Canadian journalists called this puck a “gourmet goal”.
On October 3, in Moscow, Kharalamov threw the puck, about which Anatoly Tarasov enthusiastically responded as follows: “He circled the first Canadian with his signature feint - a deceitful nod of his head to the side, which made him rush in front of him, where Valery was not going to move. The second, who intended to collide on the slide, he beat, braking sharply and at the same time turning his body, so that the enemy missed and flew past. And to the third, he showed that he had lost the puck, deliberately letting it go from the hook of the stick, and when the Canadian touched the puck, already tasting the joy that he had taken it from Kharlamov himself, Valery bumped into him, pushed him with his shoulder, threw it onto the ice, and again took possession puck and found himself face to face with the goalkeeper Chivers.
As if jokingly, a little even playfully, Kharlamov approached the most experienced goalkeeper of the Canadians, made a swing with his stick and lunged to the left with the clear intention of hitting the corner of the goal to the right of the goalkeeper. His feint was so natural that the goalkeeper began to shift to the right, but Valeriy played differently - with an elusive movement he sent the puck overhead to the left corner of the goal. "
Team doctor Oleg Belakovsky noted the extremely aggressive and sometimes unsportsmanlike play of the Canadians: “It would seem that an imperceptible jab with a club - and Kharlamov's nose is broken. I have a hard time stopping his blood. A blow to the bridge of the nose is a very painful thing, but now it's not painful, and Valery is again torn on the ice. Canadians set themselves the task of breaking this stubborn person at any cost. And right there, in front of thousands of indignant spectators, something disgusting happens. Rick Lay, a Canadian defender, catches up with Valery and punches him in the face for no reason. He hits the bridge of the nose with his fist! Lay's kick serves as a signal, and a real massacre begins. Most of all goes to Kharlamov, Yakushev, Maltsev, Vasiliev, Lutchenko. They are all seriously injured. I barely have time to bandage, grease, glue. I hardly have time because the guys are literally rushing into battle. They are torn, despite the danger of new clashes. It was truly a great confrontation. " In fairness, it should be noted that after the game, Lei publicly apologized to Kharlamov.
At the end of 1975, the first games between the USSR and the NHL took place at the club level. CSKA were to play four games in North America. Kharlamov was greeted in the USA and Canada as a superstar - only he and Tretyak were greeted by the audience with a long standing ovation during the presentation of hockey players before the start of the games. And Kharlamov in every match met the expectations of the fans - all his goals were skillful and beautiful. In the games of this super series, Canadians often used techniques that were far from sports. So, in the match with Philadelphia, Canadian Ed van Imp stabbed Kharlamov in the back with a stick in the 12th minute of the first period, after which the Soviet hockey player lay on the ice for a long time. Kharlamov himself recalled it this way: “The blow was so strong and unexpected that I crashed onto the ice ... My eyes went dark. It seems that I even lost consciousness for a few seconds. And the first thought - it is imperative to get up ... For a few seconds the muscles did not obey me, but somehow I got up. " After that, the leadership of CSKA took the team off the ice, but this did not lead to anything. The team "burned out" during this break and ultimately lost 1: 4. According to the results of the tour, Kharlamov was the best in CSKA in the "goal + pass" system, scoring 4 goals and giving 3 assists.
At the Olympics in Innsbruck, Kharlamov performed in one triple with Mikhailov and Petrov. In the last, decisive game with the Czechoslovakians, it was Valery Kharlamov who scored the winning goal, beating goalkeeper Jiri Golechek. In total, Valery scored three goals at the tournament and gave six assists. The victory in Innsbruck was his second and last Olympic gold medal.
In 1976 Valery Kharlamov got married and in the same year he and his wife got into a car accident on the Leningradskoe highway. The hockey player received a fracture of his right leg and two ribs, a concussion and many bruises (his wife was not injured). Some doctors recommended that he end his sports career, but after two months Valery took his first steps in the ward, and in the fall, on the advice of Tarasov, he began to train with the boys at the rink. At the cost of incredible efforts, overcoming pain and weakness, Kharlamov returned to the big sport and already on November 16, 1976 went to the match against Wings of the Soviets. He recalled it this way: “I was playing then as if in a fog. And not because he was weak. Functionally, I have already regained my form. I just saw that the guys were protecting me - both partners and opponents. And it touched me unusually. Means, I need. So they appreciate it. The feeling is - I'm about to burst into tears. I could hardly cope with my nerves ... ”.
Kharlamov returned to the USSR national team in December 1976 at a tournament for the prize of the Izvestia newspaper, and in the very first match against the Swedes - a hat-trick. And although he didn’t score more in the tournament, he became, together with Boris Mikhailov, the best goal + pass system (3 + 3, 6 points).
In 1977, at the World Championships in Vienna, the USSR national team became only third, but Petrov's three were recognized as the best in the championship in terms of goals scored and points scored.
In the summer of 1977, CSKA and the USSR national team were headed by a new coach, Viktor Tikhonov, who tightened discipline and increased training loads. And this gave its results - in 1978 and 1979 the world championships were won, the Challenge Cup in 1979 in the USA. But after the unsuccessful 1980 Olympics, in which the USSR national team lost to American students, the Mikhailov-Petrov-Kharlamov troika was disbanded. Kharlamov said more than once that the 1981/82 season would be his last. He dreamed of becoming a children's coach. Tikhonov did not take him to the 1981 Canada Cup, and Valery stayed in Moscow, where he died on August 27, 1981 in a car accident, on the same Leningradskoe highway, on which the first accident occurred. His wife Irina died with him. He is survived by a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Begonita.
Valery Kharlamov, one of the best hockey players in the world, was only 33 years old. He was buried at the Kuntsevo cemetery in Moscow. The players of the USSR national team, which was in Canada at that time, were not at the funeral. But they gave their word that they would win the Canada Cup in memory of Valeria. And they kept their word, destroying the superstar Canadian team in the final - 8: 1.
In 1991, on the eve of a decade after the tragedy, a 500-kilogram marble puck and a hockey stick were installed on the 74th kilometer of the Leningradskoye Highway, on which the inscription was engraved: “Here the star of Russian hockey has gone out. Valery Kharlamov".
One of the divisions of the Continental Hockey League and the main trophy of the Youth Hockey League are named after Kharlamov. The Kharlamov Cup was made of precious materials by the famous sculptor Frank Meisler. For the first time, the Kharlamov Cup was awarded to the 2010 Russian hockey champions among youth teams - the Steel Foxes team from Magnitogorsk.
In the national team of Russia and CSKA, No. 17 is forever fixed. No one can play in its composition under this number anymore. The only exception was the hockey player's son, Alexander.
Stanislav Shatalin, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, said about Kharlamov: “Someone said that Socrates created philosophy. Aristotle is a science. Undoubtedly, Kharlamov is one of the founders of hockey. As Valery convincingly proved, for this it is not at all necessary to be at the origins. At any stage of development, you can create something that will allow you to get an unofficial, but eternal title. "
Anatoly Tarasov noted Kharlamov's extraordinary modesty: “Valery Kharlamov never, I emphasize, never felt like such a prospector on the field of sports luck. He fought not on his stomach, but to the death for the victory of the national team of the Country of Soviets. And when our anthem sounded under the arches of the ice palaces, Valery was proud not by his own contribution, although sometimes he was oh so great - he was proud first of all for the state, because the natural feeling of patriotism has always been characteristic of Valery Kharlamov to the highest degree! "
And he also noted the versatility of his sports talent, willpower and dedication: "... Valery was talented in many areas of activity, but he was created for hockey, for this high-speed, cunning and fighting game of real men. And whatever the stars both among the rivals and among the partners did not surround Kharlamov on the ice, he remained the strongest among the strongest, the first among equals.Valery perfected his possession of three speeds - the explosive speed of movement and maneuver on the court, the speed of the club's reaction to the slightest change in the playing situation and, finally, the speed of thinking, not inferior, I think, to the most modern computers.Each of these speeds can be found - albeit only individually - and in other cool forwards, but their fusion was, as it were, the trademark of Valery Kharlamov.
Possession of these three speeds allowed Valery to develop a stroke that can be called not only Kharlamov, but also legendary - he bypassed not one, but several opponents over and over again, and even recognized masters of power martial arts, which some of our aces are still afraid of. Kharlamov could not be stopped even by outright rudeness. Moreover, the famous Bobby Clarke in 1972 in the first series of matches of the USSR national team with NHL stars, who openly hunted Valery, later wrote: “I was filled with such respect for this great striker of the Russian team that I am ashamed of the minutes when I hurt him. But we simply were not able to stop Kharlamov by other means ... "
Unfortunately, sometimes hockey players, and half as talented as Valery, think of themselves as almost the centers of the universe - they demand a special attitude, special conditions, they look at partners as “carriers of cartridges”. And here I would especially like to remind you how alien to Valery such an attitude to people, to life. Those who didn’t demand anything for themselves! That's who knew how to rejoice at the good luck of a comrade! And not just rejoice, but help the birth of this good luck!
For this Kharlamov climbed into the thick of it. He forced the enemy to rush - in fear for his own goal - at him, thereby freeing Valery from the tutelage of partners. It was here that Kharlamov, with a stealthy throw, redirected the puck to his teammate, who was in a position favorable to complete the attack. And he was the first to congratulate him on his success.
There was nothing above the interests of the team for Valery. And when, before the White Olympics in Sapporo, we, the coaches, asked Kharlamov in connection with a fundamentally new tactical arrangement developed, to part, albeit temporarily, with Boris Mikhailov and Vladimir Petrov, partner friends who understood him perfectly, he did not argue. And having come to a new link, he managed to infect with his incredible energy, inexhaustible optimism, and Alexander Ragulin, and Anatoly Firsov, and Gennady Tsygankov - players who were already famous by that time. All of them, as well as Vladimir Vikulov, whose best game falls on the season when he played in the same flight with Valery, were grateful to the fate that brought them (which they told me more than once) into the same game company with Kharlamov ...
In 1976, it seemed that Valery would part with hockey - after the first car accident, which ended in broken legs and ribs, he began to limp. And although Kharlamov returned himself to hockey with monstrous persistence, he was truly tough on himself, treasured every minute, but could not catch a moment of psychological confidence in difficult game situations. For several days I puzzled over this problem and invited Valery to play alone against six 10-15-year-old boys in additional training.
We didn't tell the guys anything about the purpose of the experiment, otherwise the training could turn into a giveaway. At times it seemed to me that such a devilish load could not be sustained. But Valery survived and, as a result, regained faith in himself, became the former Kharlamov, a hockey knight without fear and reproach. But, alas, some kind of automobile rock hung over him - on August 27, 1981, Valery Kharlamov was gone.
Valery Kharlamov did not know his greatness! Or rather, I didn't want to know. I didn't want to stand out among my comrades, partners, even from the captain's armband (and we - both coaches and players - offered it to him more than once) refused, preferring to remain, as psychologists say, an “informal leader”. Talking about the future, I dreamed of working with boys. It is with the boys, and not with the masters of hockey, although the latter is considered much more prestigious.
But Valery's prestige never bothered. And where other masters inflated, as they say, cheeks, Kharlamov always remained himself ...
Unfortunately, we have to talk about all this in the past tense, however, I, who have been closely acquainted with Valery Kharlamov for almost two decades, cannot but emphasize once again that both Valery Kharlamov's talent as a hockey player and his purely human qualities are honesty, integrity, decency - these virtues will be role models for young people for a long time. "
He did not know his greatness. But we know and will always remember who Valery Kharlamov was - a brilliant hockey player, a decent and modest person, a good friend, a true patriot of his country. In his character, the breadth and generosity of the Russian soul and the temperament of passionate Spain are so harmoniously intertwined.
Name: Valery Kharlamov
Date of Birth: 14.01.1948
Age: 72 years
Date of death: 27.08.1981.
Place of Birth: Moscow city, Russia
Activity: hockey player
Family status: married
Valery Kharlamov is still interested in the biography of the famous Soviet hockey player who died with his wife. His best qualities, such as dedication and desire to win, were passed on to the children. Photos from the competition are the best proof of this.
early years
Kharlamov Valery Borisovich was born on January 14, 1948 in Moscow. Father Boris Sergeevich is Russian, and mother Carmen Orive-Abad had Spanish roots. Evacuated to the USSR during the Spanish Civil War.
Valery's parents worked together at the Kommunar plant. They were able to sign only 3 months after the birth of the boy, due to the fact that Carmen did not have a Soviet passport. Having received the document, she married Boris Sergeevich. Later, a girl was born in the young Kharlamov family. She was named Tatiana.
Valery Kharlamov in childhood
Valery was fired up by hockey since childhood. And all thanks to the father. He was engaged in this sport outside of working hours, participated in competitions, representing his plant. The boy watched his dad play with pleasure, and Boris Sergeevich, in turn, taught him to skate and use a stick.
Hockey classes had to be suspended, the parents of the future star of this sport decided to move to Spain, the city of Bilbao, where grandfather and grandmother on my mother’s side once lived. Then Valery became interested in football, but not enough to completely forget about his native skates.
Upon returning back to the Soviet Union, Kharlamov enrolled in the hockey school of the capital CSKA.
Carier start
After hockey school, nineteen-year-old Kharlamov managed to get into the main team. He had a wonderful quality - dedication, in every workout or game he worked to the maximum, never lowered his head. Thanks to this, in a few years he became a real star, the leader of his team, although this was hindered by some circumstances.
Tarasov, the then coach of the young team, did not see any special talent in the young man, at any opportunity he reminded of his short stature. But Valery was not used to defeat. In 1966 the team went with him to Chebarkulskaya "Zvezda". During the game, Kharlamov scored 34 goals in just one season.
The athlete's short stature did not interfere with sports fame
After such a resounding success, the coach changed his mind about the guy, began to talk about his achievements to his metropolitan colleagues. A year later, in the spring, another game was held in the city of Kalinin, to which Kulagin came. Despite his short stature, Valery Kharlamov perfectly felt the site, and skillfully controlled the club, which attracted attention. There was little left to do - to convince the coach to take the athlete into the main CSKA roster.
But still, it was not easy because Tarasov, despite his successes, still doubted the young man. In 1967, in the summer, the team, along with the star from Moscow, was sent to the base in the city of Kudepstu.
Young Valery Kharlamov, whose biography and photos are now admirable, at that time thought only about sports. Thoughts of finding a good wife who will give birth to wonderful children came to him later.
Magnificent three
In the early spring of 1968, Valery Kharlamov made his real debut. On April 23, he scores the first goal with the army club. It was during that period that the Kharlamov-Petrov-Mikhailov team was formed.
Legendary troika
Thanks to this trio, Valery was able to achieve high results. Soviet athletes played in full force, showing their skills to spectators, judges and the enemy. The team won again.
Best time
Valery's dreams began to come true in 1969, when he was 21 years old. For the first time he performed at the World Championship, and also received the highest awards together with the national team.
In the USSR championship, the judges recognized him as the most successful scorer. The athlete had 40 goals on his account. In 1972, the composition of the team changed, Valery's partners were already Vikulov and Firsov. But the cardinal changes did not prevent them from winning the Olympic Games once again.
At 24, Kharlamov achieved incredible heights. But it turned out that this was not enough for him. Another dream of the young man was playing with Canadian athletes. Then they were the leaders in hockey.
Kharlamov in the national team of the Union
World victory
In the same 1972, the officials of the rival countries agreed to hold eight matches. This event went down in history, because this did not happen before. The Canadian team included world famous athletes. Montreal opened the season.
Valery Kharlamov player of the CSKA team
During this competition, the Canadians began to look at the Soviet national team in a different way. Although at the very beginning they were 100% sure of their own victory. On the 6th minute they scored 2 goals. The 17th minute changed everything. This was facilitated by Zimin and Petrov. After such serious turns, only one team remained.
On the 22nd minute, Valery was able to bring the team forward, and after another 5 minutes he doubled the result. The total score is 7: 3 in favor of CSKA.
Difficult period
In the life of a man comes a turning point that fell in 1976. The athlete again became the Olympic champion, European and World champion. And also for the first time Valery Kharlamov managed to achieve success in his personal life. In May of the same year, he married his beloved Irina Smirnova. The happiness did not last long, after 12 days the young couple had an accident.
Valery received many serious injuries, doctors claimed that now the road to hockey is closed for him forever. He had to go through more than one operation, but still a few months later Kharlamov began to walk again.
Rehabilitation after the first road accident
He could not imagine his life without his favorite sport, therefore he did everything possible to re-join the team. At first he was entrusted with training children, and at the end of the year he again joined the national team.
Wife and kids
Little is known about the personal life in the biography of Valery Kharlamov, he devoted all his time to sports, which is confirmed by numerous photos from the competition. The man did not plan to look for a wife and have children. But fate decided otherwise. In 1975, a true athlete met Irina Smirnova. They both, one might say, fell in love with each other at first sight, after a short period began to live together. There was an 8-year age difference between them, but their love is definitely not a hindrance.
Kharlamov with his wife
They signed after the birth of their son, who was named Alexander. And in May 1976, the girl Begonita appeared in a young family. Valery and Irina Kharlamov, after a few years of happy family life, were given an apartment located next to the Alekseevskaya metro station.
Death
In August 1981, an extremely unpleasant situation occurred for the famous hockey player. CSKA went to the Canada Cup for the first time without Valery, despite the fact that he did not submit an official letter of resignation. The man was so hoping for full strength to play his last competition abroad, but the authorities decided that he could do without him. The last conversation with Tikhonov was, to put it mildly, very tense. The family rested that day at the dacha.
On August 27, 1981, early in the morning, Valery with his wife and her cousin drove on their Volga back from their dacha to the capital. Irina was still bad at driving a car at that time, but she really wanted a net for the driver's seat. In the end, it happened. On the way, there was a small emergency, which the girl, due to inexperience, could not cope with. The car drove into the oncoming lane and collided with a truck. Due to numerous injuries, all passengers died on the spot.
Hockey player with his children
All the world's media talked about what happened. A civil funeral service was held at the CSKA Palace, the dead were buried at the cemetery in Kuntsevo. Due to the fact that the team was abroad on the day of the funeral, the hockey players promised to win the Cup in memory of their friend. And they kept their promise, having played with a score of 8: 1.
Irina's mother issued guardianship for Alexander and Begonita. Colleagues of the deceased Valery tried to provide any support in the upbringing of children who became orphans. The boy, like his father, was professionally involved in hockey, and later began to teach children this sport. Then he started creating his own business. And the girl liked rhythmic gymnastics, for which she received the title of master of sports.
The children of the late Valery Kharlamov, whose biography is the best motivation, and his wife, were able to achieve not only heights in a sports career, but also build a personal life. Family photos can be found on social media. Alexander and his wife have a son, and Begonia has two daughters.
The great Soviet hockey player, multiple world champion, a member of two NHL and IIHF halls of fame Valery Borisovich Kharlamov was born into a family of simple workers at a tool factory. It was unusual that the mother of the future athlete Carmen Orive-Abad, who was affectionately called Begonia, was from Spain: she was taken to the USSR as a child in the late 30s.
She was a passionate temperamental woman, with her brightness she struck outright the master Boris Sergeevich Kharlamov, with whom she worked at the same plant. After they met at a dance, the couple in love never parted, and a few months later, on January 14, 1948, their first-born Valery was born. After the parents managed to register the relationship, another daughter, Tatiana, was born in the family.
Little Valery Kharlamov with his family Since childhood, the boy began to go to the hockey rink, as his father was a fan of this sport and often played for the team of his native Kommunar plant. After several family trips to Spain to visit relatives, where little Valera joined football, he continued to train at a youth hockey school under the leadership of Vyacheslav Tazov, but secretly because of his illness. The boy was suspected of rheumatism and was forbidden to engage in physical education. But his father's method of doing sports gave its results: already on his 14th birthday, Valery was completely healthy.
Hockey
Initially, the young man played for the national team of the CSKA sports school. He continued his adult career as a member of the Zvezda team from the Ural town of Chebarkul. His partner in this team was Alexander Gusev, who would later also enter the upper echelons of Soviet hockey players. After a series of victories, Kharlamov is given a chance to try himself in the big arena and is taken to CSKA. Valery's partners here are also Vladimir Petrov for a long time.
Kharlamov had a significant drawback, according to his next coach, it is not tall for a hockey player - 173 cm.Despite this, Valery, with his style of play and sports intuition, nevertheless won the sympathy of the mentor and got access to the ice as a member of the USSR national team.
Petrov - Kharlamov - Mikhailov
Work in the famous three Petrov - Kharlamov - Mikhailov played a big role in the biography of each of the three athletes. Their first joint victory took place in 1968 during the USSR-Canada match. After that, the famous trio became a thunderstorm on the ice court: wherever the athletes appeared, they always brought victory to the Soviet team and defeat to their rivals.
Thanks to the special style of play of each of the athletes, the clear distribution of roles among themselves, the hockey players skillfully carried the pucks to the opponent's goal. The performance of Kharlamov himself was also at its best. Due to his efforts, the USSR national team at the World Championships in Sweden became the leader, and the athlete himself began to be considered the best striker of the Soviet Union by personal points.
In 1971, according to the calculations of coach Tarasov, the hockey player was transferred to another link - Vikulov and Firsov. This castling brings "gold" at the Sapporo Olympics and the championship in the super series of all times and peoples between the Soviet Union and Canada.
At the 1976 Olympics, it was Kharlamov who managed to turn the tide of the match with the Czechs, scoring the decisive puck into the opponent's goal.
Career decline
In the same year, Kharlamov is experiencing a serious car accident, in which he gets on the Leningradskoye Highway while driving his car. The athlete took a long time to recover from severe injuries. In many ways, the surgeons of the military hospital helped him. The doctors raised their idol to his feet, and he was able to go out on the ice again.
Valery Kharlamov on crutches after the first road accident In the first match against Wings of the Soviets, Kharlamov's partners did everything possible to ensure that he scored a goal. But Valery did not manage to finish the game until the end of the game, he still felt bad. At this time, the CSKA team is replacing the coach with a new mentor, Viktor Vasilyevich Tikhonov. Thanks to new training tactics, the team was able to resume their victorious procession at the 1978 and 1979 World Championships. After that, the legendary troika was gradually disbanded.
On the eve of 1981, Kharlamov announced to everyone that after the match with Dynamo, where the athlete scored his last 293 goals, he would go to coaching. But this was not destined to happen.
Personal life
About Kharlamov's personal life before his marriage, it is only known that he devoted all his free time to sports. In 1975, at a celebration in one of the restaurants in Moscow, Valery met his future wife Irina Smirnova. Young people, despite the 8-year age difference, immediately fell in love with each other and began to live together.
Valery Kharlamov and Irina Smirnova's wedding After some time, they had a son, Alexander, and after registering a marriage in May 1976, the couple had a daughter, Begonita. After several years of marriage, the young got a three-room apartment near the Alekseevskaya metro station.
Doom
At the end of the summer of 1981, an event occurred that negatively affected the psychological well-being of the hockey player. For the first time, CSKA flew to the Canada Cup without Kharlamov, despite the absence of his official statement of retirement. Valery planned to play his last competition abroad, but the club's management decided differently. The last conversation with the mentor Tikhonov took place in a tense state. The Kharlamov family at that time was at the dacha.
In the early morning of August 27, 1981, Valery, his wife Irina and her cousin decided to go home to Moscow on their own Volga. On the way, Irina got behind the wheel of a car. The young woman did not have much driving experience and lost control in the event of a minor emergency. The transport flew into the oncoming lane and collided with a truck. The cause of death of all passengers of the car was multiple injuries sustained in the road accident.
In the morning, all the media in the world broadcast about the tragedy. A civil funeral service was held at the CSKA Palace, the graves of all the victims are at the cemetery in Kuntsevo. Since the CSKA team could not come to the funeral, the athletes promised to take the Canadian Cup in memory of their friend. This was accomplished by playing the final with the hosts of the competition with a crushing score of 8: 1.
Monuments to Valery Kharlamov at the grave and at the place of death The Kharlamov children were taken under her care by Irina's mother, who was still full of strength at that time. Colleagues in the hockey workshop provided great support in the upbringing of Alexander and Begonita. The boy subsequently made a career in hockey, becoming a children's coach, and then went into business. And the girl received the title of Master of Sports in rhythmic gymnastics. Valery Kharlamov's children are happy in their families. Alexander, together with his wife, is raising a son, Valery, and Begonia has two daughters - Dasha and Annushka.
On August 26, Kharlamov went to the airport to meet his wife and young son, who were returning from a vacation in the south. A few hours later, he brought them to a dacha in the village of Pokrovka near Klin, where his mother-in-law and four-year-old daughter Begonita then lived.
IV Smirnova tells: “Ira came from the south with a little cold and went to bed early. At that time my elder sister’s family lived in the country house, so we had to stay in another room all together. But Valera did not go to bed right away. then he fiddled with the guys, and then settled down next to Sasha on the bed. I offered to take my grandson to my sofa, but he did not agree. He slept badly, got up several times, but did not drink, did not smoke. will lie down again.
In the morning we got up early, had breakfast. Ira and Valera were getting ready for Moscow. Ira says: "Valera, you didn't get enough sleep; let me drive the car." Then I heard, protested: "Don't give her the steering wheel, she has no license, and the weather is so gloomy." Valera reassured me: "I won't give it, I have to hurry up, I want to be in time for training by eleven, so I'll take it myself. And I also need to bring Seryozha home." Sergey went with them - my nephew, he was already a family, he recently returned from the army. In short, Valera got behind the wheel and they left.
I soon went to the store for fresh bread. I also had my sister with her grandson. We are walking down the street, when suddenly a police car drives up, and my sister is asked where, they say, Kharlamov's mother-in-law lives. I realized that something had happened. "
The tragedy occurred at seven o'clock in the morning on the 74th kilometer of the Leningradskoe highway. Today it is already difficult to establish why, barely leaving the village, Kharlamov suddenly allowed his wife to get behind the wheel of the Volga, but the fact remains: Irina was driving at the fatal moments. The road was wet and the woman apparently lost control. The car was driven into the oncoming lane, along which the truck was rushing at great speed. Everything happened so unexpectedly that his driver could not really react, only turned the steering wheel to the right. And the Volga crashed into his side. The blow was so strong that Valery and Sergei died almost instantly. Irina was still alive for some time, and when the drivers who came to the rescue carried her out of the car and laid her on the grass, she moved her lips. However, a few minutes later she died. Ten minutes later, the police arrived at the scene of the tragedy and identified the man in the front seat of the Volga as Valery Kharlamov. An hour after that, the news of the death of the famous hockey player spread throughout Moscow. And in the evening of the same day, world agencies reported: "As the TASS correspondent reported, the famous hockey player Valery Kharlamov, thirty-three years old, and his wife died in a car accident near Moscow this morning. They have two small children - a son and a daughter ..."
The USSR national hockey team learned about this tragedy in Winnipeg.
V. Fetisov recalls: “In the morning they turned on the televisions, and there were Valerkin's portraits. But then none of us really understood English. We did not understand what was what. Only later, when we went out into the street and strangers began to approach us and say something about Kharlamov, we realized: Valera had a problem. In the evening our hockey boss Valentin Sych flew in and said that Kharlamov was dead. We were in shock. Everyone gathered and first wanted to throw this tournament to hell and go to the funeral. But then it somehow happened that they decided to stay, win the Cup by all means and dedicate the victory to Kharlamov. So in the end it happened. "
The funeral of those killed in a car accident took place a few days later at the Kuntsevo cemetery. Thousands of people came to say goodbye to the great hockey player. Soon after that, Kharlamov's mother passed away, unable to endure the death of her beloved son and daughter-in-law.
P. S. On August 26, 1991, on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy, a memorial sign was erected on the 74th kilometer of the Leningradskoye highway: a 500-kilogram marble washer, on which the inscription was engraved: "Here the star of Russian hockey rolled. VALERY KHARLAMOV" The most amazing thing is that this sign was not put by the state, but by a private person: a certain Mikhail, who is an ardent admirer of hockey and V. Kharlamov's talent.
Valery Borisovich Kharlamov was born on January 14, 1948 in the Moscow region. This is the famous hockey player of the Soviet Union, Honored Master of Sports, eight-time world champion, two-time Olympic champion, striker of the CSKA team and the Soviet national team. The biography of Valery Kharlamov will be presented to your attention in the article.
Parents
His father Boris is Russian, has the profession of a test fitter. While the mother of Begonia is of Basque nationality, she is a revolver-turner by profession.
Begonia went through a rather difficult childhood: she grew up in a specialized boarding school and worked in a pioneer camp. It is worth noting that at that time all children were evacuated from military locations. This was due to the fact that the Soviet Union did not want to leave children in the hands of the predatory Franco regime. Belgium, France, Denmark, Great Britain, Switzerland and Mexico responded to the call for help.
Kharlamov's parents met at a dance evening at the Kommunar plant. For a long time they were not painted due to the fact that Begonia was only interested in Boris's housing. And only 3 months after the birth of Valery, they officially registered their marriage. Soon after, their daughter Tatiana was born.
Childhood and youth
As the biography of Valery Kharlamov testifies, his childhood was always full of playing hockey and football. At the same time, athletic inclinations were noticed immediately. All the other guys admired him and imitated him.
The father put the future champion on the ice for the first time at the age of 7, when he himself went to hockey training with his factory team.
The biography of Valery Kharlamov contains information that at the age of 13 he became seriously ill with a sore throat, which gave a serious complication to the work of the heart and heart muscle. Due to the identified heart defect, doctors forbade him to engage in physical education, lift weights and attend a pioneer camp. But, despite all this, Kharlamov's father thought differently. And at the age of 14, he took him to enroll in a hockey club at a new summer ice rink. The mother did not know anything about this: the case was secret, because she would certainly have expressed her disapproval of this venture. It is worth noting that at that time 15-year-old boys were recruited into the section, and none of the coaches knew that Valeria was only 14. The father went to cheat for the sake of his son. Of course, the case was soon solved, but the young hockey player was not expelled from the section, because he was very interested in everyone with his outstanding abilities.
Once every three months, Valery Kharlamov, whose biography is presented to your attention in the article, visited the Morozov hospital with his father, where he was examined by doctors. Soon, thanks to sports, he overcame all diseases, and the specialists of the clinic recognized him as completely healthy. After that, hockey training was no longer a secret to anyone and took a serious turn.
Sport school
Later, the boy began to attend the CSKA school and, at the age of 19, entered the main team of the sports club. He was one of the best players in the kids' youth sports school. But, despite his successes, the coach did not pin great hopes on him because of his short stature. For the same reason, the young hockey player was sent to the second league of the army team. But, as you know, it is impossible to hide the real talent, and in the very first season of the game between the military districts Valery was able to score 34 goals into the opponent's goal. Everyone, including the Moscow coaches, learned about this success. After that, they began to come to the games of his team and became direct witnesses of his grandiose successes.
So, by their common decision, Kharlamov was included in the main team of the CSK. At the same time, the famous troika appeared: Petrov, Mikhailov and Kharlamov. Together they applied their power style and achieved the highest results in the game. Valery Kharlamov's career went up rapidly, even when he was 20 years old. He became the youngest world champion in the Soviet Union.
By nature, the hockey player Valery Kharlamov was distinguished by courage, perseverance and will to win. He never whimpered or complained. I always worked on my mistakes and achieved the pinnacle of results.
At the peak of fame
40 goals scored in the USSR championship brought the 23-year-old athlete the title of top scorer. A year later, Valery Borisovich Kharlamov becomes the best hockey player of the tournament as part of the Soviet Union national team and wins his first gold medal. A little later, having won 4 championship titles in the USSR, three times becoming world champion and two-time European champion, he was recognized as the best hockey player in Europe.
His beautiful and clean manner of play has mesmerized millions of fans and aroused the excitement of opposing goalkeepers. Especially he was feared and disliked by Canadian hockey players. And they even gave him the nickname "Kid" for his resourcefulness and wild stubbornness. But despite this, even they recognized him as a true champion.
It is worth noting that Kharlamov became the first and only hockey player whose portrait was hung in the Museum of Hockey Glory.
Acquaintance with the future wife
After another achievement, Valery Kharlamov and his friends went to a restaurant. A young company was also walking in the next room in honor of the birthday of one of the girls. The young guys of the team invited those ladies to dance. Kharlamov then invited a pretty girl named Irina. At that time, she mistook her short partner for a taxi driver, but she still had fun dancing with him. Valery really liked Irina, and he did not leave her throughout the evening, and at the end of the celebration offered to give her a lift home. Then the future wife of Valery Kharlamov was finally convinced of her guesses about the young man's profession, but still allowed herself to be given a ride.
At home, like a decent girl, she shared her story with her mother, who was incredulous about her daughter's companion. After several weeks of communication, the mother asked Irina to show her young man even from afar. After that, my mother calmed down a little, because she recognized Kharlamov by his face not as a taxi driver, but as a great athlete. And of course, she shared her amazing information with her daughter.
Children of Valery Kharlamov
In the 28th year of Valery's life, the couple had their first child, Alexander, who in the future will follow in the footsteps of his father. And a little later, their daughter Begonita was born. At that time, Kharlamov had already become a six-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion.
It is worth noting that even after the birth of two children, Irina and Valery were never officially introduced to their parents. And they never saw their grandchildren. But at one point, Kharlamov's friends intervened in this matter. They did their best and still forced the young family to go to the champion's parents on March 8. And after that evening, Valery himself went to his mother-in-law for an acquaintance.
Traffic accident
In the spring of the same year, a young couple had a car accident on their way home. The children of Valery Kharlamov at this time were under the supervision of their nanny.
The car was smashed to smithereens and beyond repair. Valery received numerous fractures and a severe concussion. Valery Kharlamov's wife Irina also had serious injuries.
An ambulance was called by accidental witnesses to the disaster. After that, the victims were immediately taken to the hospital. For the next two months, the athlete was in the hospital without getting out of bed. His teammates regularly visited him and even brought a simulator to his ward so that he did not lose his shape.
After another 4 months, Kharlamov returned to the ice again, which even more won the hearts of his fans.
Cause of death of Valery Kharlamov
In August 1981, on the Leningradskoye Highway, a husband and wife were involved in a second car accident. She became the cause of the death of Valery Kharlamov and his wife. They left their children orphans.
The tragedy was caused by poor-quality asphalt paving: a 5-centimeter ledge formed at the border of the new layer. In addition, the truck driving in front was completely packed with spare parts.
None of the partners could say goodbye to the talented and young hockey player, since at that time they were all in Canada. Upon learning of the tragedy, they promised to win the match in memory of Valeria and kept their word, winning with a score of 8: 1.
His name was also immortalized in the Hall of Fame of the International Ice Hockey Federation and the National Hockey League.
Game number "17" was forever imprinted in the wonderful 2013 film "Legend # 17".
Also, 10 years after the tragedy, a monument was erected at the site of the traffic accident.
The life of children after the death of their father
After the death of the athlete, Alexander and Begonita lived with their grandmother Nina (Irina's mother). Both children were actively involved in sports, following the example of their deceased father.
As a result, Alexander became a hockey player for the CSKA team, played in the USA, got married and is raising his son Valery. And her daughter became a master of sports in rhythmic gymnastics, got married and gave birth to two daughters - Daria and Anna.
5 years after the accident, the mother of hockey player Valery Kharlamov passed away.
Valery's father died in 2010 after an unsuccessful stomach surgery. He lived his last years with his daughter Tatyana.
Alexander and Begonita are still invited to TV shows - to tell about the life of their parents and about what happened on that tragic evening.