Lilia podkopaeva: “With my height, I can't live without high heels, although due to sports loads my joints hurt terribly. Lilia Podkopaeva Lilia Podkopaeva personal life

She was brought up by my mother and grandmother. In 2001, she graduated with honors from the Kiev Institute of Physical Education, specializing in "trainer-teacher". In 2002, she entered the Donetsk State University of Management, the management department.

Sports career. She began to engage in artistic gymnastics from the very early childhood... From the age of five to eight, she conducted three compulsory daily workouts.

As a result, thanks to her talent and exceptional diligence, Lilia Podkopaeva became the owner of 45 gold, 21 silver and 14 bronze medals only for international competitions, not counting the national championships.

1995 - absolute world champion (Japan, Sabae), winner of the European Cup.
1996 - the absolute champion of Europe (Great Britain, Birmingham).
1996 - the absolute champion of the Olympic Games (USA, Atlanta).

Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine (1994). International judge.

She played for the sports society "Dynamo".

The television. In 2006 Lilia won the Ukrainian version of the project "Dancing with the Stars" on the channel. Together with Serhiy Kostetsky in September 2008, she represented Ukraine at the 2008 Dance Eurovision Song Contest, where they took 3rd place.

In June 2011, filming of the sports and entertainment show "I am a Hero!" Began, near Sevastopol, the hosts were: Lilia Podkopaeva,

Business, social activities. At the end of her sports career, Lilia Podkopayeva launched her own business in the production of sportswear in the United States, began to create a network in the Donetsk region gymnastics schools... She became the founder and head of the International Charitable Foundation "Health of Generations". Organized the Golden Lily sports festival.

In 2004 she was the National Ambassador to the Council of Europe for Sports, Tolerance and fair play.

2005 - UN Goodwill Ambassador for AIDS. In 2007 she was awarded by the UN for the fight against HIV / AIDS.

Regalia and awards. Winner in the nomination "Sportsman of the Year" (1996). In 2006 she was awarded the title of "Sports Manager of the Year". In 2007, she was recognized as "Woman of the Year" in the national program "Person of the Year".

In 2008, the name of Lilia Podkopaeva was immortalized in the World Hall of Fame (USA, Oklahoma City).

Awarded with the President's Badge of Distinction, the Cross "For Courage", the Order of Merit of the II and III Degrees, the Medal "For Active Public Activity", the Order of the city of Sabae (Japan), certificates of honor of the governments of the USA, Russia, China, Romania, Belarus, Poland , Japan. Dame of the Order of St. Stanislaus.

Views and ratings. About her life and sporting achievements books were written, films were shot in many countries of the world. Poems, songs, paintings and even sculptures are dedicated to her. The author's element of Lilia Podkopaeva - "double forward somersault with a turn of 180 degrees" - has not been repeated in the world so far. Admiring her talent, skill, hard work and charm, at the suggestion of the Americans, fans in different parts of the world call her the Lady Under.

Personal life. The first spouse is a Donetsk businessman Timofey Nagorny. In July 2006, Lilya and Timofey adopted an 8-month-old Donetsk orphan, Vadik. At the end of the same year, the couple had a daughter, Caroline. The girl's godmother is a famous singer.

In 2012, Lilia Podkopaeva tied the knot for the second time with businessman Viktor Kostyrko.

12 April 2018 Lilia Podkopaeva announced that she was getting married for the third time, introducing her new chosen one - an American businessman (investments and development) Igor Dubinsky. Beloved Podkopaeva is a former Kiev resident who has lived in Atlanta for over 25 years. In March 2019, it became known that Lilia Podkopaeva and her common-law husband were expecting a child. On September 19, 2019, Lilia Podkopaeva gave birth to a daughter.

KIEV, April 13 - RIA Novosti Ukraine. Famous Ukrainian gymnast, Olympic champion 1996 Lilia Podkopaeva intends to marry for the third time and has already given consent to her chosen one.

Podkopayeva's future husband will be Igor Dubinsky, a resident of Kiev, who lives and does business in the United States.

“The classic proposal with a ring was made and the answer was positive. In the future, we have everything planned, but we do not want to tell everything yet, ”Dubinsky told VIVA about the upcoming wedding.

Lilia Podkopaeva was already married to businessman Timofei Nagorny and entrepreneur Viktor Kostyrko. The gymnast has two children from her first marriage, one of them is adopted.

Earlier it was reported that the American actress and model 50-year-old Pamela Anderson is preparing to marry a defender again football club Marseille and the French national team Adil Rami.

Lilia Podkopaeva hid her new husband for two years

Friends of Lilia Podkopaeva recently let slip that the gymnast is already a married lady.

Lilia herself refused to comment on her marriage, but one of her friends told us: “Lilya got married two years ago - to businessman Viktor Kostyrko, whom she got along with in 2009 (when they were first noticed together, Lilya had not yet been officially divorced from Timofey Nagorny. - Author)! But remembering how public her wedding with Nagorny was, and then the same loud divorce, when their relationship was savored by the whole country, she and Victor decided to sign secretly and modestly. Lilya did not want to jinx their relationship. And with famous people, who were at her wedding, Lily took her word not to share this with the press, but ... It's still surprising that for two years everyone was silent. "

True, in an interview with Podkopaeva's godfather, Ani Lorak nevertheless called Viktor Kostyrko “Lily's husband”, but then her press service denied this, they say, the singer just let slip. And Podkopaeva herself, who went to parties with Kostyrko, invariably introduced him: “My friend”.

According to our information, among the guests at the wedding, the gymnasts were Ani Lorak with her husband Murat, Masha Efrosinina, Irina Bilyk, Andrey Kravchuk, Yana Klochkova, Elbrus Tadeev, Alexander Shovkovsky with his wife Olga Alenova, Dmitry Kolyadenko, Irina Berezhnaya, Irena Kilchitskaya and others.

Podkopayeva's husband is a partner of her Health of Generations Foundation, as well as the owner of restaurants near Victory Square in Kiev.

The stars are increasingly hiding their personal lives. For example, actor Sergei Bezrukov hid from journalists and fans for a whole year that he had twins were born.

Lilia Podkopaeva first spoke frankly about her lover

For the first time, gymnast Lilia Podkopaeva spoke about her lover, businessman Viktor Kostyrko, exclusively for Viva!

- Lilya, why don't you want to advertise your relationship with Victor?

First, this is his position. Victor always says to me: “You are the star, you are the champion, you are a beautiful woman! This is your hour and your moment, and I have nothing to do with it. " Agree, a position worthy of a real man, not a 20-year-old boy, but a solid, self-sufficient person. My friends sincerely admire this person, they say that you rarely meet such people. But, you know, I'm afraid to talk a lot about us - so as not to jinx it.

Lilia Podkopaeva with her beloved businessman Viktor Kostyrko

- Tell me, how did you find each other? After the divorce, were you looking for a reliable male shoulder?

What are you, what search ?! When you are in a state of divorce, in a terrible emotional state, there can be no talk of any new relationship! We knew Viktor through a partnership in the Health of Generations Foundation. It's just that everything coincided: time, place, circumstances ... The stars converged. But everything did not happen immediately, very gradually. I'm not a 19-year-old girl who throws herself headlong into the pool. Of course, it's nice to relive the feeling of falling in love again, but at the age of 30 you already look at the world differently.

V Lately Podkopaeva has become noticeably prettier.

- How does your loved one develop relationships with children?

Here's another important point: the attitude towards a woman is one story, but the attitude towards children and my mother is completely different ... Many women have a situation when “I accept you, but all these children, grandparents - this does not concern me” ... This situation is often encountered in life. God forbid to hear that! Fortunately, this is not the case with us.

- How do children refer to your beloved?

By name - and dad is dad.

Tatiana Vityaz, Ivanna Slaboshpitskaya

Biography of Lilia Podkopaeva

Podkopaeva Lilia Alexandrovna (born 1978) - absolute champion of Europe, the world, the Olympic Games in artistic gymnastics, Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine, judge of the international category. In the exercise on the carpet, I performed a double forward somersault with a 180-degree turn, which no one has yet repeated.

Childhood

Lilya was born on August 15, 1978 in the city of Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR. The proletarian district of the city is a workers' suburb, and the family in which the little girl appeared was the same, from the workers.

The zodiac sign of the lion began to manifest itself in early childhood. Lilya has always strived to be the best, to occupy the position of a leader and to be in the spotlight. These qualities walk with her through life, and it is thanks to them that she managed to achieve such high results in sports. In addition to these qualities, she was also an incredibly active girl. I rode a bicycle with the boys in the yard, climbed onto roofs, jumped from trees and ran away from the garden. Such irrepressible energy had to be directed somewhere.

Dad left the family when Lilya was very young. She was raised by her grandmother Evelina Mikhailovna and her mother. They made the decision to give their energetic child to sports section... In 1983, when Lilya was 5 years old, her grandmother took her to the Dynamo Sports Palace. The girl saw for the first time in her life gym and fell in love with him once and for all. When there was the first lesson, Lilina's grandmother told the trainer that her granddaughter had come to train not just to kill time, but for the results. These words, heard by the little girl, became her life orientation, which eventually grew into a goal - victory and success.

By nature, Lily did not have such a gift that everything would work out immediately and easily. But the Lord rewarded her with perseverance and incredible hard work. Once, in the back room of the Sports Palace, she saw a pedestal, and the highest cube on it with the number "1" became a cherished desire for the girl.

Sport has become the main occupation in Podkopaeva's life. The child had a strict regimen:

rise at 5 o'clock in the morning;
at 5.30 she was already leaving the house for morning workout;
classes at school (Lilya studied in a sports class with gymnasts and swimmers);
evening workout until 20.00;
preparation of assigned lessons.

And so every day for several years. During school holidays, when all the children went to the sea or to children's health camps, Lilya left for a training camp in Leningrad at the Olympic base. The trainings took place for 8 hours daily.

Take this test and see if you can succeed.

Sports records and achievements

The road to international competitions opened for Podkopayeva in 1993, and already in 1995 she won the European Cup and the absolute world championship.

In 1996, she won the European Championship. Very soon, an event was to take place, for the sake of which so much work was put. Any athlete waits for such an event all his life, while training - the Olympics. There was exactly a month left before the Olympic Games when irreparable grief happened. Lily's grandmother died. The person who, many years ago, brought the girl to the gymnastics section, then took her every morning and evening to training, while Lilya was still very little, who most believed and dreamed of the victories of her granddaughter.

It was very hard. It seemed that there was not enough strength to get together, but it was necessary to do it for the sake of Evelina Mikhailovna, for the sake of my mother, for the sake of her country and those people who worked so long and hard with Lilya. Podkopaeva is a very grateful, honest and decent athlete. She never attributed all the virtues to herself alone. Each time she tirelessly talks about her favorite trainers Lilia Pugacheva, Oleg Ostapenko, Galina Losinskaya, choreographer Svetlana Dubova and thanks them.

Atlanta 1996. There were no empty seats in the Georgia Dome gym. The audience strongly supported the American gymnasts. American President Clinton respected artistic gymnastics. He came with his family to watch the competition. After the first exercise, Lilya took the sixth position in overall standings... On the uneven bars, she was second, losing to the representative of the United States. For the log, Podkopaeva gets the highest score. And the last introduction is her strong point, free exercise, in which she had no equal on the planet. The resulting score almost went off scale - 9.887.

Lilya won two gold medals in Atlanta - for free exercise and in absolute superiority. She was on the highest cube of the podium with the number "1" of the most prestigious competition in the history of mankind. She stood, cried, mentally addressed her grandmother and dedicated her success to her.

This is what a young 18-year-old Ukrainian gymnast said about winning the summer Olympics 1996.

Life after the Olympics

Immediately after the Olympics, President Clinton invited Podkopayeva to tour the states to give speeches. Lilya visited 60 cities. This was followed by a contract for coaching in the American gymnastics club... He was imprisoned for a year. The athlete did not renew it, rejected the offer to accept American citizenship and left for her homeland in Ukraine.

In 1997, Podkopaeva injured her leg and left professional sports... Every summer she teaches master classes in America, where she trains children. Even the children of world celebrities Madonna and Antonio Banderas have visited her students.

Other achievements of Podkopayeva (in the development and promotion of sports, in charity) are no less significant than sports medals and titles.

stories-of-success.ru

Lilia Podkopaeva is getting married

Ukrainian Olympic champion Lilia Podkopaeva not only was she successfully able to build her life overseas in the USA, but also to find her love there.

Lilia told about the new man in her life in "Secular Life".

Businessman Igor met Lilia at one evening gathering with friends in Atlanta, USA. The athlete herself considers this city special, because here she received two Olympic golds and met love there.

“Now I can say that Atlanta is my golden and dear and, to some extent, fateful. It was dinner with friends. You never know where you will meet your destiny, ”Lilia recalled.

“If I'm a gymnast, where was the offer? In the gym, yes. When I opened the box and saw the ring, the ears are burning, the cheeks are burning, the eyes are shining. Not because there is a ring. And from the very understanding that changes are taking place in life, ”Podkopayeva admitted.

According to the honored master of sports, the children took Igor well and this is the most important thing for her. The couple plans to play their wedding only together and on a desert island. Lilia Podkopaeva wants to do something quiet and exclusive only for themselves. The couple has so far announced nothing about the date of the wedding.

Lilia Podkopaeva, 39, was married twice: with Viktor Kostyrko in 2012, as well as with Timofey Nagorny, from whom she gave birth to a daughter, Karolina, and adopted a son, Vadim.

Podkopaeva Lilia Aleksandrovna (born 1978) - absolute champion of Europe, the world, Olympic Games in artistic gymnastics, Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine, judge of the international category. In the exercise on the carpet, I performed a double forward somersault with a 180-degree turn, which no one has yet repeated.

Childhood

Dad left the family when Lilya was very young. She was raised by her grandmother Evelina Mikhailovna and her mother. They decided to give their energetic child to the sports section. In 1983, when Lilya was 5 years old, her grandmother took her to the Dynamo Sports Palace. The girl saw the gym for the first time in her life and fell in love with it once and for all. When there was the first lesson, Lilina's grandmother told the trainer that her granddaughter had come to train not just to kill time, but for the results. These words, heard by the little girl, became her life orientation, which eventually grew into a goal - victory and success.

Sport has become the main occupation in Podkopaeva's life. The child had a strict regimen:

rise at 5 o'clock in the morning;
at 5.30 she was already leaving the house for her morning workout;
classes at school (Lilya studied in a sports class with gymnasts and swimmers);
evening training until 20.00;
preparation of assigned lessons.

Sports records and achievements

The road to international competitions opened for Podkopayeva in 1993, and already in 1995 she won the European Cup and the absolute world championship.

Atlanta 1996. There were no empty seats in the Georgia Dome gym. The audience strongly supported the American gymnasts. American President Clinton respected artistic gymnastics. He came with his family to watch the competition. After the first exercise, Lilya took the sixth position in the overall standings. On the uneven bars, she was second, losing to the representative of the United States. For the log, Podkopaeva gets the highest score. And the last introduction is her strong point, a free exercise, in which she had no equal on the planet. The resulting score almost went off scale - 9.887.

"About Olympic gold any athlete dreams in life, and when this goal is achieved, physical pain with fatigue and devastation pours into such an emotional state that one cannot do without tears. "

This is what a young 18-year-old Ukrainian gymnast said about her victory at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Life after the Olympics

Immediately after the Olympics, President Clinton invited Podkopayeva to tour the states to give speeches. Lilya visited 60 cities. This was followed by a contract for coaching in an American gymnastics club. He was imprisoned for a year. The athlete did not renew it, rejected the offer to accept American citizenship and left for her homeland in Ukraine.

In 1997, Podkopaeva injured her leg and left professional sports. Every summer she teaches master classes in America, where she trains children. Even the children of world celebrities Madonna and Antonio Banderas have visited her students.

Other achievements of Podkopayeva (in the development and promotion of sports, in charity) are no less significant than sports medals and titles.

2001	Graduated from Kiev National University physical culture and sports, having received the profession of a trainer-teacher.
2003	Received a diploma from the Donetsk State Academy of Management.
2004	She became the National Ambassador of the Council of Europe for Sports, Fair Play and Tolerance.
2005	Became the UN Goodwill Ambassador for the fight against AIDS.
2006	Receives UN award for the fight against HIV and AIDS.
2006	In Ukraine, the issue of postage stamps has begun, which depicts L.A. Podkopaeva.
2007	She was named “Woman of the Year” in the national competition “Person of the Year”.
2008	The US Worldwide Hall of Fame has immortalized her name.
2008	The UN in the United States began issuing a postage stamp with the image of L.A. Podkopaeva. (to her 30th birthday).
2001-2009	Organizer (together with spouse Timofey Nagorny) of the annual sports international festival"Golden Lily".
2010	Becomes co-founder and head of the Health of Generations charity fund.
2011	He hosts an entertainment show "I am a Hero" (New Channel) on Ukrainian television.
2012	Leads the social project "Heart Will Tell" on Ukrainian television (Inter channel).
2015	In March, the program of the author Lilia Podkopaeva "5 minutes for the benefit of the body" started on Russian Radio, where she shares her experience with the audience in terms of healthy way life.

In addition to 45 gold, 21st silver and 14th bronze medals in Lilia Podkopaeva's treasury, the Honorary Badge of Distinction of the President of Ukraine, the Order of Princess Olga of the III degree, the Certificate of Merit of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Order of Merit of the II degree.

Lilia has participated in many Ukrainian television projects and shows.

In 2006, in the dance project "Dancing with the Stars" she won in a pair with Sergei Kostetsky. In 2008, with the same partner, she took third place at the Eurovision dance competition, where they performed for Ukraine.

She starred in the TV series "Lesya + Roma" (2005-2006) and "Hold me tight" (2007).

Podkopaeva has a line of sportswear in the United States, which goes under the L.P. Design brand.

Personal and social life

With her first husband, Donetsk businessman Timofei Nagorny, Podkopaeva lived for seven years, four of which were legally married. They got married on December 25, 2004. The witness at the wedding was Lilia's best friend, singer Ani Lorak. The event was magnificent and loud. The wedding celebration was attended by Iosif Kobzon, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk (Okean Elzy group), Taisia Povaliy, world artistic gymnastics stars Aleksey Nemov, Svetlana Khorkina, Lilina, friend, Olympic swimming champion Yana Klochkova.

In 2006, the couple adopted an 8-month-old boy Vadik from an orphanage. At the end of the same year, Lilya gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Carolina after her friend.

In 2009, the couple broke up, and not quietly and peacefully, but with scandals. Timofey accused Lily of not letting him see the children. Over time, the passions subsided and the ex-spouses were able to negotiate and improve human relations. Timofey sees his children when he wants and helps them financially.

In 2009, Lilia met her partner in the Health of Generations charitable foundation, a Kiev businessman, Viktor Kostyrko (he owns a restaurant in the center of the Ukrainian capital). The working relationship grew into mutual sympathy, and they began dating. After a hard-borne divorce from her first husband, Lilya stubbornly hid her new relationship, did not want any publicity.

In 2012, Lilya and Victor signed without high-profile celebrations. Only the children, the parents of the groom and the mother of the bride were with them that day. Victor has already had three marriages. His third wife died, leaving an 11-year-old son. Raising him and her children, Vadik and Karolina, is now being dealt with by Lilia.

Now Lilia devotes a lot of time to charity and leads a secular lifestyle.

All over the world, fans call the great gymnast Lady Under.

A native of Donetsk, Lilia Podkopaeva was brought up in a female environment - by her mother and grandmother. Despite the absence of men in the house, she grew up purposeful and resilient.

Grade

Profession: gymnast
Date of Birth: August 15, 1978
Height and weight: 162 cm.48 kg.
Place of Birth: Donetsk, Ukraine
Best works:"Golden Lily"
Awards: World champion in artistic gymnastics
Social network: Facebook, Instagram

Lilya began to play sports from early childhood, preferring such a form as artistic gymnastics. From the age of five, little Podkopaeva stubbornly walked towards her goal, training daily and three times a day. Thanks to her hard work and perseverance, Lilia Podkopaeva has established herself as a very promising athlete.

In 1996, already by that time an Honored Master of Sports, she went from Ukraine to the XXVI Olympic Games in Atlanta, where she managed to win two gold medals at once - in absolute superiority and floor exercise. One of its elements is "double forward somersault with a 180-degree turn" - until now, none of the athletes can repeat, including men.

A year later, the Ukrainian gymnast won the European Cup in artistic gymnastics, and a year later she became the European champion in artistic gymnastics. She took part in more than one competition and almost always became the winner. In total, Podkopayeva has 45 gold, 21 silver and 14 bronze medals - and this is only at international competitions, not to mention national championships.

In 2001, Lilia Podkopaeva graduated with honors from the Kiev Institute of Physical Education with a degree in trainer-teacher. A year later, in 2002, she entered the Donetsk State University of Management at the Faculty of Management.

Also, the Olympic champion founded and headed the International Charitable Foundation "Health of Generations". Organized the Golden Lily sports festival, which takes place annually in Kiev.

In 2004, Lilia Podkopayeva became the National Ambassador to the Council of Europe for Sports, Tolerance and Fair Play. And in 2005 she assumed the obligations of the UN Goodwill Ambassador on AIDS. In 2007 she received the UN award for the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Now the athlete leads a secular lifestyle and is actively involved in charitable activities. She often appears on the pages of fashion magazines and in various television projects. In 2006, Lilia won the Ukrainian version of the project "Dancing with the Stars", and two years later, together with Sergei Kostetsky, represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, where they took third place.

After graduating sports career, Lilia organized her own sportswear business in the United States and set about creating a network of gymnastics schools in the Donetsk region.

Personal life

She was married to a Donetsk businessman Timofey Nagorny, together with whom they adopted an 8-month-old orphan Vadik in 2006. At the end of the same year, the couple had a daughter, Caroline.

Interesting Facts

In 2006 she won the Ukrainian version of the project "Dancing with the Stars"

Together with Serhiy Kostetsky, she represented Ukraine at the 2008 Dance Eurovision Song Contest in 2008, where they took third place

In 2011 she became one of the leading sports and entertainment show "I am a Hero!"

Her best friend is singer Ani Lorak, who is also the godmother of her daughter Carolina.

In 2005 she became the UN Goodwill Ambassador for AIDS

In 2007 she was recognized as "Woman of the Year" in the national program "Person of the Year"

Now Lilia Podkopaeva with her children, 11-year-old Vadim and 10-year-old Carolina, as well as her mother Lyudmila, live in Tampa, Florida. To my question, when does an athlete visit Ukraine, she replies: “We live in the States, plus or minus six to seven months a year, although it happens in different ways. And so it has been for 20 years. After the Atlanta Olympics, I was invited to master classes and motivational lectures to share success stories. The more time you spend there, the more offers I get, so I run all over the country. But I always return to Ukraine, because this is my home, my homeland. "

For many, adaptation in a foreign country is not easy. Tell us what was the most difficult for you, what did you have to get used to in America?

In fact, everything was complicated. The American lifestyle is very different from ours. Life here is different - everything is much easier and simpler, but you also need to get used to it. When I first came to the States 20 years ago, it was hard to get used to the fact that a car is not a luxury, but a means of transportation (smiles). And if in large cities, such as New York and Chicago, there are subways and buses, and somewhere you can walk and on foot, then in small cities like Tampa there is only a car or a bicycle. This, of course, was annoying at first. And the banking system then shocked me at all, because we didn’t even know about such things that were considered common here: you don’t have to go to the cashier, but you can just write a check, send it, and everything was paid. There was a very strong contrast with Ukraine at that time.

This is how I gradually got used to it, slowly studied, developed. For me, everyday life has become a new stage in my life. When you are an athlete, and you are constantly at the Olympic base, you go to competitions, you don’t think about how to order tickets, apply for visas, think over the route, who will cook food, clean the room in the end, because they did everything for us. We only thought about sports. Therefore, this moment had to be mastered. I remember I called my mother (there was no Skype yet, the Internet was just beginning to develop) and asked how to cook this or that dish.

- And the easiest thing that you let into your life from the American lifestyle?

The easiest thing is convenience. Everything here is so convenient, thoughtful and comfortable! Everything is done for a person, from parking spaces to pricing - availability of goods. Every day it is customary here to put on new clothes, you cannot walk in the same for two days in a row. Therefore, you quickly get used to shopping. And to what you have all year round eat fruits and vegetables. This has not happened in Ukraine before.

Service in the States on the highest level: if you have any questions, you call and they answer you with a smile. When I return to Ukraine, unfortunately, I see a difference: in the store, for example, we very often behave incorrectly with the customer.

- Lil, and how did you learn the language, did you hire a tutor?

I remember my first visit. I went to school, there are ESOL classes (English As a Second Language - "English as a second language" - Ed.). I went for three months, plus I tried to talk in the hall, the children laughed at me. At first she could not speak at all. I cried because everything was very difficult. You can understand one word, but in combination with another it has a completely different meaning (for example: go - to go, and already go on - to continue). I translated each word separately, and I got some kind of rubbish in my head. When I read my first art book in English two years ago, I was very proud of myself. For an athlete, this is pleasant, because from childhood we are accustomed to setting goals and achieving them.

We had an assignment: for two days we read a certain number of chapters, and then came to school and discussed them with the teacher. There are people from all over the world in this school. If someone does not know something, they try to explain it to you, taking into account the peculiarities of your native language. The teacher said: "Do not worry, when you start reading the book, at first you will understand only 30 percent, but by the end, on average, 70 percent will be understood." It wasn't easy, but I enjoyed reading it a lot.

- How do children learn? In which school?

Children go to public school. We live in a good area (here the area is determined by which school, what level it has). You cannot go to school from another area, here it is very strict with this. Therefore, people rent or buy apartments or houses near good schools in order to give children a good education... Americans do not spare money for this, they will move and change their place of residence (city, state) in order to get to a certain school, if they see the child's potential, see opportunities and want to use them.

My children started learning English back in Ukraine at the Little America school. Then Vadim was four and a half years old, and Karolina - three and a half. The language learning was carried out in a playful way. And when in our first year in the USA the children went to kindergarten, they felt quite comfortable, they did not have stress, they communicated quite easily in a group with their peers.

Now children are fluent in the language: every time they come to America, they take a test for their level of English. And recently Vadim was awarded a certificate of commendation as the best student of the school! I am very proud of him, he is a great fellow!

- Tell us which items are easy for children and which ones are difficult?

Vadim likes logic and mathematics. Karolina, on the other hand, loves language and literature, she loves writing stories. They are completely different, but this, probably, is the beauty. They are great for me, because they study in two programs. In addition to the American school curriculum, my mother also works with the children in Ukrainian so that when they return home they can pass the exams and keep up with their peers. Of course, it is very difficult, but we are trying. I convince them that in the future it will benefit them, because additional knowledge is always a plus. And knowing the approach to study in Ukraine and the United States, they will better understand how everything works in this world.

Children, of course, are very busy, but I explain to them: if they want to achieve something, they have to work hard. The more they take now, the more they can get in the future. They sometimes resist, do not want to, like all children, but mostly they are great fellows. I'm proud of them (smiles).

- When children come to Ukraine, do they go to school or are homeschooled?

Go to school. In addition, we take books from America and try to read them all while we are in Ukraine. There is an opportunity to study online and take subjects as an external student.

- Tell us, what are the interests of Vadim and Karolina, in addition to studying?

Carolina is very fond of drawing. Vadim is also a creative child, but he loves to play computer games more. In terms of sports, we go in for swimming and tennis. Vadim is slowly mastering karate. We try to ensure that children have a harmonious development: both study and physical activity. For me, as a former athlete, this is very important. Like everyone else, we love to be with children in Disneyland, in igrolands, of which there are a lot, in water parks. On weekends, we are always together, because in the middle of the week it is not possible to devote much time to each other: we had breakfast together, scattered in all directions and only had dinner in the evening.

- How independent are your children? What are their responsibilities?

The children take turns washing the dishes: one day - Carolina, the other - Vadim. They also vacuum, clean up after themselves, do some laundry, help grandmother with household chores. For example, they found out that it costs money to wash a car, and they offered: "Mom, let us wash the car, and you will pay us." I agreed: the children approached this very responsibly, ripped out the car to a shine. And we learned the lesson: if you want to make money, you need to do your job efficiently. It made me happy.

What do you think, what needs to be instilled from childhood, what to teach, what to tell, so that in the future the child will become an independent and successful person?

To teach not to be afraid to work. Teach not to be afraid of difficulties. Teach to be human. These things need to be pawned from childhood. And, probably, you need to educate yourself, because children look at us and absorb what they see, what happens every day. You can say anything, but how you do everything yourself is probably more important. Therefore, parents need to educate themselves if they want to raise wonderful children.

How close is Vadim to Karolina? Or they are now starting a period when they hang up signs on the door of their room “Do not enter without knocking! Private territory "?

They are as close as an ordinary brother and sister. At home, they, of course, sort things out, like any children. This is totally normal. First, they grow up, their character changes, they don't want to show weakness or give in somewhere. Although I teach them: “Vadim, you, as a man, should be more lenient towards girls. This is your little sister. You understand that she looks at you, how you behave. If you spoke harshly, she will remember and then she will repeat it in the same way ”.

I suggest to Caroline: “You are a girl, you are a lady. You must behave with dignity. Therefore, be wiser, smarter. Sometimes it is better to remain silent, let the emotions settle down. " Of course, we rarely succeed, but we try, learn (smiles). When they are somewhere outside the house, they stand up for each other. If I disagree on something with Vadim or Karolina, they will defend each other, try to persuade me.

Karolina recently made me happy: while I was on a business trip, she made pancakes herself. And when I returned, I asked her: “Well, how are the pancakes? Tell me, probably, you just made the dough, and the grandmother was frying ", so Vadim:" No, mom, Carolina did everything herself! They are so delicious, you have to try! "

Children love each other and when they part, they really miss. There is an older brother, there is a younger sister, this feeling is formed in everyone. I say to Vadim: “You are our defender, you are our man. And we are girls, we need yours strong shoulder". And he understands this. Just like I say to Caroline: "This is your older brother, you must listen to him." They take care of each other, and this makes me happy as a mother.

- Do children already ask you uncomfortable adult questions?

Of course they do (smiles). But if I do not want to answer, I diplomatically evade the answer. I learned this through various interviews (smiles). If there are any moments, I ask: “Do you know what this means? Do you want me to explain to you? " “No, Mom, we already know everything,” they answer. "Okay, but if you want to talk about it, we can talk about it." Recently, my children and I discussed the issue of smoking, drugs, and how it has a detrimental effect on health. I think the children heard me and my arguments. One should not get away from these topics and not be afraid to say that they should think with their own heads. We will not be able to spread a feather bed for them everywhere, to lead them by the handle all our lives. I tell you that life is sometimes cruel and everything is not always rosy, as it seems in childhood, when we look at many things through rose-colored glasses.

- Where do children like to live more - in Ukraine or in the USA?

They like where mom is (smiles).

- Do they have friends?

Yes. I think there are more friends in Ukraine, given that in Kiev they can move more on their own and go to visit. In America, they have friends who live next to us. Children go to visit them with an overnight stay, this is often practiced here. Vadim is getting older and already more attached to his friends, he understands more what friendship is. He is lightweight and sociable, he quickly finds guys for communication. It makes me happy. Carolina is more private. It takes time for it to open up to a person. In general, that's how they are with me.

- Admit it, do you like to do everyday life in the USA? Decorating the house? Or do you live with your whole family on suitcases?

I have "gypsy blood": it mixed from the very moment when I started gymnastics and as soon as I began to travel around the former USSR (laughs). Therefore, when it’s calm and I don’t go anywhere for three or four months, I have a slight breakdown. In general, I live on suitcases, given that we have been in Ukraine for six months, and in the United States for six months. This is my nomadic life.

Of course, like any woman, I want to have coziness and comfort, and I decorate the house as best I can with all sorts of little things that delight the eye. On Friday, when I come home from work, and the children have already finished their homework by that time, we watch a movie together. Or, recently, they "got hooked" on the TV project "Heads and Tails". We have our favorite presenters - Lesya Nikityuk and Andrey Bednyakov. The children already have a plan: which countries they want to go to, what to see.

- Do you like to cook?

Our mom is responsible for the kitchen. She prepares us borscht and soups, and I am a salad specialist (laughs). Usually kids are skeptical about salads, but they eat mine with great pleasure, especially Vadim. I, of course, tell the children about proper nutrition what is useful and what is not. But sometimes we want fries and some cola chips. I work a lot, so my mom is mainly involved in cooking. She often grills meats or fish, or bakes them in the oven. We eat a lot of fruits, since in America they are available in large quantities and varieties all year round. We try to eat fruits before lunch, because they have a lot of sugar, and it is not very healthy. About a year and a half ago, I went for a consultation with nutritionist Natalya Samoylenko not to lose weight (my weight is okay), but to learn how to eat right. So, my nutritionist recommends that carbohydrates are before lunch, and proteins after. And no red vegetables and fruits in the afternoon because they are high in sugar! We try to adhere to these nutritional rules. I can cook everything, but I won't say that I love doing it, because when I cook, I immediately feel like eating (laughs). And in order not to gain weight, I go in for sports three times a week. I wrote the program for myself physical activity: running four kilometers, then warm-up and exercises for the press, legs, upper shoulder girdle... In women, mainly problem areas- waist, butt, legs, so I focus on these parts of the body in the warm-up.

- What do you not allow children to eat?

They want something sweet, like everyone else. At one time we ate breakfast cereals, which you fill with milk, and in them, it turns out, there is a huge amount of sugar. When so much sugar is put in on an empty stomach, insulin kicks in insanely. I am not against sweets, but you need to eat it at a certain time and in small quantities. Once I read to the children an article about the dangers of sugar and said: “You see, my grandmother measures her blood sugar level every day by piercing her finger. You don't want to do the same, do you? " You can't eat whatever you want. There was such a funny case, the children were still small then. We have a rule: sweets are allowed only once a week. And so we are driving together in the car, and my friend says: "Children, do you want candy?" They look at her, then at me and say, "No, we only have candy on Fridays." It sounded, on the one hand, ridiculous, and on the other hand, terrible, as if my mother was some kind of Cerberus who only allows candy to be eaten on Fridays. We banned, of course, chips, sugary carbonated drinks, some kind of snacks. Instead, I offer them dried apricots, prunes, raisins, cranberries. We have now found a replacement for sweets - these are kozinaki. There is very little sugar, mostly nuts (almonds, hazelnuts), seeds, a little honey and salt. Children eat sweets anyway. It is completely impossible to exclude them. And when we go to the park, we cannot deny ourselves to eat delicious ice cream, but this is only once a week (smiles).

- Lilya, what is it not customary in your family to spend a lot of money on, but on what, on the contrary, you don’t mind spending money?

I do not regret investing in education, training, in the harmonious development of children. Vadim and Karolina are absolutely indifferent to clothes: they have everything they need. I teach that you can look stylish and fashionable without spending a lot of money. That now, for example, bad manners, when everyone is in brands. For children, I don't think it's right to buy expensive things. They should not be afraid to run, fall, sit on the floor, like all Americans, and not think about ruining their new suit. Of course, children have things to go out, but here in America there is no such thing as expensive clothes. In general, everything is quite affordable for them. Therefore, casual clothing is very relevant, so that it is convenient and comfortable at school. They have physical education, but the children do not change clothes for the lesson, as is customary in our country. What they have come to do what they do. Therefore, there is a rule for girls: if this is a skirt, then there must be shorts under it so that the children can tumble, do not be afraid, do not be shy and feel comfortable.

- Tell us how you pampered yourself in last time? Maybe it's a massage, an expensive dress, a cruise ...

My friend and I periodically go shopping, but talk more, have a glass of wine, sit and chat, see some new items. If I know that I will have an event, then I go and buy myself an outfit for it. Nowadays, many people rent a party outfit. In Kiev, I turn to stylists for help, they choose dresses for me.

I am driving active life, so for me the most comfortable thing is trousers, jeans. Jeans are my love, I have a lot of them. They even send me jeans specially from Ukraine of some young brands. I love that they have some kind of zest, so that they stand out in some way. And comfortable shoes for me are sneakers. Now it is very important. They are worn under a dress and under a skirt. As you get older, you focus more on comfort, taking into account your own rhythm of life. I can't say that I love shopping. As you get older, you already clearly know what you need. I came, saw, bought - it's about me. And before, I could go shopping for hours (smiles).

Irina Pikulya