Elena Tchaikovskaia

Personal information
Full name:	Elena Anatolyevna Tchaikovskaia
Alternative names:	Elena Anatolyevna Osipova
Country represented:	Soviet Union
Date of birth:	December 30, 1939 (1939-12-30) (age 69)
Place of birth:	Moscow
Retired:	1960

Elena Anatolyevna Tchaikovskaia^[1] (Russian: Еле́на Анато́льевна Чайко́вская​ (help·info), née Osipova (Russian: О́сипова); born December 30, 1939) is a Russian figure skating coach and choreographer. Among her current and former students are Vladimir Kovalev, Gennadi Karponossov & Natalia Linichuk, Lyudmila Pakhomova & Aleksandr Gorshkov, Sergei Davydov, Andrei Lezin, Viktoria Volchkova, Maria Butyrskaya, Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas Kristina Gorshkova & Vitali Butikov, Alexandra Maksimova & Egor Maistrov, and Emma Hagieva. She coaches in collaboration with Vladimir Kotin, her former pupil.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Coaching philosophy 3 Publications 4 References

[edit] Biography

Elena Tchaikovskaia was born in Moscow in a family of theatre actors.^[2] Since childhood she was prepared to become an actor, even starred with her father Anatoliy Osipov in several Soviet films, such as Schastlivyy reys.^[2] She had unhealthy lungs, so father took her to the ice rink, believing skating would help her to improve health. After school s decided to attend the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS), ballet master faculty. In 1957, she became a Soviet champion in single skating.^[3] In 1960 she retired from competitions and started working as choreographer and later as a coach. Since 1997 she served as the Russian Olympic committee's main coach. She also coaches national figure scating team.

The Russian Academy of Theatre Arts has a special faculty for former sportsmen and figure skaters who are willing to become coaches.^[2] It is headed by Elena Tchaikovskaia and was formerly headed by Tchaikovskaia's student Lyudmila Pakhomova. Tchaikovskaia also heads a skating school in Moscow called "Skate of Tchaikovskaia" (Russian: Конёк Чайковской).

Tchaikovskaia was twice awarded with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and once with the Lithuanian Order of Gediminas for her successful work with Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas.^[2] Drobiazko and Vanagas, as well as Julia Soldatova and Kristina Oblasova trained in "Skate of Tchaikovskaia" school.

[edit] Coaching philosophy

Famous for her ice dancing pairs, in 2007, she stated that personally thinks that single skating is far more important and difficult.^[4] She is more involved in single skating, though says that she may return to ice dancing someday.^[4] She spends her spare time listening to music and going to the theatres.^[5]

She has written several books about training of figure skaters, for example, Konek Udachi (Russian: Конёк удачи, lit. "A skate of luck"), which was published in 1994.^[6] In 2007 , a documentary about her was released in Russia titled Her Ice Majesty. Elena Tchaikovskaia (Russian: Ее ледовое Величество. Елена Чайковская) directed by Oleg Moroseev.^[7]

[edit] Publications

• Tchaikovskaia, E. A. (1972) (in Russian). Uzory russkogo tantsa (Patterns of Russian dance). Moscow: Sov. Russia. pp. 160. 
• Tchaikovskaia, E. A. (1980) (in Russian). Shest ballov (Six mark). Moscow: The Young Guard. pp. 239. 
• Tchaikovskaia, E. A. (1986) (in Russian). Figurnoe katanie (Figure scating) (2 ed.). Moscow: Fizkultura i sport. pp. 124. 
• Tchaikovskaia, E. A. (1994) (in Russian). Konek Udachi (A skate of luck). Moscow: Sov. Sport. pp. 218. ISBN 5850094288. 

[edit] References