- Nikita, eight years ago you performed at Art on Ice with Elena Ilinykh, and Victoria a year later came to Art on Ice with Ruslan Zhiganshin. Remember your first impressions?

Nikita Katsalapov: Everything impressed us then: in which hotels we live, in which cities there are performances. On the same Lake Geneva, I remember, they woke up in the morning, and it felt like you were not a skater, but a rock star. Very cool. Art on Ice always has a cool line-up, and everyone is extremely friendly. Famous world-famous musicians come. Riding under such accompaniment live is really something special. Naturally, I don’t remember any details of that trip anymore, but Lena and I all recognized, even though at that time we were, from the point of view of titles, almost noonames - world junior champions. In principle, we also knew everyone, except for those dancers who performed in Art on Ice on the floor.

- Who remembered riding with you on that show?

N.K .: The main star was Stefan Lambiel. Mika Ando also skated, acrobats Vladimir Besedin and Aleksey Polishchuk were invited, Alyona Savchenko performed with Robin Sholkov, Max Trankov with Tanya Volosozhar ... Oh, yes, Florent Amodio - he only won the European Championship then.

- The second visit to Art on Ice reminds you of that first one?

N.K .: That's what I don’t want to do is to compare. I want to treat our joint debut precisely as a debut, as the very beginning. In terms of those who participate in the show, we are all from the same world. And see each other quite often, not only in Switzerland.

- What are similar shows from the point of view of the expenditure of forces and emotions? Do they give energy, or are they still tiring?

Victoria Sinitsina: This is, first of all, a big plus in the sense that, riding in this mode, you do not get out of shape. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you have to play: we still carry out our steps, do some elements, support. That is, do not relax. In addition, you are constantly recharged with energy from other athletes, from dancers, from the general atmosphere, from the audience. This is a very special experience.

- Art on Ice is known for the fact that, as a rule, there are no separate solo numbers in it - all of them are tied into a single outline of the play. Is it harder for skaters than standard demonstrations?

N.K .: Vika will not let me lie: I always warm up before any show performance just like before responsible competitions.

- Arriving at such shows, you fall into an unusual framework and embody the idea of ​​a stage director on ice.

N.K .: The numbers with which we will play in Art on Ice, we set ourselves.

- How and where did this process go?

N.K .: Two days before leaving for Zurich, we went on ice in Moscow, skated a total of eight hours, set ourselves two numbers, plus one more, accidentally mixing up the music. So we even have a backup setting. When we arrived in Switzerland, Vika and I were taken directly from the plane to the ice rink, since one of our numbers includes a group part in the middle of the production, and we began to work out this part together with the group.

- Did you have any introductory instructions for setting your own programs?

VS: There was only music - country, and a common theme.

N.K .: The first simply country song about love - Tattoo on my Brain. The second is called My Way, Aloe Black performer. Its meaning is that, no matter what they say, I still go my own way.

- That part of the show where you do not ride yourself, at least have time to watch at rehearsals?

N.K .: No.

VS: Yesterday there were no our artists, so we generally skated alone. When everyone is on ice, out of the corner of the eye, of course, you catch someone.

- But it happens that you don’t want to go out on the ice, but just sit on the podium and watch the show from beginning to end?

N.K .: Art on Ice is just such a case.

VS: Indeed, I would like to see everything from the side. A beautiful light, a beautiful scene, part of which is mobile and can be advanced in the middle of the rink, the dancers on the floor are cool. Yesterday I found a piece of their rehearsal, stood at the side and looked, mouth open.

N.K .: By the way, every year I go to Moscow to watch the show of Tanya Navka. I have a palace near the house, very convenient.

- Did you have time to recover at least a little after the European Championship?

VS: There was not even a free day. They returned to Moscow and immediately began to stage productions.

N.K .: Speaking about the championship itself, it worked out perfectly for me: all the training went as I wanted, I had a completely fresh head, I felt great, I had a great mood. But after an arbitrary program, when we were sitting in kiss & cry, waiting for ratings, I felt how it began to cover me. Only now I am starting to move away from all this. And then I’m not doing everything on ice. The support is just getting started with Vika again. You asked how we are going to recharge the batteries - so we are going to look at the others. A kind of visual training. A full reboot is not achieved, of course, but partially helps.

- Is there a difference between the ice on which you ride in competitions and what is poured for the show?

N.K .: In Zurich, the ice is very high quality. As was in Graz.

- The organizers of the European Championship, I know, were very proud that they prepared ice better than for hockey players. For example, I was not aware that the thickness of the ice layer for figure skating should be two centimeters greater than for hockey ...

N.K .: I also did not know, but this is logical. If the ice is thin, then when you do the tooth jumps, you just stick a tooth into the concrete. Repeatedly at different competitions this happened, especially in Japan. They like to arrange skating rinks on universal platforms, where a collapsible pool can stand, and anything, and ice is broken through the concrete all the time, especially when it is poured for the first time.

- Probably the best way to ride on specially prepared ice of natural origin?

N.K .: Last year after the World Cup we rode on Lake Baikal, but I got Roma Kostomarov’s skates, which are two sizes larger, so I can’t say that there were any special sensations except that I had a dangling leg boot. But if I skated on my skates, most likely, Baikal ice would be harsh for me. -25 ° C - the temperature is still too harsh for ice. Especially for dancers.

- Kostomarov once said that all his sporting life he rode barefoot ...

N.K .: Max Trankov also rides barefoot. I have two silicones and a sock on my leg. I'm so used to it. Although it is believed that barefoot you feel better boot.

VS: I ride in thin pantyhose with a density of 15 den, it's like barefoot.

- Did the trouble with shoes go around you this season?

N.K .: I changed three pairs, but the loops on the laces are torn again. For the first time in my life I have this. Maybe just a bad couple. But I have one more - in reserve.

- Apparently, you quickly roll shoes ...

N.K .: If the program is ready, then I get up for new ones and the very next day I can do a rental. But it’s better, of course, not to change shoes in the middle of the season.

VS: And I ride last year's second season in a row. I tried to get on new skates when we set programs, and I realized that the pair did not suit me at all. There was no time left to continue rolling it, so I just took the old shoes again. So still I ride in them.

- What arrangements do you have with the coach regarding the continuation of training and preparation for the World Cup?

N.K .: Alexander Zhulin sent us on a Swiss tour with the words: “I hope to see you in good shape upon arrival.” We will return to Moscow on February 17, and we will still have to undergo a medical examination - we are running out of admission. Accordingly, we immediately begin training.

- To extend the admission - is it an on-call event, or are there problems with obtaining medical permits?

N.K .: Judging by the fact that Sasha Enbert can’t get permission in any way, the doctors take this issue more than seriously. They may wrap the athlete due to injury. I heard that Sergei Voronov once nearly lost his admission due to the fact that he did not heal his teeth in time.

VS: For us, this is rather a standard procedure, which, for our own peace of mind, is good to go through twice a year. But I also somehow had a problem with the teeth: the doctors found a small caries, and said that if I came to them with untreated teeth, I would not be allowed. I immediately went to the dentist and solved the problem.

- Returning to the words of your coach: what does the concept of “to be in good shape” mean?

N.K .: Form is primarily physical condition. That the breath did not stray, the muscles were in order. We make several supports in the show that are in our competitive programs, that is, we constantly train them one way or another. We are working on the floor of the program, separately we are engaged in support. Again, there is always a gym in the hotel.

- Is there enough time for something other than performances and rehearsals during the tour?

N.K .: Depends on the schedule of rehearsals. One day, the schedule was such that we had time to go to the city center between the two ice exits and walked there for several hours until the rain started and the shops closed.

- That is, Vika and managed to organize shopping in Zurich?

VS: How to say ... The only thing I bought was clothes for one of our show rooms ...