# Margarita Drobiazko

Margarita Aleksandrovna Drobiazko (Russian: Маргарита Александровна Дробязко; born 21 December 1971) is a Russian retired ice dancer. She began competing for Lithuania in 1992 when she teamed up with Povilas Vanagas. With Vanagas, she is the 2000 World bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, a two-time European bronze medalist (2000, 2006), the 1999 Skate Canada champion, and competed in five Winter Olympics, finishing as high as 5th.

## Career

Drobiazko began skating at age six – she became interested after seeing children learning to skate at an outdoor rink. She convinced her mother, who wanted her to become a ballerina, to let her try skating. At age 12, she took up ice dancing and was coached first by Natalia Linichuk and then Natalia Dubova. She initially competed with Oleg Granionov for Russia.
Drobiazko was paired with Lithuanian skater Povilas Vanagas by Tatiana Tarasova in Moscow. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, they decided to represent Lithuania. Vanagas said, "It was difficult at the beginning because there was a lot of friction between Russia and Lithuania. Since Rita is Russian, it caused many problems." They moved to Kaunas, Lithuania and began training with Elena Maslennikova. In 1995, they began working also in England with Betty Callaway, Jayne Torvill, and Christopher Dean.
In 1999, Drobiazko and Vanagas began spending time with Elena Tchaikovskaia in Moscow, while continuing to work with Maslennikova in Kaunas. They were also coached by Lilija Vanagiene and Anatoliy Petukhov. Drobiazko and Vanagas retired from competition following the 2001–2002 Olympic season, but returned to competition in 2005 to compete at their fifth Olympics. In preparation for the 2005–2006 season, they worked with Maslennikova, Rostislav Sinicyn, Igor Shpilband, Marina Zueva, Gintaras Svistunavicius, and David Liu, in the United States, Germany, Russia, and Lithuania. Drobiazko and Vanagas became the first and only figure skaters to compete at five Olympics. They retired again in 2006 following the World Championships.
Their choreographers included Elena Maslennikova, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Elena Tchaikovskaia, Tatiana Pomerantseva, Elena Kholina, Yuri Puzakov, Vasily Kleimenov, and Gintaras Svistunavicius.

### Television

She appeared in the 1-7 seasons of ice show contest Ice Age.

## Personal life

Drobiazko was born in Moscow, but lived in Magadan, the Russian far north-east, until the age of six. Since the Olympics require citizenship of the country represented, Drobiazko obtained Lithuanian citizenship in 1993. She has been married to Vanagas since June 2000.
In the summer of 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Drobiazko played a role in a ballet Swan Lake on ice with Vanagas in Sochi that was organized by former Olympic champion Tatiana Navka. On 10 August 2022, Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda signed a decree stripping off the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas from both skaters.
On 15 September 2023, Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda signed a decree stripping Margarita Drobiazko of her Lithuanian citizenship due to her "public support for the Russian Federation during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine".

## Programs

(with Povilas Vanagas)
| Season | Original dance | Free dance | Exhibition |
| 2006–present | | | Saudades do Brasil em Portugal by Carminho Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven In the Mood For Love (Yumeji's Theme) by Shigeru Umebayashi Valse Triste by Jean Sibelius Exogenesis, part 2 by Muse Moon River by Henry Mancini Je Suis Malade by Dalida Belyi Kon ("White Horse") by Alexander Malinin Yeah by Usher Let Me Fall by Josh Groban Malaguena by Ernesto Lecuona Hey You by Pink Floyd The Matrix Revolutions by Don Davis |
| 2005–2006 | Latin: La Playa by Miriam Jurado Banca Banca by E-Type | The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber The Point of No Return | Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt The Black Pearl Will And Elizabeth Moonlight Serenade He's a Pirate |
| 2002–2005 | | | The Shadows of the Storm by Maxime Rodriguez Poeta en la Mar by Vicente Amigo My Baby by LeAnn Rimes Possession by Ayman & Hisham |
| 2001–2002 | Spanish: Paso Doble Karida by S. Millington, T. Mercer Wilo Rose Light Symphony Orchestra Flamenco Tacon by Cuadro Flamenco | Quelques Cris by Johnny Hallyday | Sang Pour Sang by Johnny Hallyday |
| 2000–2001 | Quickstep and Charleston: Yes Sir, That's My Baby by Briquet, Kahn & Donaldson Dancing Fool by Gary Wilmot | Spente Le Stelle by Emma Shapplin Tango medley: Tanguera by Sexteto Mayor Tus Ojos de Cielo by Lisandro Adrover | "The Thread of Ariadna" Adagio (var. 1990) by Eleni Karaindrou |
| 1999–2000 | Latin: Historia de un Amor by Carlos Almaran Ritmo de Bom Bom by Jubaba | Spente Le Stelle by Emma Shapplin | Torquay (From Dusk Till Dawn) by George Tomsco, The Leftovers |
| 1998–1999 | Waltz: Valse Triste by Jean Sibelius | Sunrise at Alcatraz by Deep Forest | Torquay (From Dusk Till Dawn) by George Tomsco, The Leftovers |
| 1997–1998 | Jive: Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis | Songs from the Victorious City by Anne Dudley, Jaz Coleman Habebe Endless Festival | |
| 1996–1997 | Tango: La cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez performed by Orchestra Tango Cafe | Jazz medley: Mick's Blessings by The Style Council Moanin' by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Watermelon Man by Mongo Santamaria Dropping Bombs on the White House by The Style Council | Bram Stoker's Dracula The Brides by Wojciech Kilar |
| 1995–1996 | Paso Doble: España Cani | Wild at Heart by Angelo Badalamenti | Bram Stoker's Dracula The Brides by Wojciech Kilar |
| 1994–1995 | Quickstep: Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima | Stepping Out Soapdish Vamos A Bailar by Gipsy Kings | Fantasia by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart I Put a Spell on You by Screamin' Jay Hawkins |
| 1993–1994 | Rhumba: Besame Mucho | Happy Feet by Christopher Gunning La Vie en Rose by Louis Armstrong, Édith Piaf | |
| 1992–1993 | Waltz | Tango by Astor Piazzolla | |
| 1991–1992 | Polka | Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev | |

## Competitive highlights

(ice dance with Povilas Vanagas)
Results :
| International ||||||||||||||
| Event | 1991–92 | 1992–93 | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–00 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 |
| Winter Olympics | 16th | | 12th | | | | 8th | | | | 5th | | 7th |
| World Championships | 17th | 13th | 9th | 12th | 8th | 10th | 8th | 6th | 3rd | 5th | 4th | | 4th |
| European Championships | 15th | 11th | 11th | 11th | 6th | 8th | 6th | 5th | 3rd | 4th | 4th | | 3rd |
| Grand Prix Final | | | | | | | | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | | |
| GP Nations/Sparkassen | | | | 2nd | 5th | 5th | | | | 2nd | | | |
| GP NHK Trophy | | | | 6th | 5th | 4th | | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | | |
| GP Skate America | | | | | | | | | | 2nd | 3rd | | |
| GP Skate Canada | | | | 2nd | 8th | 4th | 4th | 2nd | 1st | | | | |
| GP Troph. France/Lalique | | | | 4th | | | | 3rd | 3rd | | 3rd | | |
| Karl Schäfer Memorial | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1st |
| Nebelhorn Trophy | | 2nd | 3rd | | | | | | | | | | 2nd |
| Skate Israel | | | | | 1st | 1st | | | | | | | |
| Piruetten | | 5th | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Winter Universiade | | 2nd | | | | | | | | | | | |
| National ||||||||||||||
| Lithuanian Champ. | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Events marked GP became part of the Champions Series in 1995, renamed Grand Prix in 1998. ||||||||||||||