Elena Tchaikovskaia
Elena Anatolyevna Tchaikovskaia, also spelled as Chaykovskaya or Chaikovskaia (, née Osipova (); born 30 December 1939) is a Russian figure skating coach, choreographer, and former competitor for the Soviet Union. She runs a skating school at the Yantar Sports Center, built in 2010 in the Strogino District west of Moscow. She coaches in collaboration with Vladimir Kotin, her former pupil. Biography. Elena Tchaikovskaia was born in Moscow in a family of theatre actors. Her father worked in Mossovet Theatre. Since childhood she was prepared to become an actor, even starred with her father Anatoliy Osipov in several Soviet films , such as "Schastlivyy reys". She had unhealthy lungs, so father took her to the ice rink, believing skating would help her to improve health. After school she decided to attend the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS), ballet master faculty. In 1957, she became a Soviet champion in single skating. 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 skating team. Among her current and former students are The Russian Academy of Theatre Arts has a  special faculty for former sportsmen and figure skaters who are willing to become coaches. 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" (). 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. Drobiazko and Vanagas, as well as Julia Soldatova and Kristina Oblasova trained in "Skate of Tchaikovskaia" school. Coaching philosophy. Famous for her ice dancing pairs, in 2007 , she stated that personally thinks that single skating is far more important and difficult. She is more involved in single skating, though says that she may return to ice dancing someday. She has written several books about training of figure skaters, for example, "Konek Udachi" (, lit. "A skate of luck"), which was published in 1994. In 2007, a documentary about her was released in Russia titled "Her Ice Majesty. Elena Tchaikovskaia" () directed by Oleg Moroseev.