[Oksana, 21 Aug 2010]: I am happy to see that, despite this period of silence, we still have many fans left. Thank you all, my dear friends, for your support. You are always in my heart.

[Oksana and Maxim, 06 Dec 2009]: It's dead calm around here, are you getting bored without us? Not so long now till the debut of our Olympic programs, and then you'll have plenty to talk about, to ask us. We really hope you'll like our dances. Talk to you soon!

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: No, our music for the FD is from another movie.

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: We have sort of used to it, at least a little. Now we try to overcome difficult moments by taking it easy.

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: I try not to think about responsibility, though, of course, thoughts that there is almost no time left do come to my mind. Feelings and mood constantly change. We cannot wait to be competing and showing you our dances!!!


Complete question was: Do you feel the pressure of the begginning of the season and the first important competition now around the corner? Have your feelings and mood changed because of that?

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: Maxim Stavisky didn’t suggest  the music. We really liked it and decided to use part of it. We don't have a problem with Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte also using it. If someone else dances to this music, it means that it also reaches others' hearts. Besides, it’s not the first time that couples from the world’s top ten use the same music.


Complete Question was:  "Maxim Stavisky once said that Albena and he wanted to use the"Requiem for a Dream" soundtrack for their 2006 free dance. Was it him who suggested the music? How do you feel about Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte also dancing to the same piece?"

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: I can only say that at the moment we are busy with other things. I think we’ll have something new for the Olympics!

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: The idea to have an aboriginal dance was a collettive one. It started with the music. We found an unusual piece of music and decided to try. And then we starterd to enjoy it more and more.

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: I think it doesn't make much sense anticipating anything about our new costumes, you must see them. Not long now, be patient!

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: Everything is fine. We are training, preparing for the Russian Nationals. No special changes in the training process. And I adore our original dance!

[Oksana, 17 Nov 2009]: I have two favorites: the one to "Adagio" by Secret Garden and the "Matrix” one. They are very different, but I love them both.

[Oksana, 05 Sep 2009]: Vik@2404, about my hair colour. For the moment I am growing my natural colour. I still don't know how it will be for the new season: we are thinking about it!

[Oksana, 05 Sep 2009]: Katiusha, unfortunately we will not take part to the Russian Cup in Samara: we don't have this competition scheduled.

[Oksana, 05 Sep 2009]: Francuaza, about depressing times. I try to avoid stressful situations, because I find it hard to shake out of them. If it happens, I call relatives and friends, I might go to the beauty parlour or go shopping. In summertime I try to swim more.

[Oksana, 05 Sep 2009]: Francuaza, about the trip to Washington. I don't have friends in Washington, we just went to visit the capital. We got together with the acrobatics coach, the Swiss guys (Leonie Krail and Oscar Peters), the Ukranians (Alla Beknezarova and coach) and two other guys. We walked around, we visited the main sites and then we came back. We'll put the pictures up on the website soon.

Admin's note: please check this update for pictures.

Vik@2404, no, I didn't take Topi with me to Washington. It was very hot that day, and we could hardly bear the heat ourselves. I remember a huge number of tourists, Russian tourists, and then the White House behind the gate!!!

[Oksana, 20 Aug 2009]: About the music for the new season: I would love to tell you all about it, but as you all know, the figure skating world is full of drama and secrets, and all I can tell you right now is that our OD will NOT be a Russian dance.

[Oksana, 20 Aug 2009]: Hello everyone!
I didn't get the chance to celebrate my birthday at all. It was a Monday, not the right time to party! I even trained more than usual, no mercy!!! I hope I will be able to toast  to my health one of these days. Max gave me a beautiful scarf and my coaches gave me a golden pendant.

[Oksana, 20 Aug 2009]: Thank you for all the birthday wishes. It cheered me up to see so many of them.
Thank you very much!!!
Our preparation is going on really well. We train all day. The acrobatics coach just left, and the athletic trainer came in. So yes, everything is great!
Talk to you soon!!!

[Oksana, 20 Aug 2009]: My mother came to a competition once. It was the 2006 Cup of Russia, when Max fell during the Tango. She said it was her fault and refused to attend any more competitions. She gets very nervous, and she doesn't even watch us live on TV. She only watches recordings.

[Oksana, 17 Aug 2009]: Thank you, thank you to you all!!
It's great to come here and see so many birthday wishes. It cheered up my soul and got me in a very good mood!!!

[Oksana, 14 Aug 2009]: Elena, our schedule is pretty heavy right now. I wake up at 6.30. We start with choreography at 7.30. We work on the ice from 8:30 to 10:30, then we have a break. We are back on the ice from 12:10 to 14:10, then acrobatics from 14:30 to 16:30. Two or three times a week we also get athletic training at 19:00. You don't get enough strength left to go out, you just drag yourself to bed. We get the chance to relax only during the week end. I recently went to Washington for a day trip.

[Oksana, 14 Aug 2009]: When Max found out about Topi he was obviously very happy for me. He comes to play with her once in a while. Actually he would love a bigger dog himself, but over here he wouldn't have the chance and the time to keep it.
No, I'm not taking Topi with me to the ice rink. She gets bored alone, but I wouldn't know where to leave her while we're working.

[Oksana, 14 Aug 2009]: Eugeni, I didn't like any of the proposed new dance formats. The result was something very unusual and weird. I'm not sure any of those options will end up being chosen.

[Oksana, 14 Aug 2009]: Dafne, skating two dances the same day is way better than skating the Free Dance at 11 AM, two hours before the exhibition. You made me very happy with the news!!

[Oksana, 14 Aug 2009]: Elena, my shoe size is 37 (US 7), which is pretty small for my height.
I also like Bessmertnova's performance of Frygia, and Plisetskaya's.

[Oksana, 14 Aug 2009]: Yulichka, of course I prefer Waltz, but since we got Tango at both GP events, I will try to fall in love with it, and to rely on my partner and feel safe in his hands. You must love the dance you skate, or else it will never be a dance with a capital letter; so even if you don't like something in the beginning, with time you end up getting into character and love the dance you're skating!!!

[Oksana, 14 Aug 2009]: All of us have an input in creating the lifts: we look for something new, we experiment. This season we are getting help from an acrobat from the Circus of Nikulin upon Tsvetnoy Bulvar, Sergei Grechushkin. He's teaching us all the tricks of this very difficult discipline, bringing new elements within the limits imposed by the rules.

[Oksana, 14 Aug 2009]: Kania, the art of acting is part of ice dancing, so I can say I managed to combine my acting desire with competitive excitement.

[Oksana, 05 Aug 2009]:

Hello everyone!

Katya, if you talk about a real present, I already had one: my little puppy. Otherwise, for my 25th birthday I would have loved to be with my relatives. Unfortunately this is not possible, as we are too far.
Our relationship with our coaches is getting close to being perfect in understanding one other, which is the main thing for us. I don't know if it's gotten necessarily warmer!!! As far as the guys (Belbin/Agosto - t.n), our relationship hasn't changed. We always respected one other, and after the Worlds things have not changed.
Yes, the music for next season has already been chosen. I didn't teach Topi how to talk...yet, so I don't know whether she likes it or not, but I think she does!!! When I come home she greets me with lots of kisses. She's so funny! She reacts to good music. While we were choosing the music for the new season with Natalia, you could tell by Topi's reaction if a certain piece was working: she would start running madly around the table! She eats dog food, but she would love to eat anything from the table!!!

[Oksana, 05 Aug 2009]:
Yiulichka, I walk Topi but I don't do it 5 times a day. She is still a puppy and she does her business basically every hour now. When I'm not around she does it on a rag at home. When she grows I'll train her to go outside.
We got a lot of rest  while on holidays. We were able to recover during these two weeks of complete relax, even though there can never be enough rest!!! We went sailing twice. We got close to some islands and a waterfall, and we went water skiing. Aside of that, we never left the hotel: we just wanted to swim and sunbathe.
No, I never heard of that Canadian singer, but I'll make sure to check his work.
Of course I'll take Topi with me to the Cup of Russia. The plan is to take her everywhere, but there might be problems with some hotels. We'll see.
I think we all made some attempt at writing poetry when young: unfortunately I wasn't very good at that. I do text in rhyme sometimes!!!

[Oksana, 26 Jul 2009]: About food: I love to cook, but I cook mainly in Russia. It's no fun to cook for myself: I like to be appreciated.
I do not eat sandwiches: in between trainings I try to get by with coffee. If I'm hungry then I eat salads, fruits, chocolate!
Of course we'll attend the Grand Prix events. It's not good to plan to skip competitions.
I will definitely show you a picture of Topi.  No, we still haven't seen Tanith's dog but I'm sure we will in the future.

[Oksana, 24 Jul 2009]: I really like Sting's music. I have many of his songs in my music collection: "A Thousand Years", "Desert Rose", "Russians", "Shape of my heart", and many more.

[Oksana, 24 Jul 2009]: Tatiana, unfortunately we don't have any video footage of that. The program was at a very early stage of the developing process when we decided to drop it ,and there wasn't much to see, to tell you the truth. I adore the music, and we've been submitting the idea to Natalia for the past two years, but she never took that into consideration. That's probably due to the fact that we already tried to skate to that wonderful piece of music.

[Oksana, 24 Jul 2009]: Nastia, about my favorite toy: skates!!! Just kidding!!!

Kaya, about hockey: I've been following the worlds with great pleasure these past two years, and I was very happy about our team's victory! I don't have any friends among hockey players, but last year I've seen Ovechkin and Morozov a couple of times during the season's closing ceremony at the ice rink in Odintsovo.

[Oksana, 24 Jul 2009]: Unfortunately I couldn't go visit Maxim while in Germany for Ice Age. The tour was on a very tight schedule, and I couldn't make it to the clinic where Max was staying.
The little dog in the picture is Tania Totmianina's. But now I have a puppy too. I got a Yorkshire as a present from Roman. It's a 4-months old girl, and her name is Topi. So now I don't feel lonely anymore, back in the small village where we live. Topochka gives me joy every moment of every single day!

[Oksana, 23 Jul 2009]: I don't have anything planned for my birthday, yet. I definitely won't be going back to Russia: no more travelling for us, now it's time to work!

[Oksana, 23 Jul 2009]: Maxim is doing fine, his knee is much better! The main thing is that he is skating, thank God!!!

[Oksana, 23 Jul 2009]: No, we don't! Except for the ones addressed to one of us in particular, I usually get to keep most of them. Unless there's something that Max really likes: then he gets to keep it.
During a Grand Prix event in China, two years ago, they threw us two huge toys. I had to fly back home hugged to a soft teddy-bear that was half my size. It was really funny! That's the only one that comes to my mind, at the moment.

Complete question was: Who gets to keep the toys thrown on the ice, and do you have a method for sharing them? Any weird toy thrown on the ice for you that you remember?

[Oksana, 23 Jul 2009]: Tonya, I would very much like this season's Olympic program to continue the logical sequence you displayed...But we'll see.
As far as programs that we already skated, then maybe I'd choose the Polovetsian Dances. It's my favourite dance.

Complete question was: Most dance couples have a program that they are remembered by, and which fully reveals their talent. Torvill-Dean - Bolero, Bestemyanova-Bukin - Carmen, Anissina-Peizerat - Carmina Burana. Can you continue the logical sequence: Domnina-Shabalin - ...?

[Oksana, 23 Jul 2009]: The costumes in the picture were used only once in practice in China.


Complete question was: Back in season 2007-08 you used many different costumes for your Original Dance, most of which we have seen on video. However I have seen these particular costumes only in this picture. In which occasion have they been used, or were they used only in practice?

[Oksana, 23 Jul 2009]: Sunny, such big glasses are hard to find: I doubt Maxim has ever used one.
Katia, the costumes that we were wearing when we won the Worlds are sitting in my wordrobe, for the time being. I don't know what will happen to them afterwards, but I guess we'll end up keeping them.

[Oksana, 23 Jul 2009]: The weather here is very changeable: sometimes it's hot, sometimes it rains. Sure, the temperature is always pleasant, especially when the sun's out.

As far as the music for the new season: my mouth is sealed! I won't say a word, not even a hint! It's way too early!!!

[Oksana, 21 Jul 2009]: Good evening!
I'm very glad to see so many people here!

About what's in the big glass at the party: it's Champagne! It's so much, it can only be Champagne!!!
The new costumes will be tailored in Russia. If we find interesting designers we might decide to have some costumes made somewhere else, but this will happen only halfway through the season.

The girl in the photo is my cousin Yulia, on my dad's side.

[Oksana, 20 Jul 2009]: Hello, hello to everyone!

Thank you for not forgetting about us, and for still checking our website, even after such a long, long break.

About the new programs: I'm sure you'll understand that it's a bit too early to talk about this. I can only say that the music has been chosen, and we are currently in the process of putting the programs together. We'll tell you more about this later.

About the costumes: I also heard the rumour about our costumes being made by Slava Zaitsev (Khokhlova and Novitski's 2008/09 costumes designer, who has been quoted in an article as saying he will create the costumes for the "world champions" - translator's note). I can assure you that this is not true. As usual the journalists messed it up, or maybe the designer himself believes that Khokhlova and Novitski are the world champions, who knows. Anyway it's not clear, but the rumour has nothing to do with us. There you have it!

[Oksana, 19 Jul 2009]: Dear friends and supporters,

please forgive us for not keeping you updated with news from us for such a long time. Our stay in Russia with our beloved ones, vacations, Maxim's health and our return to the US: I'll try to tell you all about it in the near future.
For the moment I can tell you that all is going well: we have been training and working hard on the new programs. We are in a healthy fighting spirit!
We have so much work to do, and so little time.
A huge thank you for the humongous amount of music you sent: you are really helping us a lot.
Please write your questions: I'll answer as soon as I can.

Take care!

[Oksana, 05 May 2009]: Ksyushka, yes, I really liked it. It was a fun experience, enjoyable and not too long! Usually, I like being portrayed by professional photographers: the result is always good!

[Oksana, 05 May 2009]: Natik, it was Maxim's idea! Like me, he really likes the movie and the soundtrack, so we decided to give it a try! We worked on the choreography together with Natalia Vladimirovna. We created lifts and various interesting elements with acrobats Vitja Mytnik (who worked on the Averbukh tour with his wife Lera about 3 years ago) and Vova Besedin. Initially we had doubts about skating with sunglasses on: it was the first time that we were skating the program with the lights off, and we didn't really know if we would see in the dark. Luckily it went well, and we didn't have any problems!

Complete question was: Whose idea was it to do The Matrix as an exhibition? How did you choreograph it (so many new lifts and transitions), and how did you manage to skate wearing sunglasses in a dark place, was it hard?

[Oksana, 05 May 2009]: Lucia, as soon as Maxim comes back from Germany we will head to the
US to start preparation and training for the Olympic season.

[Oksana, 05 May 2009]: Kaja, the last couple of years I've been sharing my room with Yuko Kawaguti, unless I get a single room. The federation knows who gets along with whom, and problems seldom arise.

Complete question was: Oksana, during competitions do you stay in a single room or do you
share with someone else, and if yes, with whom? Are you allowed to choose your roommate?

[Oksana, 05 May 2009]: Arina, the President sent us a telegram. We didn't talk to him personally, and I doubt that he saw us competing, even though I'd like to think I'm wrong.