The 2024-2025 Russian figure skating season traditionally kicked off with the test skates, which took place this weekend in Saint Petersburg at the “Yubileyny” Ice Arena. The skaters presented their programs to the audience and received valuable feedback from judges and technical specialists.
Russian Championships silver and bronze medalist Sofia Muravieva chose an unusual concept for this season with her coaching team and choreographers – her short program portrays Odile, while the free skate represents Odette, creating a beautiful story on the ice. After her free skate performance, the skater shared her thoughts with journalists in the mixed zone.
Of course, I’m not happy with the skate. I’m currently not in my best shape. There were rumors about my health on the internet – I won’t address that topic, I’ll keep it to myself. Health and training processes are personal; everyone has their own nuances. I just tried to enjoy the skate regardless of the jumps.
You have very beautiful costumes in both programs.
This costume (points to it) was sewn by a different seamstress than usual, and it turned out very heavy. In the end, my mom spent a long time removing all the rhinestones, and now I have a whole box of them (laughs). But the costume is still too heavy, we’ll have to remove more rhinestones. The thing is, this seamstress sews for gymnasts, and for them, the weight doesn’t matter since they don’t jump. It’s LANA, Svetlana Gerasimova’s workshop.
How much does the dress weigh now?
I don’t know, but it’s definitely heavier than all my other dresses. Svetlana is very well-known in gymnastics; she sewed all the dresses for the Averinas.
Yesterday we assumed that since you have black eyeliner for the Black Swan, you would have white eyeliner for the White Swan.
No, actually, I won’t be doing such bold eyeliner for the short program anymore. First of all, I didn’t like it myself, and secondly, the judges didn’t seem to appreciate it much either. It’s cool for shows, for example. It looks great. But in competitions, because the lighting and atmosphere are different, it doesn’t look as good. We’ll also be redoing the black dress, most likely, and sewing it again at LANA.
The program seems worth working on thoroughly.
The program itself is difficult for me – both in terms of pace and everything else. Most of the steps are done while moving forward, and for me, skating backward is much easier. So, the program’s structure is challenging. Both programs, short and free, were choreographed by Nikita Mikhailov.
The roles themselves require a lot of work, not only on the ice but mentally as well, right?
Yes, the roles are demanding. You have to be able to separate the programs, not just by costumes. It’s easy to say that the White Swan is good and the Black Swan is evil. But it’s not that simple. The Black Swan is cunning, she flirts with the judges. The program is very complicated, both in terms of pace and choreography. We’ll go back home and work hard; we see all our mistakes. We’ll make some changes and improvements.
During the preparation process, did you watch a lot of ballet?
I watched some, but only live at shows, I didn’t have time to go to a real ballet. But I watched a lot of videos. I would sit and study photographs, every pose in them. I consulted with people. We also worked on the programs with Natalia Vladimirovna Linichuk. Every Sunday, I would go to the rink with her, and as a result, I ended up skating without days off for a while. It’s tough on the body, and there were consequences.
You’ll be ready for the Russian Championships, it’s still just the beginning of the season.
Yes, my skates at test events have never gone well. I’ve never had good test skates. For some reason, I always start the season slowly. Some people find it easy to recover quickly after a break, but for me, it’s easier to maintain my form than to regain it. Everyone is different. That’s just how I am (smiles sadly).
Do you already know which events you’ll compete in?
We’re currently planning to compete in Magnitogorsk and Krasnoyarsk. I hope I’ll be fully recovered by then.
By Liudmila ORLOVA, Saint Petersburg