izvestia: Your performance at Versailles was dedicated to three great ballerinas - Pavlova, Ulanova and Plisetskaya. Do you consider yourself their heir?
Ulyana lopatkina: I think it is better to ask the audience and ballet experts this question. I consider it my duty to continue their direction in art, which combines creative freedom and respect for tradition.
and: You seem to keep some things that belonged to Ulanova?
Lopatkina: I have things of Galina Sergeevna, which I got in memory of her. But not personally from her hands, but thanks to the people who loved her, who greatly respected her work. They were given to me after her death.
and: Since the time of Ulanova, in your opinion, in the field of ballet, we are ahead of the rest, or have we lost our positions?
Lopatkina: I have always been wary of this phrase as an overly self-confident statement. It is generally difficult to be “ahead of the whole planet”. And what is ahead? What are the criteria for assessing? There are no general laws for defining primacy in creativity. I believe that you need to be a highly professional and free artist, and striving for excellence should not be the only goal.
and: When you performed in Versailles, Mikhail Baryshnikov danced at the same time as you at the Théatre de la Ville in Paris. Didn't you manage to cross?
Lopatkina: Unfortunately, not yet. Both me and Mikhail Nikolaevich were not on vacation in France ...
Best of the day
and: Can you imagine yourself on stage with Baryshnikov?
Lopatkina: It would be a very interesting experience. I can't imagine how we would have done it. But the desire is there.
and: Are you satisfied with the recent premiere of Anna Karenina directed by Alexei Ratmansky at the Mariinsky Theater?
Lopatkina: It was interesting for me to work and dance.
and: And what is she like, your Anna? How is Tolstoy?
Lopatkina: Of course not. The ballet act is, of course, different from the novel. It is more laconic and carries the emotional flavor of the music. The ballet is independent. He has a different form of presentation, on which the image of the heroine depends. In my opinion, it is impossible to compare.
and: You remain faithful to the Mariinsky Theater. Was there a temptation to move to the Bolshoi Theater or to a Western troupe?
Lopatkina: Yes, I remain faithful to the Mariinsky Theater, and I will leave the rest behind the scenes.
and: French balletomanes think that you are the quintessence of the Mariinsky Ballet.
Lopatkina: Indeed, I am very close to the style of St. Petersburg ballet in its different periods. That is why they call me "the quintessence", although this is a very complex formulation. But I am flattered to hear such an assessment of my work. It is generally believed that a special style is inherent in many areas of art in St. Petersburg.
and: You are called "great", "divine", "an icon of Russian ballet." Does this bother you?
Lopatkina: Such assessments encourage raising the bar of professional level and setting new goals. Overestimation stimulates demands in relation to oneself. It does not allow you to calm down and makes you work as seriously as at the beginning of the journey, when it seemed to you that you were unable to do anything. You cannot rest on your laurels and stop in your development. It is also very stimulating that the age in ballet is short.
and: Diaghilev demanded from his artists that they surprise him. Is there anything in ballet that surprises you yourself today?
Lopatkina: I am still amazed at how dancers control their bodies. I am amazed at the ability of a person to express the unique sensations that I can experience only in ballet. I mean a combination of body drawing and emotions.
and: What is the magic of ballet and ballerinas, which were carried away by the most enlightened minds of Russia, headed by Pushkin?
Lopatkina: The magic of dance is unique and inimitable. And the magic of a ballerina depends on her personality.
and: Our conservative audience is still more likely to reject modern ballet ...
Lopatkina: The Russian public is really conservative. But this does not mean that she is incapable of perceiving modern ballet. Our viewer is looking for analogies with their own experiences in life. And if he finds such emotions in modern dance, then he becomes understandable, interesting, necessary.
and: Will Swan Lake remain our brand for another hundred years?
Lopatkina: We will wait and see. I cannot say yes or no yet. It is very interesting to observe how the relationship between society and ballet is developing.
and: What new parties are you preparing?
Lopatkina: The premiere of "Anna Karenina" has just taken place. The next season will show what new things await the theater and me. I tend to talk about what has already happened, rather than about what will happen.
and: Which choreographer would you like to work with?
Lopatkina: With many, but I will not reveal my secrets.
and: The famous American choreographer William Forsyth says that he needs dancers who can jump with him off the cliff into the abyss. Are you ready for this with a director you value very much?
Lopatkina: The choreographer is right in demanding a similar attitude to the creative process. For the best result, it would be great if the artist could jump into the abyss with the director. Although in this there is a certain self-denial of his own vision of ballet. But since the dancer is most often the material for the sculptor-choreographer, sometimes it is necessary to jump together, not knowing what awaits you below.
and: Do you need an obsession in art?
Lopatkina: I am not ready to sacrifice everything and bring everything to the ephemeral altar of art. The attitude towards the profession, towards creativity must be extremely honest. But human life consists of many components. And sometimes what happens in an artist's life outside the theater is an important part of what happens to him on stage. Not everyone is able to work in the theater based on their own imaginations.
and: But I thought that they didn’t work in the theater, they did it ...
Lopatkina: Undoubtedly, you, as a spectator, should not know that they work in the theater. This is one of the professional secrets, a kind of paradox - to work in creativity. A tricky combination.
and: Do you experience a state of euphoria on stage?
Lopatkina: I understand this state in my own way: forget about everything and surrender to a process in which you do not remember either yourself or the process itself. But ballet art often requires a very precise technique to reproduce the dance pattern. Therefore, I could completely forget myself only in some fractions of a second. Ballet is not a sport or the ultimate inspiration that rules out calculation. We must find a middle ground.
and: Eroticism in ballet, as you say, you interpret aesthetically.
Lopatkina: I mean aesthetics in the natural beauty of the body. This is a kind of understatement that gives the viewer the opportunity to feel, conjecture, pre-imagine. This is the preservation of mystery in ordinary, understandable things.
and: Are you a believer?
Lopatkina: Yes. But faith is an area of \u200b\u200bpersonal space.
and: "All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This is how the novel "Anna Karenina" begins. What is it for you - family happiness?
Lopatkina: In reciprocity, I guess. Well, in general, happiness is in love. And love is very multifaceted. Warmth, kindness, mutual assistance.
and: Does your 8-year-old daughter Masha go to performances? Does she admire you?
Lopatkina: She expresses emotions like a child.
and: Do you represent her on the ballet stage?
Lopatkina: I would not like to impose my path on another person.
and: But it's still your daughter.
Lopatkina: Yes, but this is a different person. She is not a repetition of my personality.
and: For several years you have been tipped as artistic director of the Mariinsky ballet company. Usually, you avoid answering this question.
Lopatkina: I would answer this question like this. I am interested in my profession, which takes me a lot of time. What will happen in the future? I prefer to talk not about the future, but about what is happening in my life now. I consider it premature to discuss the alleged events. I am currently busy with what is relevant to me now.
and: Do you see yourself as a choreographer or teacher?
Lopatkina: And this is not excluded, like any paths that continue the profession of a dancer.
and: Political career are you not attracted to?
Lopatkina: I stay away from politics so far.
Lopatkina: "Carmen Suite" staged by Alberto Alonso and "Diamonds" to music by Tchaikovsky from the ballet "Jewels" by Balanchine.
She is called the best "swan" since Maya Plisetskaya. And also - "Divine" and "Wings of the Dove". That's right, with a capital letter. Ulyana Lopatkina is uncomfortable with these words ...
Titles fell on Lopatkina in her twenties. They began to "walk" on it, as they say in the theater, and even ride. The ballet-lovers from Belokamennaya, forgetting about the stars of the Bolshoi, first bought a ticket to the Red Arrow, and then to a performance with the participation of a young star, so that in the evening, on the eve of Swan, they could lively discuss in the foyer of the Mariinsky whether Lopatkina was really Plisetskaya and has Dove wings. And is she as divine as the British press writes about her. In London, by the way, critics never doubted this. In Paris, Milan, Tokyo and New York, the name of Ulyana Lopatkina on the poster is a reason for a real stir. "She's flawless!" - balletomanes breathe about her and do not miss a single performance. Only friends allow themselves to make fun of Ulyana, meaning the unusually high growth (175 cm) and graceful hands of the ballerina: "Of course, Ulyana is not easy to do all kinds of rotations there, she has a lot of wind like the wings of a dove ..."
Since Ulyana turned four, taking care of her daughter's future, her mother took her to a wide variety of children's clubs and sections, trying to understand what the girl has real abilities for. She had no doubt that her daughter was talented. And she was right. Once Lopatkina found herself in a ballet studio, the teachers of which, after observing the girl for some time, advised her to try her hand at the world of big ballet.
She entered the Leningrad (now Vaganova, more precisely, the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet) ballet school after a failure in Moscow (where Ulyana did not pass the third round) with a "conditional" grade on all counts. This means "a C", explained Ulyana in an interview ten years ago. Now about the unknown ballet youth "Divine" Lopatkina is no longer asked. Who will believe that in the second round of the entrance exams to Vaganovskoye, or rather, at the medical commission, the impeccable star of the Mariinsky "found several flaws." Nevertheless, the applicant tried very hard to make a good impression on the harsh teachers. In the third round she had to dance a pole, "smiling strongly". Fortunately, the girl was familiar with this dance. And ten-year-old Ulyana was accepted.
Study began. Eight years of daily overcoming yourself, fighting fears, complexes, self-doubt. And also children's loneliness and family days off best friend - Ulyana's parents continued to live in Kerch. But young Lopatkina seemed to take what was happening for granted. Ballet is a cruel profession, and it just so happened that they start doing it very early, simply sacrificing childhood. But they also finish it. So you need to enjoy every moment, she told herself. Even if he is filled with pain, the most real, physical.
Ulyana Lopatkina, who had already taken place at the Mariinsky Theater, was asked to tell about the most memorable incidents and absurdities that happened to her on stage. In response, the ballerina, without embarrassment, gave an example from her ballet youth: “The most trifling thing is how I fell at the prom in the choreographic. I did a rotation and didn't calculate the balance. Collapsed backwards towards the audience. If you want to know what self-control a future ballet star should have, put yourself in the place of that girl on the exam. And what about the audience? “In such cases, the audience screams from the whole audience:“ Ah! ”- and they begin to applaud the artist for support,” Lopatkina explained with a smile.
Petersburg is a place of stunning beauty, style, culture. But for life this city is a test
It seems that even her hairstyle, so uncharacteristic for a ballerina, speaks of strength of character. Today her hair is cut short like a boy's. The collar of the elegant white shirt is buttoned up to the chin. There is a restrained half-smile on his face. Modesty and the closeness characteristic of Ulyana from a very early youth is often mistaken for arrogance. But when she begins to speak, a gentle voice testifies to you of sincere benevolence and willingness to communicate.
BETWEEN TOKYO, MOSCOW AND NEW YORK
- Ulyana, you had a chance to become independent very early, moving from your native Kerch to another city, and today it is a different country. How did you get used to Northern Palmyra? And how has this city changed you?
I was really born in Kerch, but I lived there for only ten years. I spent the rest of my life in St. Petersburg. And she “retrained”. (Laughs.) St. Petersburg is a city of stunning beauty, aesthetics, style, philosophy, culture, history. He greatly influenced me, my work. But for life, this city is a test to this day. It's not a secret for anyone what the ecology of the city is, the history of its creation. The city is built on blood. Many lives lost. The city is in a swamp. And this explains a lot. Heavy climate, high humidity. The dancer feels the influence of these places very clearly. In this regard, there are situations that are completely humorous. When artists of the Bolshoi Theater come from Moscow, for the first three days they very briskly and energetically come to the morning class, and, looking at our artists, they are surprised: “You are all kind of sleepy here, moving at a slow pace. Although, by the way, it's already 11 o'clock in the morning! " And in The Bolshoi Theater, I will note, the lesson, the class (a classic hour or one and a half hour warm-up at the barn, with which every ballet dancer's day begins. - Ed.) begins at 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning. But three days pass, and Muscovites suddenly take on a completely St. Petersburg look. And, coming to class in the morning, casually ask, "Listen, how are you, okay, you get up easily in the morning?" To which we usually answer: "Welcome to Petersburg!" That is, from the moment of condemnation to understanding, exactly three days pass, as a rule. Then everything falls into place.
The dancer has so many reasons to be unhappy, you can't even imagine!
- Ulyana, where is the easiest place for you to dance - on the Mariinsky's home stage or on tour?
On tour, oddly enough. For some reason, the Mariinsky Stage is incredibly responsible for me. Entering it every time is accompanied by insane excitement and awe. And then, the viewer on tour as if knowingly loves you, and you feel it. Bathe in this love. The domestic audience is strict and very demanding. As for the physical aspect, the difference in sensations between working in St. Petersburg and in the conditions of the same capital I experienced myself when I was on tour in Moscow. In ten days I danced four performances. In St. Petersburg, we usually do not work in this mode due to the fact that there are many of us. Nevertheless, there is no heaviness, no lethargy in the morning, so you cannot lift yourself ... A completely different sensation in the muscles, a different fit, ease in work. But, since this happens very rarely, it does not seriously confuse us. (Laughs.) We return to our city, theater, climate without any problems.
- The dancers' lifestyle, brutal regime and daily routine are legendary. What do you think is the most difficult thing in the life of a ballet dancer?
The complexity of the life of ballerinas is more likely in the absence of a regime than in its presence. (Smiles.) Due to the theater's busy touring and personal touring schedule, the change of time zones, the associated need for late or even night rehearsals. When you have only three days between America and Japan, you can hardly find that hour or two or three in a day when you at least understand where you are. It is very difficult to physically mobilize your instrument - in this case, your body and brains - in such conditions.
THE HEREAL OF MIAMI
So they started talking about Lopatkina when she danced in Swan Lake. This title has become a heavy burden for the ballerina. When Lopatkina included Carmen Suite to the music of Wiese-Shchedrin in her repertoire, critics did not spare her, comparing her with the great Plisetskaya (in the photo Maya Mikhailovna congratulates Ulyana on the premiere of the performance at the X International Mariinsky Ballet Festival in April 2010). Plisetskaya personally added the finishing touches to the acting drawing of another role of Ulyana - Anna in the ballet Anna Karenina. At the dress rehearsal she said: "Your love for Vronsky is not enough for me, I did not have time to feel how strong your feelings are." "I had to be extremely open in all episodes ... Then Maya Mikhailovna hugged me and said:" Now everything is as it should be. " I felt that I came to life ... "
You arrive, say, in Japan, and the very next day you have a rehearsal and a performance. As a rule, there is no time for adaptation at all. In contrast to the world of sports, where the athlete is usually given time for some kind of acclimatization. When, after ten days, the very adaptation finally takes place, you rebuilt, you began to feel better, in any case, you do not fall asleep during intermissions in Swan Lake, when you sit down on a chair and realize that you are disconnected, and you have a “black swan” ahead ... So at this moment it turns out that it is time to return to Russia in order to immediately go to America. This is probably the most difficult thing. When you are not experiencing stress, but overload. And then you come back from America and don't understand anything at all ... (Laughs.)
- How do you recover in such cases?
The recipe is simple. Sleep, proper nutrition, as an auxiliary measure - massage. Sometimes just gymnastics. Plus a pool, sauna. But the most important thing is not to quit classes. Continue to attend the class every day, changing combinations in the ballet exercise itself in such a way as to help the body restore its previous shape. A properly built class either heals, or trains, or adjusts the body for stress, for physical work. One to one and a half hours in the morning at the machine is the most important time in the upcoming working day. You can leave the lesson absolutely devastated and exhausted, with a desire to immediately give up everything. Or you can - winged, like a bird. Resting on the couch here is absolutely no help for the ballerina.
REASON FOR HAPPINESS
The physical costs of the artist are sometimes incomparable with the energy, mental ...
The audience makes up for them. But ... sometimes you need silence, loneliness. Sometimes, on the contrary, fresh impressions, emotions. Music, painting, just a walk. Sometimes it is enough to be in nature or close on the child. And the temple also disciplines very well ... In general, the most difficult thing in a ballerina's life is to maintain a desire for creativity. Do not go astray during your allotted time in the profession. Still, the period of existence in ballet is short - only 15-20 years. Sometimes 30. Combine good form, performing arts and inspiration and ability to create as often as needed. Do not go into the formal performance of your duties, when creativity evaporates, leaves like sand through your fingers. You keep yourself in shape, you do the necessary, you dance, but ... you don't dance. You are working. But that's all. This is difficult.
- Have you ever been unhappy on stage?
Sure! And terribly unhappy. (Laughs.) I thought when it would end. I did something wrong there, I stumbled there. Here the partner pushed, the stage suddenly once went the other way, for some reason it tilts so much, and I fall so quickly ... The dancer has so many reasons to be unhappy, you can't even imagine! Internal self-criticism is developed so strongly and strikes so quickly. Just lightning fast ... Like the gaze of Medusa the gorgon. You get numb at the moment when you need to continue to do something. And the inner voice shouts to you: “This is a terrible mistake! Just a disaster! " And all this is in parallel with movement, music. All artists, without exception, suffer from this. Especially at the beginning of your career. Learning to put up with the critic inside you is not easy. In such cases, video recording of the performance saves. You sit down, watch the tape, see that everything was not at all as terrible as you thought, and you calm down. And you almost died on stage! I stumbled a little. The face turned sour, and the audience saw that everything was bad. Although, what exactly is bad, no one understood. But for some reason, the ballerina became sad and stopped dancing. She just “lives out” her variation on stage. So it's easy to be unhappy on stage. One has only to feel sorry for himself. (Smiles.) But happy too.
- Today, success in any kind of activity is determined by material things. Ballet is no exception ...
Yes, wealth and luxury are a kind of defining criterion of our life, dividing people into those to whom they are available and inaccessible. For some, this is a reason to rejoice and feel like a superhuman, but for someone it is a reason to always be discouraged, dream forever and never achieve luxury. I have a lot of respect for wealthy people who do not spend their fortune and the opportunities given to them to “please” themselves only. I respect those who adhere to asceticism in everyday life. There are examples of very wealthy people who know how to use their wealth for the good not only for themselves, but also for those around them. They understand that wealth is given to a person as a test.
- Do you need luxury yourself?
Time is a luxury for me. Distraction from the usual daily rehearsals and training. Lack of stress when I allow myself to do nothing in the sense of the profession. Two-three-four days, no more. When it comes to ten days, it becomes too expensive. You have to pay.
- In 2002, you became a mother, risking leaving the stage for a while and interrupting the career of a ballerina. But the opinion that a dancer cannot have children without prejudice to the dance is still alive ...
This is one of the ways to read the idea of \u200b\u200bthe need for self-sacrifice for the sake of art. But I think this is a very stereotypical statement. Yes, ballet really takes a lot of time and effort. Regular training, rehearsals, learning your parts, rest - the profession absorbs you, it seems, without a trace. But I think completely subordinating your life to work is a mistake. Otherwise, a woman would not have been gifted with the ability to bear children. And I always wanted children. And want. And the most fantastic time for me was when my daughter Masha was very little. Yes, it's very hard. At first I completely lost my orientation: where is the night, where is the day? How to sleep? When will this all end ?! But when your child looks at you and smiles at you, such moments are unforgettable.
- Have you thought about what you would be doing if you weren't a ballerina? After all, as a child you were seriously fond of drawing ...
You know, in childhood every child has some kind of enlightenment. (Laughs.) He suddenly realizes who he wants to become. I dreamed of becoming a teacher kindergarten younger group. But my childhood is connected with the end of the Soviet era, when life was very different from today. And the range of professions from which you could choose - too. But if I were a child of today, I would most likely be carried away by design or foreign languages. But in any case, the profession would be creative. I also had a ridiculous dream. More precisely, two! Be a painter and hairdresser. I cut and combed all the dolls I had. And even some of my aunts (and I have many of them both on my father's and on my mother's side) risked surrendering into my hands. And to this day, when I get my hair done before the show, I try to interfere with the process. They say to me: "Get your hands off!" - and I: "I'll just fix it here!" (Laughs.) Well, painting - the very process of how the paint is applied to the surface, what mark the brush leaves - all this fascinated me, and I could spend hours, as if spellbound, watching the painting of dishes, say. But life is not over yet. Who knows what I'll do in the future. (Smiles.)
- By the way, you definitely have a chance to become a teacher ...
I even had an experience of teaching at the Vaganovo School - I was asked to replace classes. Both with teenagers and with tiny children. And I'm interested in them. That's what I was afraid when my daughter was born - that it would be difficult for me to find a common language with a child, the interests of adults and children are too different. How many times have I watched adults who endlessly tugged at their children, they say, do not bother the adults. Do something of your own! And I asked myself: can I really do this with my child? .. It always hurt me very much. But my daughter took me with her to childhood. And when I find it difficult to concentrate, I just try to imagine how, with what eyes she looks at this world, to tune in to this look. And immediately it becomes interesting! ..
- You don't like making plans out loud. Share what plans and dreams have already come true?
Daughter. I didn’t expect her birth to be such a revelation for me. I was left completely bewildered how this is possible! While carrying the child in me, I had the feeling that no one understands what is happening in me. The idea that a new person is being created inside, in principle, was not processed by the brain. I walked like that, shocked all nine months: how is that ?! Here is the head, here is the handle, and there the leg is something incredible! Miracles happen to us and around us every day. You just need to see.
FACTS ABOUT ULYAN LOPATKINA
When at a play I perform movements of a terrible complexity, for which I have to prepare from childhood and wipe off a hundred sweats, these are exactly the conditions where I can find inner freedom... Music provokes me to discover
- Born in Kerch (Ukraine) on October 23;
- Graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova (class of Prof. Dudinskaya);
- In 1991 she joined the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. She started in the corps de ballet. In August 1994 she made her debut in the ballet Swan Lake as Odette-Odile. A year later, she was appointed prima ballerina;
- In 2001, due to injury and pregnancy, she left the stage. In February 2003, she decided to undergo surgery and returned to the theater;
- She got married in 2001. The husband is a businessman, architect, writer Vladimir Kornev. The couple are raising their daughter Masha (9 years old).
Who is she Ulyana Lopatkina, no need to say. And here is information about her ex-husband Vladimir Kornev:
“He is an architect by education, he studied in St. Petersburg. According to his designs, houses were built in Germany. But as long as his friends remember him, Vladimir wrote. First for the soul. Then they began to publish it. 
After the publication of the novel "What the French are silent about" (in 1995), critics "appointed" Vladimir the successor of Bulgakov's traditions. "In this novel, inhuman love, strong as death, is inseparable from the all-embracing beauty present in the grandiose architectural scenery of St. Petersburg, the actions of the protagonist, the actions of mystical forces ..."
And then one day at the airport, the "great mystic" Kornev met by chance with a famous actor, director and producer, "midshipman" Vladimir Shevelkov... And the latter had long had the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a mystery novel about the transmigration of souls, but the writing talent, I was afraid, would not be enough. He told Kornev about his ideas ... So their joint novel "Modern" was born . 
The two Vladimir became friends so much that Kornev even became the godfather of Andrey Shevelkov's 7-year-old son.
In 2001, the shooting of the film began according to the script written on the plot of "Modern". Interesting that main role strenuously offered Lopatkina, but she refused. Whether the film is finished or not, I did not understand.
By the way, although the ballerina did not agree to play the main role in the film based on her husband's novel, she starred in photo shoots to decorate his books: 
How Ulyana met Vladimir
In October 1999, Vladimir Kornev became a laureate of the St. Petersburg city prize in the field of culture as "Writer of the Year" (by the way, he bypassed Pelevin himself). At the same ceremony, Ulyana was named "Ballerina of the Year". Both were free. Vladimir by that time divorced his first wife, in marriage with whom a daughter was born. Ulyana recently went through, according to rumors, a breakup with a famous Russian actor. So they met ...
Screenshots from the video of the ceremony: 
The wedding took place on July 25, 2001, the young people got married in the church of Faith, Hope, Love in the village of Vartemyaki. The dinner took place in a very close family circle in the restaurant of the House of Architects.
"The event was modestly celebrated in the restaurant and went on a honeymoon. They say that the ballet world was surprised that Ulyana's colleagues were not invited to the celebrations. Natalia Dudinskaya, the person to whom Lopatkina owes her career, was not included. But there was Ninel Kurgapkina, the current one. Tutor of the Mariinsky's Beautiful Swan ".
Ulyana said that she likes to feel " just a wife and a hostess, learning to draw, as well as the fact that Volodya does not understand anything in ballet and hates talking about the theater".
As the correspondents of one newspaper wrote: "In order to maintain his famous wife at the proper level, Vladimir Kornev is engaged in business. He is the director of the St. Petersburg office of Andulin-Russia, which produces roofing. So they still have enough money ..."
In 2002, a daughter, Masha, was born in the family. 
Family footage from the program "Tsarskaya Lodge" 2002 
From a 2004 interview:
Many great ballerinas did not manage to arrange their personal lives and remained forever homeless lonely people, at your 26 years old you have a bunch of titles and regalia. There is a family and a child.
- I've been asked this question before: How did you manage to plan everything so well? I didn't plan anything, I didn't build anything. This is just my life. Every day we had specific tasks and goals. You just had to live one day with dignity and quality and enter the next. There is no need to despair when there is no such thing that we would like now. There was work - I worked and worked. I wanted to have a loved one, but he was not there. I hoped and waited. The period has come when there are many injuries, little strength. I went on sick leave, I met a man who began to take care of me, to help. It got to the point that we became husband and wife. And the fact that I gave birth to a child ... it was also ripe for a long time... I always knew that I would have a child. After all, what is the tragedy of many ballerinas? The ballet age is very short, very, and there are always reasons - new roles, premieres, foreign tours - because of which the birth of a child is postponed until later. Then it is too late. The profession outweighs - it turns into a tragedy for many.
From a 2007 interview:
Your husband, writer and businessman Vladimir Kornev, after each performance gives you a huge basket of 150 red roses. What is this tradition connected with?
ABOUT: Probably with his own idea of \u200b\u200bthe romantic world of ballet, where the ballerina must get an insane amount of flowers. And the fact that the flowers are roses and it is scarlet, it seems to me, is connected with one of his books. At one time he wrote a fantastic novel, and there is an episode where, among the garbage, unexpectedly, literally out of nothing, scarlet roses grow. Probably, he likes to bring at least a little of this unusualness into life..
2005 interview:
"Ulyana's family today is Masha's daughter and, of course, her husband is Vladimir Kornev, director of a branch of a French construction company. I am cautiously interested in how much a ballerina's and a businessman's views on home, career and other life values \u200b\u200bcoincide.
Ulyana patiently explains that her husband is not engaged in the construction business all his life. In fact, he is a graduate of the Repin Academy, an architect, artist, and writer. Once he took the academic bastions by storm, having arrived in St. Petersburg from Chelyabinsk. 
In St. Petersburg, they existed for some time in parallel: he is a student, Lopatkina is a diligent student of the Vaganov School. But the points of intersection, it turns out, were already outlined then: “ When I wandered somewhere past the Catherine Garden with my briefcase, in the early 90s one could always meet artists there. And Volodya could be there, as he says". In any case, Ulyana notes, today there are no more reasons for disagreements in their family than in any other, and rather they are connected with the fact that there are two "creators" under one roof. 
W.L. Volodya is very worried that a tough business schedule leaves no time for creativity. But all the same, he manages to do something, comes up with different stories, writes books. And I can say that my heart is very uneasy if my husband cannot be at the performance. It's even difficult to articulate: I need his presence. That is, it is imperative that he survived the performance with me: if he did not pay attention to the difficulties of my profession, did not notice my experiences, then I would be very annoyed. But, thank God, we are learning to understand each other. He sits and is terribly nervous in the audience when I'm on stage. But every time I tell him: "If you do not come, something in our relationship will be disturbed." And so we exist as if in the same world.
Just in case, I clarify whether the difference between Ulyana Lopatkina in the theater and at home is so great. But Ulyana resolutely does not see any contradiction between the artist's ambition and the self-denial of his wife and mother. 
From a 2004 interview:
- Do you have time and energy to raise your daughter? Perhaps Mashenka is a modern child who lives with her grandmother, and the upbringing is entrusted to the nanny?
– Masha lives with me, and we don't have a nanny. When I leave for work, I take her to my grandparents, who help me a lot. I take it home after work. All my free time from the theater I am with my daughter. And this seems natural to me. I constantly want to know, see, feel how she grows. We read books together, talk, communicate. I try to approach her interests and not neglect her problems. It seems to me that now, when she is gaining emotions and knowledge in her piggy bank, a lot depends on the parents - only they can direct the development of the baby.
And then all the time I feel how Mashenka is growing up, and sometimes I want to “stop” her wonderful age. Masha is already a year and eight months old, and communication with her often helps to overcome deadly fatigue after rehearsals.
- I will not deny that your fans were shocked by your decision to become a mother during the heyday of creativity. Was there any doubt?
– From an early age I was sure that I would do my best to become a mother, to be able to combine the profession and motherhood. This decision arose long before marriage. So I did not feel any contradictions and doubts. Besides, at that time, two and a half years ago, I was in a state of pathological fatigue and depression. The injuries that did not allow to work with full dedication began to remind of themselves on a regular basis. Breaking away from physical and moral overload, getting out of the endless race for a while - it was happiness for me.
Rehearsal with my daughter
In this video, a ballerina and her daughter attend a drawing lesson.
From a 2009 interview:
"
Not long ago, the front door in the house number 77 on Sadovaya Street, where the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Ulyana Lopatkina has lived for many years, was the same as everywhere else.
And suddenly, as if by magic, everything changed. Returning from a tour in Japan, where she performed for a month, Ulyana entered her entrance and ... was, in her own words, shocked. She seemed to be in the palace. The walls of the front door, stairs, windows, doors not only shone with cleanliness, they were completely transformed and decorated in the spirit of the old St. Petersburg drawing rooms. 
– I'm speechless. I returned to a completely different atmosphere. And I was told: "A ballerina of the renowned Mariinsky Theater should not enter a dirty, shabby, ugly front door with traces of modern" culture "on the walls.".
- Who told you that?
– Vladimir Grigorievich Kornev, my husband and father of my daughter Masha. He is an architect and artist, he himself made sketches for images in the front door on the subjects of famous paintings.
It was a gift. Of course, Vladimir Kornev had the financial ability to pay for some work in the front door, after all, I did not see the process and I do not know who was doing it, but I was pleased with the very idea of \u200b\u200btransforming the entrance. This is a good idea, simple and original at the same time. When your house starts from the entrance ... "
On tour in Novosibirsk in 2010, Lopatkina spoke as follows:
- The Novosibirsk Opera House has a comfortable, well-equipped stage. This is not the first time I perform there, but I hope not the last time. Honestly, I really miss my daughter Masha, my husband Vladimir Kornev. My husband is an architect and writer, I like everything he creates - spaces and texts. And I really like the bouquets that he gives me not after premieres or performances, but at every our meeting. The spouse is the best of all florists, we both love yellow flowers. Unfortunately, we often part ways as I am constantly on the move. But the family remains for me a kind of beacon, like a sailor in the fog. Family is the most cherished and dear thing that I have. This is probably why the most painful role for me was Anna Karenina, the title role in R. Shchedrin's ballet based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy. What I would never do is I would not leave my child for the sake of being infatuated not with my husband, but with another man.
However, in 2010, for some reason, the couple divorced. And, as indicated on Wikipedia, Ulyana, who took the double surname of Lopatkin-Kornev after the wedding, regained her maiden name Lopatkina.
5 years have passed since then. Ulyana Vyacheslavna, as we are here on Gossip, somehow found out, even had an affair with the top manager of Megafon, who also writes and publishes prose.
And Vladimir Kornev and his friend Vladimir Shevelkov are now busy with the adaptation of Kornev's first novel "What the French are silent about." 
It only remains to add that Ulyana's portraits still adorn Vladimir's house. 
It is impossible to program the birth of talent, everything is in the jurisdiction of the Lord God - the great Russian ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina is convinced, with whom Ella Agranovskaya is talking today.
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Sea, music, dance
- You are from Kerch, and your dance is like the sea.
I love the sea. For me, his element is a source of inspiration from childhood. And the childhood memories of the sea that have survived for life, I can probably only compare with the feeling of music. They united in my soul, and, apparently, it pours out, sometimes even unconsciously, in what I do on stage.
I wonder if it is even possible to understand the origin of this ability of a ballerina to flow and flow from one state to another, incomprehensible simply at the physical level.
The difficulties of the physical plane are brightened up by the profession. And everyday bridging for years. This overflow, this opportunity to realize it through the body, arms, legs - an element of creativity, absolutely unique in the profession of a ballerina, in the profession of a dancer. Only those who are directly involved in it can feel it. And I'm really interested in this overflow, the ability to express some action, movement with my own body, and also letting music through myself. This is a special treat.
- At what age did you feel that dance would become your life?
From two years old. Of course, these were “improvisations of our own scale”. And from early childhood, oddly enough, I love classical music. All thanks to mother and father, because there were a lot of classical records in the house. So my addictions became apparent early enough, and it was not difficult for my mother to develop me in this direction. I studied at a music school, my mother tried to develop me in the field of dance, and in its various forms: ballroom, sports dances and, of course, classical dance.
- Your parents were not afraid to send you to study in St. Petersburg, one, small, fragile girl?
It was scary. And mom later confessed, and dad said that it was a very difficult decision for them. They quarreled, clashed. But this was a conscious decision. I was 9 years old, and my mother managed to convince my father that the future depends on education.
Nothing beats the happiness of being a mom
How strong and passionate must the love for ballet be in order to fill that which cannot be replaced by anything - home, relatives?
Of course, your home, your corner, the atmosphere created by your relatives cannot even be compared with the professional capabilities of a person and the desire to realize oneself. These are two different things. And ballet, of course, could not replace the house. He filled life quite rigidly, absolutely naturally replacing some joys with himself. Here, after the performance, I am walking around Tallinn at night - and I see, I feel the beauty, the uniqueness of this city, which is very close to me. But, analyzing my feelings of that day, I admit honestly, first of all to myself: the most powerful impression that took away both my soul and physical strength, there was a performance. And everything that was before and after him remained - before and after. A profession that requires such a serious return, almost complete expenditure of physical, mental, psychological forces, simply takes away the power of impressions, it replaces them with itself. But, fortunately, I am a mother, and nothing can compare with this feeling. If I had not become a mother, I think I would have lost a colossal opportunity to realize myself as a person.
It is quite a rare occurrence when a prima ballerina not only becomes a mother, but triumphantly returns to the stage.
Probably, we should thank the time in which I live, the current era of ballet, albeit a short one, if we mean the generational change in ballet life, which occurs much more often than what is generally understood as an era. The generation of the previous and the previous generation did not contain in their consciousness the possibility of combining motherhood and devotion to the ballet profession. Today I am not the only example. Fortunately, now our soloists also allow themselves the thought of having children. And already the dancers of the corps de ballet dare to take such a wonderful step as to have a child and more than one. We support each other - by example, by word, and by advice, and by familiar doctors, and by consolations. Still, in this sense, our time is much more democratic.
- What happened? How did such a turning point in consciousness happen?
Perhaps the concept of ballet statehood and its pressure have disappeared. Still, ballet has become more of an art with free choice. It used to be considered incredibly prestigious to be in this profession, to be a Russian ballerina, to be a Soviet ballerina; a lot of attention was paid to this. You see, I am comparing today's time and the previous one, probably not in favor of the current attitude of the state towards ballet. But, perhaps, precisely because today the ballet is set to float freely, while remaining a national treasure, no matter how difficult our professional life is, the attitude is, of course, different. But there are more opportunities for freedom. Artists got an outlet outside the country, they can get experience abroad, the opportunity to try themselves in different plastic arts - and come home to classical performances. And then, having children is also a kind of freedom. Everything has two sides.
Childhood with childish intensity of passions
Does the ballet school presuppose friendship, beliefs of heart secrets, attachments that girls have in a regular school? Or is it out of the question?
Of course it does. It's another matter that the competitive aspect spoils everything a little. I cannot say that this is a healthy Olympic, let's say, competition. Envy, jealousy of someone else's success - all this is there. Moreover, as a rule, you study at a ballet school for eight years, from 10 to 18 - this is still a period of personality formation. Especially if everything happens in a fairly tough test mode, competition. Jealousy arises if the teacher's attention goes to another student or student, and self-esteem differs from the assessment by competent people, the same teachers. You seem to be better than they see you. Or that you can do more, but so far you have neither experience nor strength. There are many such nuances, and they, of course, spoil friendly relations. More precisely, they pass a more serious test than just the test of friendship. Here, of course, the intensity of passions is no longer childish, although these are still children, still only "beginning adults."
- How did you overcome it? Are you a strong person?
I do not know. It seems to me that a person gains strength throughout life, passing (or not withstanding) tests, realizing how experienced you are or not yet. What is there to do? You get into the situation and overcome it the way you can.
- Have there been any childish betrayals in relation to you?
There were a lot of interesting things, a lot of different things, you can't tell in a few words. But all this builds character and tests how much you are able to endure, understand how much you are able to forgive.
- Are you capable?
Ballerinas are born, but they also become
At the Mariinsky Theater, were they delighted that such an extraordinary ballerina, unlike anyone else, came to them?
What are you! I would never say that, because the Mariinsky Theater is a treasure trove of talents, they get there with the highest scores after the world's best school, a completely original Vaganova Academy. This is where you go through fire, water and copper pipes, and if the situation develops successfully, then your professional destiny develops. I got there together with very strong graduates of the academy. And each went its own way through all the initial stages and trials that were set for us. In general, ballerinas are probably born. But, nevertheless, they have to work so hard that, perhaps, they become. And even if you have become a soloist, you need to work even harder. That is why this profession is very honest. You cannot rest on your laurels in ballet, because you have to justify these laurels, if they exist, with your own labor, at every performance.
In the old days, many films were shot about ballet, about great ballerinas. Now more and more about show business. What makes little girls love this amazingly beautiful art?
It's hard to explain, but this art itself is so attractive and visually so unusual. You look at a photograph, at a postcard with a picture of a ballerina, and this body drawing, beauty of lines, costume, pointe shoes - everything starts to work. And attraction arises if a person is predisposed to this. And one cannot get rid of this impression, one cannot forget it. And then, we still have a lot of talented people, and a very rich tradition. I think it's unfair to say that ballet has become irrelevant. Perhaps he was pushed aside by show business due to PR. But I am sure that nothing can fill the ballet niche. Ballet art in Russia and the countries geographically close to it is something special, it requires understanding and some education, intelligence. Believe me, there are a lot of such people. And there are a lot of potential viewers who are able to understand this art - both among young people and among children.
- I would like to see you in Tallinn again. And more than once.
And I will gladly again - and more than once! - I'll come here with other programs. Believe me, we still have something to say to the viewer.
Today Ulyana Lopatkina celebrates her birthday. What role did Mikhail Baryshnikov play in the fate of the ballerina, whom did she love, and why, in 2002, her career was in jeopardy? AiF.ru has collected well-known and not very well-known facts from the artist's life
/ Igor Russak / RIA Novosti and
once Elena Georgievna Lopatkinareturned from work earlier than usual and saw an interesting picture: daughterUlyana waltzed to the musicBach in my mother's pink peignoir. The girl, taken by surprise, was afraid that she would be reprimanded for things taken without asking, but Elena Georgievna did not scold the child. She made a fateful decision - her daughter's talent must be developed by all means. At the age of 10, the young dancer moved from her native Kerch to St. Petersburg, where she entered the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova. And although today the name of Ulyana Lopatkina is known all over the world, we do not know much about her. On the occasion of the artist's birthday, AiF.ru collected interesting Facts from the biography of the prima of the Mariinsky Theater.
№ 1. Not for her years adult
The ballerina was independent from an early age; at 2.5 years old, her parents calmly left her alone at home. And from the age of 10, Ulyana lived in St. Petersburg and was brought up in a boarding school at the Academy. Vaganova. Alas, the parents did not have the opportunity to move to the northern capital with their daughter.
# 2. Struggle for beauty
In the class where the ballerina studied, all the mirrors were divided into two categories: some - slimmed, others - visually added extra kilos. Naturally, standing with the latter was a real grief for any girl, so the students, and among them Ulyana, tried to come to the lesson early in order to take the most advantageous places.
# 3. Small joys
Despite the discipline and strict diets, ballerinas had their own little joys. Sometimes the girls prepared an unusual delicacy: they smeared a sliced \u200b\u200bloaf with butter, and then pressed it down with an iron on both sides. With an impromptu toast, they delighted not only themselves, but also high school students, you couldn't eat much bread.
Ulyana Lopatkina, 1999. Photo: www.globallookpress.comNo. 4. Contrary to standards
At school, Ulyana was far from the tallest among her peers. She stretched out a lot only in the last three years of her studies. Today, according to media reports, her height is 175 centimeters. Once upon a time, such parameters were considered absolutely non-ballet. But times Ulanovawith its 1.65 cm or Pavlova, which was only a centimeter lower than Galina Sergeevna, has long been gone. Lopatkina was never hindered by her own growth. Moreover, over time, he became her calling card.
No. 5. Corps de ballet
Ulyana did not enter the school with the highest score and throughout her studies was rather a good student than an excellent student, and yet, after graduating from the academy in 1991, she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. She began with the corps de ballet. Participation in crowd scenes gave Lopatkina invaluable experience, which was helped by the ballerina when she began to dance the leading parts.
No. 6. Faith
Ulyana grew up in an atheistic family, but at the age of sixteen she and her friend decided to be baptized. From that moment, according to the ballerina herself, a "new starting point" began in her life.
No. 7. Debut
Lopatkina performed her first solo part in 1992, when the main part of the troupe went on tour. It was Giselle. The difficult role of Ulyana helped to get Olga Nikolaeva Moiseevawho believed in her student. Professional instinct did not deceive the teacher, the ballerina coped with the task.
№ 8. The first "swan"
The ballerina showed her first "swan" to the public in 1994. She took the stage on the last day of the season. In addition to the audience, teachers and colleagues came to watch Lopatkina's performance. The excitement went off scale. While performing one of the elements, the artist's legs even gave way, but she remembered the advice of the professionals: “if it’s very scary - plunge into the movements themselves, into the work of the body and music”. Ulyana did just that. As a result, the artist's debut in this role was awarded the prestigious Golden Soffit award.
Number 9. The legend of love
Despite the fact that "Swan Lake" performed by the ballerina is called the standard, the dancer's favorite part is not at all Odette-Odile, and Mehmene Banufrom "The Legend of Love".
No. 10. Marriage
By marriage, the legendary dancer tied herself only once. Her husband was an artist and writer Vladimir Kornev... The wedding and wedding of the young people took place in a narrow family circle. In 2002, the couple had a daughter Masha... The question - family or career - did not stand before Lopatkina. She dreamed of a child and wanted to become a mother, although she understood that the schedule and tours would not allow her to pay due attention to her daughter.
Despite the fact that for many years the ballerina carefully guarded her personal life from prying eyes, in 2010 it became known that the Lopatkin-Kornev union had disintegrated. Naturally, the couple did not give any comments regarding the divorce.
Photo: www.globallookpress.comNo. 11. Old injuries
After giving birth, the career of a ballerina was in jeopardy. During pregnancy, the long-standing trauma to the foot worsened further. When Lopatkina returned to the bench, she realized that she could not dance. After two hours of training, the leg was so swollen that the dancer could hardly walk. Conservative treatment did not give results and it seemed that the scene would have to be forgotten, but saved the situation Mikhail Baryshnikov.
They did not know each other personally, but when a colleague of the ballerina turned to the legendary dancer for help, he gave his phone number without further ado. It was Baryshnikov who advised Lopatkina of a surgeon who had worked with the troupe for many years Balanchine and specialized in similar injuries. A complex operation was carried out in New York. When Ulyana opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Baryshnikov. He sat by the ballerina's bed and read the newspaper. This was their first personal meeting.
Ulyana Lopatkina performs The Dying Swan. Photo: RIA Novosti / Ekaterina Chesnokova№ 12. Rest for the soul
The second hobby of the ballerina after the scene is drawing. In her free time, she attends lessons in the art studio, but at the same time she draws exclusively for the soul and does not plan to exhibit her work.
№ 13. Not only classics
Despite the fact that Lopatkina is considered a classical ballerina, her repertoire includes many works with contemporary choreographers. The act "Saturday Night Fever" to the music of the group "Bee Gees" became very atypical for the artist.
It's not just a dance, but a choreographer's improvisation Roland Petit, Ulyana herself and her partner, which they fortunately filmed during a rehearsal and were able to reproduce and bring to life from the recordings. The act turned out to be easy, although for Lopatkina, such experiments are always a challenge to herself: will it work or not? This is the profession - eternal doubts and the struggle with their own fears. But the ballerina is not one of those who give up without a fight.
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