Read my interview with five-time American ice dance champion and 2002 Olympic team member.

Victoria: Peter, first of all tell me how did you start to skate?

Peter: My grandfather was four-time Russian figure skating singles champion from 1936 to 1939 and he introduced me to the sport at the age of six. My grandfather was good friend of Belousova and Protopopov. I did my first steps in figure skating on the open ice-rink in Saint-Petersburg.

V: So your grandfather was Russian champion in figure skating, and have your parents ever done some kind of sport?

P: My father just tried to do figure skating, but not seriously. My mother played volleyball, when she studied in University.

V: Now I would like to know some details about your career. I will not ask you how you met with Naomi Lang and how you began to skate together, because there is pretty much information about in press.

Let’s talk about period, when Naomi Lang said that she was pregnant…

P: When she announced that she was pregnant, I was shocked, because we were planning to skate more in competitions. So I had to search new partner. I skated at the same ice rink as Shae-Lynn Bourne and at that time her partner Victor Kraatz took decision to quit figure skating. So she was without partner and I was without partner. We were thinking about skating together. And we tried to do that. We even thought about taking part in World Championship and other international competitions. She skated for Canada and I skated for USA, but as we found out it was not a problem to make Canadian citizenship for me. But… You know, actually the idea to skate with another partner( not Naomi Lang) sounded not so great for me. I skated about 2 months with Shae-Lynn and during this period of time I always had feeling that I skate with her not because it was really interesting for me, but more because of money and because of PR.  Shae-Lynn wanted to know, if Naomi Lang decide to continue with skating, would I still skate with her or would I return to Naomi. I could not promise Shae-Lynn that I would skate with her, even if Naomi Land will be back in skating. So we talked with Shae-Lynn seriously and we decided not to skate together anymore.

V: What is more important for you family or career?

P: Actually I have never chosen between family and career. Oh, maybe one time. I and Natalia Annenko (my ex-wife) were skating in Moscow in private skating club. She skated with Sretenskiy. I had chance to skate with Oksana Grishuk. So I took this chance and changed the club. Sponsor of that club, where my wife skated with her partner did not like the thing that I changed club. It was pretty hard situation, My wife and her partner were not allowed to take part in professional World Championship in USA. One evening I and my ex-wife had serious conversation and we decided to move to America. At that time, career of my wife was more important than my career with Oksana Grushuk. But I don’t regret that I made such choice. My wife had pretty successful career in USA . After that I have never chosen between family and career!

V:  Do you have any other activity except figure skating?

P: Most of the time I train skaters, make choreography of programs. 2 years ago I was working with Berejnaya and Siharulidze programs. Sometimes I help Moskvina (famous Russian coach). But most of the time I live in America. If to talk about my spare time, I play tennis. I like to watch hockey matches very much. By the way, World Championship takes place in Moscow now. The most interesting teams for me at this WCH are Russian and American team.  I have many friends who are musicians, who play in different bands, so I go to the concerts. Once I tried to play drums, but I don’t think it went good.( smiling). One my friend has art gallery, sometimes I visit exhibitions.

Sometimes I go to night clubs. But I do it for having fun with my friends. That’s the main purpose of going to night clubs for me. I don’t think night clubs is the good place for making new friends.

V: It will be interesting to hear your opinion about new system of judgment.

P: Well, in theoretical way I think it’s good, it’s better than previous. But in practical it has pretty many disadvantages.

I can say it’s very hard to understand new system for audience, for people, who are not professional in figure skating.

But as I already said, I like the theory of the new system! But I think it must be developed more and more in practice.

V: You know my site is about Swedish figure skating. What do you think about Swedish skaters?

P: I don’t know many skaters from Sweden. But I remember some years ago Kristoffer Berntsson went to USA and he worked with Igor Bobrin. I talked a bit with this guy. What can I say about him? He can work hard, he is not lazy. He knows what he does. I think he is good, talented skater. But to tell you the true, I don’t see him as World Champion or medalist.

I heard about Swedish pair Pylkina/ Hogner. They are young, but they can be perspective with the right work of coaches and choreographers.

 V: How many shows per year do you have approximately?

P: Well, if to count approximately, I would say 60-80. But it was some summer tour, when we had 98 shows. Of course, we were tired, but it went ok.

V: I guess you have active style of life?

P: Yeah, I have active style of life. I spend much time on ice. Even if I work as coach, I skate and show elements to my students. I often go to gym. So I don’t need to keep any diet, I’m in shape. Concerning food, I try not to eat junky food, but it’s not because of diet, it’s because such food is not healthy.

It’s enough for me to sleep 7 hours to feel good during the day.

V: How do you spend your vacations?

P: Last time I had vacations 2 years ago. I went to Hawaii, it was really nice. I enjoyed that place very much. I don’t like to spend vacations only lying on the beach. I like swimming and maybe some extreme activities.

V: By the way, how is Naomi doing?

P: She is doing well. She spends time with her wonderful daughter and she was recently engaged with her American boyfriend.

V: What can you say to your Swedish fans?

P: First of all, it’s very pleasant for me to hear that we have Swedish fans. I have never been in Sweden.  I would like to thank them, of course. And I want to wish them not to lose interest in figure skating and keep being fans of this wonderful kind of sport.

V: Do you have any purposes in your life?

P: Well, it’s global question. But if to answer concerning profession, I would like to create radical new system of preparing skaters to professional career from younger age.