“Chukovsky’s works influenced the formation of my personality” – figure skater Shustitsky spoke about his relationship with the writer

Figure skater Alexander Shustitsky spoke to a correspondent about family ties with Korney Chukovsky.

In the 2022/23 season, Shustitsky, in a dance duet with Alexandra Kravchenko, took seventh place at the Russian Championship. The skater is also a winner of the Russian Cup stages. Today, Alexander has suspended his career and works as a coach in the team of Ekaterina Rubleva, Ivan Shefer and Sergei Plishkin.

— Korney Ivanovich is my great-great-great-grandfather, my great-grandmother is his granddaughter. I learned this in my childhood, my grandmothers told me about it. It was very nice to know that your relative is a great writer known in Russia and all over the world. Even the Japanese are very fond of Chukovsky’s works. At school, I didn’t really tell everyone about my relationship; I don’t think it should raise me in any particular society. But when he shared it, the guys were surprised, some didn’t believe it.

In general, they spoke to me a lot about his life, his way of working, his family, his children. I periodically visit his house museum in Peredelkino, where, in addition to excursions for children, excursions for adults are also organized. There is also a tradition in Peredelkino: bonfires where children gather. The beginning of summer in the city of writers is celebrated with theatrical performances, songs and games.

— How important is it for your family to preserve the memory of the great writer?

— Of course, it is important to preserve information about Korney Ivanovich and his works, given the underlying layer of Russian literature, especially children’s literature. Several generations have grown up reading his works. In addition, he was a literary critic and published numerous works in which he analyzed the lives and works of various writers. For example, “About Chekhov”.

—Have the activities of Korney Ivanovich influenced you?

— All his fairy tales have a certain moral meaning, which you can learn for yourself both in childhood and in adulthood. The works read and understood in youth influence the formation of personality, and this also influenced me in a positive way, of course.

—Have you ever wanted to write something?

“Sometimes such impulses arise, but it has never resulted in full-fledged work. I wrote a lot of essays at school, everyone loved me, I even took part in some of the Literature Olympiads. But I can’t say I’d like to do that.

— What is your great-great-great-grandfather’s favorite work?

“They are all known and loved by me.” “Aibolit”, “Moidodyr”, “Fly-tsokotukha”, the same “Telephone”. “I can’t name anything specific,” Shustitsky told .

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