Karine Aznavuryan, who is a fencer, was born in 1974 in Baku. In
1989 (even though it is not necessary to state the reason why), she
moved to Moscow and continued training in Russia’s special school for
olympic training. She has won in the Olympics in Sydney and Athens and
has received a bronze medal in Atlanta in 1996. She has won in the
world and European championships and is one of the top ten champions of
Russia. She has lost count of all the bronze medals. However, it is
still very early to end this enriched autobiography. Karine, who was
the only Armenian who won a medal in the Olympics in Athens, is not
ready to end her sport activities.
Karine, is it safe to say that the Armenian sports fan doesn’t know who you are?
As I mentioned earlier on, I was born in Baku, I attended the local
Russian school and started fencing by sheer luck. One day, maybe when I
was in the 5th grade, some trainers came to the school and suggested
that we participate in sports. Fencing sounded a bit awkward to me. I
went to the gym, and now you can see the results. I must add that I
have not had a bad childhood or anything, recuperation of health
has not been my only goal in life, I have not had a grandmother or
grandfather by my side, I have chosen my career and gone after it. My
first trainer was a Russian woman who was more than a trainer for me.
She organized my trip from Baku. You can already imagine how that
happened.
I got settled in a hostel in Moscow, they provided me with great
training, all that was left was to meet my expectations. I have been
fencing in the Russian big leagues and it’s going pretty well.
Why not Armenia?
During that time, some of my relatives moved to Armenia and the rest-me
and my father-Russia. Some of my relatives are currently in the U.S.
Before some of the events which took place in my life, my parents were
already divorced and I had decided to live with my father a long time
ago. I did not choose Russia just out of curiosity, but rather because
there are all the conditions which satisfy me for training.
Have you received any invitations from Armenia?
There were some invitations in the beginning of the 1990s, but the
trainers there assured me that the conditions were not good. In any
case, at least they were honest.
What about coming out with the Armenian flag? Some representatives of any given sport in Russia do the same thing.
There has been no suggestion made about doing that, but if there
is….Why not? But there is a drawback here. The thing is that is my
mother is Azerbaijani, and before I left Baku I had received some
letters by the name of Heidar Aliyev suggesting that I change my last
name and stay in Baku. I was to get anything I wanted just as long as I
agreed to that. However, that was like an insult to my father and I am
certain that anyone, whoever he or she may be, continues his/her
father’s legacy. Perhaps this sounded like more of a Caucasus point of
view, but this is my opinion which I will always have. So, until the
Pekin Olympics where I also plan on winning, the last name Aznavuryan
will be announced at the games. I didn’t even accept my Russian
husband’s last name after we got married. I will always be Aznavuryan.
Do you fence with your left hand?
That is the first thing my trainer taught me which continues until
today. I do everything with the right hand, however, when it comes to
fencing I prefer the left. Back when I was learning how to fence, there
were only about two or three left-handed fencers. Now everyone has
refused to try that and as of today, it is safe to say that I am
probably the only artificial left handed fencer in big tournaments.
You have lived in Russia for so long. Have you had any contact with the Armenians there?
I have many Armenian friends, obviously athletes. Many of them, for
example wrestlers, have helped me out through the hardships that I have
gone through. For example, when I had no private corner in the hostel.
Words can not express. The training schedule doesn’t allow me to meet
often with friends, but every gathering for us is like a holiday. But
there is another side to all of this. I would like for Ara Abrahamyan
to hear what I am saying. After the victory in Sydney, the Armenian
Union in Russia contacted me, invited me there and organized a
wonderful gathering. Abrahamyan promised me mountains, he said that he
would solve all issues dealing with living. But as soon as he found out
that I was pregnant, he changed his mind about everything. Maybe he
thought that as an Armenian woman, I would give birth to the child and
sit at home. At some point I realized that I was being underestimated
and stopped having any contact with them. Why they treated me like
that, I still have no idea.
May God be with them. Life proved that Karine Aznavuryan can give birth
to a child and still be out in the world of sports. I thank the
ambassador to Armenia who congratulated me on the occasion of my
victories in Athens and invited me to participate in the Armenian
independence festival in Moscow. Unfortunately, by coincidence, my 30th
birthday fell on the same day. I always celebrate that day with
friends, trainers, daughters and my father.
Good luck to you, Karine Aznavuryan, and may you reach successes
until the Pekin Olympics. By the way, did you know that if you win in
the Pekin Olympics you will be considered as the first Armenian athlete
in history to win in three Olympic games.
I did not know about that. That is very nice to know. I will try to make it a reality. I thank you for the well-wishing.
Interview taken by Grigor Sargsyan