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Vyacheslav Lavrukhin and Ihor Radivilov (Photo: National Olympic Committee of Ukraine)
Ukraine’s senior artistic gymnastics coach Vyacheslav Lavrukhin explained his decision to relocate to Belarus, saying he does not consider the country or its people enemies despite its alliance with Russia in the war against Ukraine, he told the sports website Champion on March 15.
“There were a few offers, but we settled on Belarus. For me, the mindset is more familiar here, and I don’t have to learn new languages,” he said.
“People here know me, respect me, and have been inviting me for a long time. Let me put it this way: the people I interact with here are diverse, and many of them don’t like Russia—and to some extent, even hate it. Overall, attitudes toward the local regime vary; there are a lot of different opinions. I don’t consider them enemies; perhaps others have a different view. I’ve been around for a long time and know a lot. Back then, everyone was friends, and then suddenly they became enemies. No one asked themselves how it happened, what changed in people? I don’t know if they [the drones] are flying from Belarus; I doubt it. But Belarus and Russia are allied states.”
The 62-year-old coach, a Merited Coach of Ukraine since 2011, is best known for coaching gymnast Ihor Radivilov, the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and multiple European and world championship medalist.
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