Oleg Protopopov(1932-2023)
Oleg Protopopov is a Soviet figure skater, two-time Olympic champion (1964 and 1968) in pair skating with Ludmila Protopopov (Lyudmila Belousova).
Protopopov was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). In his childhood he survived the siege of Leningrad. He was raised by his stepfather, the poet Dmitriy Tsenzor, who saved him and his mother during the war. As Protopopov recalled, Tsenzor pulled them out of the besieged city when they were already on the verge of death. It was his stepfather who gave him the first skates in his life. However, he began to seriously engage in figure skating only at the age of 15 - in 1947 with coach Nina Lepninskaya.
In 1951, Protopopov was preparing to take part in all-Union competitions, but was drafted into the army to serve in the Baltic Fleet. He was demobilized in 1956, but during his service he continued to practice figure skating - he was released from the ship for training.
At first he performed in tandem with Margarita Bogoyavlenskaya, with whom he won a bronze medal at the 1953 USSR Championship. In 1954, he began performing with Ludmila Protopopov (Lyudmila Belousova), whom he met at a seminar in Moscow. They decided to train together and tried to perform some elements. It seemed to the athletes that they suited each other. Belousova moved to Leningrad and in December 1954 the athletes began training together under the leadership of Igor Moskvin. By 1957, they were silver medalists of the USSR championship and masters of sports. In December 1957, the skaters got married and have not separated since then.
They made their debut on the international stage in 1958. At the 1959 European Championships there was a fall, the judges gave an average score of 5.0-5.1. At their first Olympics in Squaw Valley 1960: VIII Winter Olympics (1960), the couple received scores with a wide discrepancy. In the 1960s, the couple grew significantly both technically and artistically. They invented and were the first to perform many elements that were later included in the mandatory competition program for figure skaters all over the world. The first success came in 1962: the skaters finally won the USSR Championship for the first time and took 2nd place at the European Championships and the World Championships. At the Innsbruck 1964: IX Olympic Winter Games (1964), they unexpectedly won by one judge's vote, thanks to the high level of consistency, synchronicity and harmony of skating. At their third Olympics 10th Winter Olympic Games (1968), the couple won both programs.
At the 1971 USSR Championship the couple was only sixth, and in April 1972 - third, but in the absence of the strongest couples, after which the athletes left amateur sports. After leaving the big sport, the athletes did not part with figure skating and worked at the Leningrad Ice Ballet.
Protopopov was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). In his childhood he survived the siege of Leningrad. He was raised by his stepfather, the poet Dmitriy Tsenzor, who saved him and his mother during the war. As Protopopov recalled, Tsenzor pulled them out of the besieged city when they were already on the verge of death. It was his stepfather who gave him the first skates in his life. However, he began to seriously engage in figure skating only at the age of 15 - in 1947 with coach Nina Lepninskaya.
In 1951, Protopopov was preparing to take part in all-Union competitions, but was drafted into the army to serve in the Baltic Fleet. He was demobilized in 1956, but during his service he continued to practice figure skating - he was released from the ship for training.
At first he performed in tandem with Margarita Bogoyavlenskaya, with whom he won a bronze medal at the 1953 USSR Championship. In 1954, he began performing with Ludmila Protopopov (Lyudmila Belousova), whom he met at a seminar in Moscow. They decided to train together and tried to perform some elements. It seemed to the athletes that they suited each other. Belousova moved to Leningrad and in December 1954 the athletes began training together under the leadership of Igor Moskvin. By 1957, they were silver medalists of the USSR championship and masters of sports. In December 1957, the skaters got married and have not separated since then.
They made their debut on the international stage in 1958. At the 1959 European Championships there was a fall, the judges gave an average score of 5.0-5.1. At their first Olympics in Squaw Valley 1960: VIII Winter Olympics (1960), the couple received scores with a wide discrepancy. In the 1960s, the couple grew significantly both technically and artistically. They invented and were the first to perform many elements that were later included in the mandatory competition program for figure skaters all over the world. The first success came in 1962: the skaters finally won the USSR Championship for the first time and took 2nd place at the European Championships and the World Championships. At the Innsbruck 1964: IX Olympic Winter Games (1964), they unexpectedly won by one judge's vote, thanks to the high level of consistency, synchronicity and harmony of skating. At their third Olympics 10th Winter Olympic Games (1968), the couple won both programs.
At the 1971 USSR Championship the couple was only sixth, and in April 1972 - third, but in the absence of the strongest couples, after which the athletes left amateur sports. After leaving the big sport, the athletes did not part with figure skating and worked at the Leningrad Ice Ballet.
