Fencing is thought to be one of the most intellectual kinds of sport, because you have to combine a strategy. But ordinary people have a foggy idea about the art of fencing. I went to a fencing tournament, because my daughter is dancing in the ensemble Arabesques, and they were invited to dance at the opening ceremony of the tournament.
Among organization staff I noticed a dark hair beautiful girl with epee. “Who’s that?” I asked a neighbor. She looked surprisingly at me: “The Karina!” I feel myself ashamed and then looked at the banner on the wall: “Open fencing tournament for children and teenagers for twice Olympic champion Karina Aznavuryan Award.”
Karina Aznavuryan was born in Baku. Her mother was Azerbaijani, and father was Armenian. She began to go in for fencing since she was 10 under management of Olga Matlina. “The fourth year in school, my first coach. She came to us and said: who wants to go in for fencing? I’m waiting for you,” Karina says. “I had always been interested in gymnastics, but went to fencing. Baku has a very strong fencing school.”
But the promising fencer didn’t have a chance to achieve success in her country due to irresistible circumstances. “Baku is one of most international cities. We always spoke Russian and were consolidated. We never paid attention to ethnic belonging, but we had to leave, because Armenians and Azerbaijanis had war.”
Karina came to Moscow alone, with epee – she didn’t want to be a burden for parents. She says that she was managed to survive only because she had no place to go back – father and sisters left to Armenia. “I slept in a hotel in room of refugees. Seven people lived in one room. Mice ran on the floor. My first tournament was Moscow Epee Fencing Tournament.”
Karina won it. “In fear,” she says.
At the moment Aznavuryan is 38, she sees no life without epee and children: “The level of fencing is growing in our country. It helps thinking and directing in life. Children should be given to studying fencing at age 10-11, when they are managed to count and think.” Fencers also learn French. It is an official language of fencing. “I remember Baku with warmth. Due to modern technologies and Internet I have found my Baku friends. I would like to go there one day.”
Ekaterina Tesemnikova. Exclusively to VK
