Once the toast is over, Yuri hands his empty glass to one of the passing waitstaff. Trays are going round with zakuski, light and heavy hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold, but none of it appeals to him. He has pirozhki back in his room; not one of the snacks on offer here tonight could even tempt him. But his mouth is still dry, so he manages to get another glass of kompot just to have something to hold in his hands like everyone else. He manages to take exactly one sip of it before the knot of people around him and Mila shifts and parts, and suddenly Yakov is there in front of them, somehow managing to look exactly as stolid and unsophisticated as he normally does in spite of the nicer-than-usual suit he's donned for the evening.
'Mila, I believe that Lilia wants to introduce you to someone who works with the Bolshoi's corporate relations division. She'll be with you shortly.' Yakov manages to get a hand around Yuri's back, half-pushing and half-pulling him forward. 'Yuri, come with me.'
Mila's apologetic smile is the last thing Yuri sees before he's hauled off, and she's swallowed up by the crowd.
It's another whirlwind of introductions, only this time he's actually expected to do more than simply shake hands and say his name and a polite nice to meet you. The Rostelecom contingent is large, but there are also a number of other ISU sponsor representatives -- everything from high-end watches to financial services to sporting goods -- in addition to the rest of the Moscow figure skating community. And they're all at least a little curious to meet this young kid (a two-time Junior Grand Prix and Junior Worlds champion, but a kid nonetheless) who seems to be Yakov Feltsman's new golden hope in the aftermath of Viktor Nikiforov's sudden and baffling departure.
So with Yakov right at his elbow, Yuri keeps his answers simple and bland. Yes, he's happy to be back in Moscow. Yes, he is proud to represent Russian figure skating at the Rostelecom Cup. Yes, he's being very well looked after by Coach Yakov, and yes, he is truly privileged to have the opportunity to work so closely with Lilia Baranovskaya. And of course, he greatly appreciates the continued support of the skating federation, which has allowed him to devote himself wholeheartedly to the sport. One or two of them try to coax a few more personal details out of him, and so he feeds them acceptable morsels in return -- he's fond of listening to Rachmaninoff, he's been reading the poems of Anna Akhmatova for school, he's never tried to play hockey but he would be happy to teach the Dynamo Moscow lineup to do quad salchows if it'll help them win the Gagarin Cup. (This last remark, said to a group of sports ministry officials, gets a roaring laugh from all of them, though Yuri suspects it has more to do with their vodka than his wit.)
All in all, things could be going a lot worse. Until one of the Rostelecom middle managers, four glasses in and eager to show off what he looked up on the Internet shortly before coming to the hotel, unwittingly asks Yuri the absolute wrong question: 'You must be very proud to have a short program choreographed by Viktor Nikiforov. Are you looking forward to showing it off here in Moscow?'
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'Mila, I believe that Lilia wants to introduce you to someone who works with the Bolshoi's corporate relations division. She'll be with you shortly.' Yakov manages to get a hand around Yuri's back, half-pushing and half-pulling him forward. 'Yuri, come with me.'
Mila's apologetic smile is the last thing Yuri sees before he's hauled off, and she's swallowed up by the crowd.
It's another whirlwind of introductions, only this time he's actually expected to do more than simply shake hands and say his name and a polite nice to meet you. The Rostelecom contingent is large, but there are also a number of other ISU sponsor representatives -- everything from high-end watches to financial services to sporting goods -- in addition to the rest of the Moscow figure skating community. And they're all at least a little curious to meet this young kid (a two-time Junior Grand Prix and Junior Worlds champion, but a kid nonetheless) who seems to be Yakov Feltsman's new golden hope in the aftermath of Viktor Nikiforov's sudden and baffling departure.
So with Yakov right at his elbow, Yuri keeps his answers simple and bland. Yes, he's happy to be back in Moscow. Yes, he is proud to represent Russian figure skating at the Rostelecom Cup. Yes, he's being very well looked after by Coach Yakov, and yes, he is truly privileged to have the opportunity to work so closely with Lilia Baranovskaya. And of course, he greatly appreciates the continued support of the skating federation, which has allowed him to devote himself wholeheartedly to the sport. One or two of them try to coax a few more personal details out of him, and so he feeds them acceptable morsels in return -- he's fond of listening to Rachmaninoff, he's been reading the poems of Anna Akhmatova for school, he's never tried to play hockey but he would be happy to teach the Dynamo Moscow lineup to do quad salchows if it'll help them win the Gagarin Cup. (This last remark, said to a group of sports ministry officials, gets a roaring laugh from all of them, though Yuri suspects it has more to do with their vodka than his wit.)
All in all, things could be going a lot worse. Until one of the Rostelecom middle managers, four glasses in and eager to show off what he looked up on the Internet shortly before coming to the hotel, unwittingly asks Yuri the absolute wrong question: 'You must be very proud to have a short program choreographed by Viktor Nikiforov. Are you looking forward to showing it off here in Moscow?'