"Veterans of Rhythmic Gymnastics:" the founder of the Kazan School, Inga Ryndovskaya

Honored Coach of the RSFSR. Founder of the Kazan school of rhythmic gymnastics. Honored figure of physical culture and sports of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Inga Ryndovskaya was born on October 20, 1932 in the city of Yerevan. Her father, Valery Ryndovsky, was sent there on a long-term assignment. But Kazan became her hometown. 

Her childhood passed in the Central District, which was called "Akademichka" [Academician in English] because of the large number of teachers in educational establishments and intellectuals living there.

Little Inga grew up to be an active child. The daughter of Inga Ryndovskaya, Maria, recalls,

"I was told that once, when she was still a child, my mom climbed to the very top of a pole, which was usually used for the celebrations of the Tatar summer festival Sabantui. By the way, it was usually men with athletic training background who climbed it."

Inga’s childhood fell on the war years, when all schoolchildren tried to help the elderly — they took care of the wounded in hospitals and organized amateur performances. 

Despite the hardships of the time, Irina, the Inga Ryndovskaya's mother, tried to instill an artistic taste in her daughters. Inga and her younger sister Alla were always neatly dressed, engaged in dancing, ballet, and rhythmic studies — everything that helps develop expressiveness of movements and grace.

After school, in 1951, Inga entered the Kiev State Institute of Physical Culture. Student connections, friendship, support, communication and meetings at competitions accompanied her throughout her life. It was during these years that Ryndovskaya first thought about rhythmic gymnastics. The catalyst for such thoughts was attending the demonstration performances of Lyubov Denisova — the first absolute champion of the USSR. 

After graduating from the institute in 1955, Inga returned to Kazan and began training in the fencing section with the Honored Coach of the RSFSR, Yuliy Vashsha. The girl got to a completely unique and talented teacher, an athlete, a person gifted in many areas, including playing stringed and wind instruments. Yuliy Vashsha was not only the coach of the Tatarstan fencing team, but also stood at the origins of the swimming, water polo, and chess schools. For five years, Inga trained hard, participated in competitions as part of the team, and won prizes. In 1959, she became the champion of the Tatarstan.

Later, she got a job at the Kazan Construction Institute in the department of physical education and simultaneously opened a specialized club for rhythmic gymnastics.

Working as a teacher, Inga was practicing herself and prepared students in the sports specialized club. As a member of the Tatarstan team, Ryndovskaya represented the institute and the Burevestnik athletic society at competitions in swimming, chess, and fencing. 

Inga’s daughter, Maria, notes,

"Mom was a very multifaceted person. She wrote poetry, cooked excellently, sewed skillfully, painted, and loved to play analytical games. Everything she did was ‘excellent with a plus,’ she skied, ran, cooked — everything was always beautiful and delicious, and the table setting could serve as an ornament to any European restaurant. She swam excellently. By the way, it's worth mentioning the case when she, a young girl, swam across the Volga as a bet. Mom was a person who was constantly moving forward.’

In 1978, Inga Ryndovskaya became the founder and first principal of the Children and Youth Sports School No. 11 for rhythmic gymnastics under the city education department, which was renamed into the Gratsiya Children and Youth Sports School in 2008.

Before the decisive tournaments, the athletes received a blessing and guidance from Inga Ryndovskaya. She was always there and could solve any issue - from complex organizational ones to everyday and family issues. The life principle of the mentor of Kazan gymnasts was as follows: 

"When your strength runs out and you feel like you are about to fall, you just need to pull yourself together and increase your speed!"

Elmira Musina, a student of Inga Ryndovskaya, shared a memory of her coach,

"Not far from Kazan, 38 km from the city downtown, there is the Raifsky Monastery, which is currently one of the most attractive sights of Tatarstan. Beautiful nature, picturesque lake, ancient architecture. In the 70s of the last century, there was a juvenile detention center in the monastery. Inga was asked to bring gymnasts to perform at a gala concert. It was winter, snow was already everywhere, and they had to get there by bus.

 

Inga Ryndovskaya asked to bring skis with them. The performance took place to the accompaniment of a piano, the audience was satisfied, they welcomed them warmly and applauded for a long time. After the performance, all the participants of the concert were treated to a delicious lunch. They thanked and said goodbye.

And then Inga Ryndovskaya said, ‘Well, now we all put on skis and let's go.’ No one could have guessed that this was not just a run through the forest. Inga Ryndovskaya decided to combine business with pleasure in this way, namely — to get to the training base in Kazan on foot. We returned, of course, tired, but satisfied and proud of ourselves and our coach.”

For her achievements in her work, Inga Ryndovskaya received the title of Honored Worker of Physical Culture and Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Successful coaches are among trainees of Inga Ryndovskaya — Svetlana Tyurina and Galina Neftalina Together with them, she prepared 11 masters of sports.

Gulnara Gataullina, a student of Inga Ryndovskaya, says, 

"Inga Ryndovskaya instilled love not only for sports, but also for arts, ballet, and dance. For her, not only the technique of performing elements was important. Each exercise was to become a story. When my program with the ribbon for Yarullin's ballad Suyumbike from the Shurale ballet was created, Inga Ryndovskaya took me to the Musa Jalil Opera and Ballet Theater to see the performance, to tell me who Suyumbike was. And so it was with all the exercises. Image and story - the basis of everything.”

Inga Ryndovskaya passed away on May 28, 2015.

Every year, a tournament in memory of Inga Ryndovskaya — the Swan Cup — is held in Kazan.

We would like to thank Maria Ryndovskaya, Gulnara Gataullina, and Elmira Musina for their assistance in creating the material.