October brought new victories and exciting events for our gymnasts — both in Russia and abroad.<ul><li>Alesya Nayfonova from Vladikavkaz won gold in the all-around at the international Aura Cup, while Yana Zaikina from Volgograd took silver.</li><li>Evelina Tandalova from the Tyumen Region placed first in the pre-junior category at the 22nd International Tournament for the Prizes of Olympic Champion Marina Lobach, with Diana Kotlovskaya from St. Petersburg taking second place.</li><li>Ksenia Savinova from Gatchina became the all-around champion at the Hopes of Russia national competition, and Alesya Nayfonova from Vladikavkaz earned the silver.</li><li>Mariia Borisova from St.Petersburg, Sofia Ilteryakova from Moscow, and Yana Zaikina won four medals at the AEON Cup, a world club championship. They competed as partners representing the Sky Grace International Association.</li><li>The Alina festival took place in Mumbai.</li></ul>Let’s look back at October’s highlights and relive these moments in this video:<div data-component="video" data-props="{&quot;materialId&quot;:10454,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;October 2026&quot;,&quot;externalCdnLink&quot;:null,&quot;video&quot;:{&quot;subDir&quot;:&quot;18c/0e7&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;18c0e73782c74ac880c9fd.mp4&quot;}}"></div>

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Academy Life

October brought new victories and exciting events for our gymnasts - both in Russia and abroad.

Results of the month: October 2026

Before the 2026 Alina festival, George Panait, Technical Director of The Grand Theatre, explained the uniqueness of the show on the stage of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center:<blockquote>"The most amazing part of our concert hall is our chandelier. It contains 8400 Swarovski crystals, the size of an egg. Behind each crystal, there is a lighting feature, so that we can achieve around 1.4 million shades of colors. And then, the chandelier can be mapped. Currently, we mapped the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center logo. But this one has been used for immersive shows, like for 'Life of Pi'. For the first time, we’re going to have on stage — gymnastics, which I think is unique in India, which is great. We have Alina, even nicer. I think this will be the largest elevated screen that we ever had, at the back over there. And we’re going to have, for the second time, a full orchestra in the orchestra pit. That, again, is amazing. We had a full orchestra for the opening, three years ago. So this will be a second time we have a full orchestra playing classical music".&nbsp;</blockquote>He also recalled how Russian figure skaters participated in an ice show at the same venue:<blockquote>"Actually, what is great is that in December we had, we did Nutcracker on ice. All the skaters from Russia, all European champions, Olympic champions, World Champions. So on stage, we built a big ice rink. Now, the same size, we’re going to build a gymnastics rink. So, it’s nice going from a Russian theme, presenting first time skating on ice, and now again, we’re going to have a unique Russian theme presenting gymnastics at NMACC".</blockquote>

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The Alina Festival

George Panait explained the uniqueness of the show on the stage of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center.

"This is a unique phenomenon for India!" Technical Director of The Grand Theatre talks about the Alina festival in Mumbai

Gymnasts who were only able to compete in the qualifying stages thanks to a quota provided by the Sky Grace International Association have made it to the final of the Cup of the Strongest.Although they did not qualify for the event based on the results of the Russian Championships, the Association granted them this opportunity. Through their hard work and performance, they managed to outperform some of their rivals and secure a spot in the final stage.Angelina Ipatova, Kira Arefyeva, and Sofia Nikolskaya, along with the group teams from the Republic of Karelia, St.Petersburg (Lesgaft Sport), and the Tula and Volgograd regions will perform in the final.

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Аssociation

Although they did not qualify for the event based on the results of the Russian Championships, the Association granted them this opportunity. Through their hard work and performance, they managed to outperform some of their rivals and secure a spot in the final stage.

Gymnasts who were able to compete in the qualifying stages thanks to the Sky Grace International Association quota have made it to the final of the Cup of the Strongest

A podium training was held ahead of the start of the final of the Cup of the Strongest in Moscow.The competitions will be held from November 6 to 8.

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Competitions

The competitions will be held from November 6 to 8.

A podium training was held ahead of the start of the Cup of the Strongest final in Moscow

The Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy athletes athletes will take part in the Cup of the Strongest final.The tournament will be held in Moscow from November 6 to 8.The competition will feature Yana Zaikina from Volgograd, Ksenia Savinova from Gatchina, Alesya Naifonova from Vladikavkaz, Mariia Borisova from St. Petersburg, as well as the junior team in group exercises.

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The tournament will be held in Moscow from November 6 to 8.

Academy athletes athletes will take part in the Cup of the Strongest final

<blockquote>Dear friends! On November 4, we celebrate National Unity Day. This holiday reminds us of the importance of cohesion and our shared responsibility for the destiny of our country. The year 2026 has been designated as the Year of Unity of the People of Russia. Our country is home to people of diverse cultures and traditions, this variety is part of our common heritage. We must cherish our legacy, respect one another, and pass on the love for our homeland to our children. May we always be united by good deeds, shared values, and faith in the future of Russia! Happy holiday!</blockquote>

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Alina Kabaeva

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva sent congratulations for National Unity Day.


A message for National Unity Day from Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva

Martial Arts Academy athlete Eva Varkentin taking second place at the Sochi Judo Championship for girls under 15.&nbsp;Her coach is Evgeny Ivanov.

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MA Academy

Martial Arts Academy athlete Eva Varkentin taking second place at the Sochi Judo Championship for girls under 15.

Martial Arts Academy athlete Eva Varkentin taking second place at the Sochi Judo Championship

Yaroslav Poleznov, a Martial Arts Academy student, took third place in the U13 judo tournament hosted by the Multidisciplinary Gymnasium of the Sirius Federal Territory.The athlete’s coach is Evgeny Ivanov.

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Yaroslav Poleznov, a Martial Arts Academy student, took third place in the judo tournament hosted by the Multidisciplinary Gymnasium of the Sirius Federal Territory.

Yaroslav Poleznov, a Martial Arts Academy student, took third place in the judo tournament

Academy gymnasts will be competing at the international Wings Cup tournament.The event will take place in Dubai from November 6 to 8. Representing us on the floor will be Veronika Malinina and Diana Kotlovskaya from St. Petersburg, Alisa Shunina from Volgograd, and Evelina Tandalova from the Tyumen Region.&nbsp;

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The event will take place in Dubai from November 6 to 8.

Academy gymnasts will be competing at the international Wings Cup tournament

Among the distinguished guests at the 2026 Alina festival, held at The Grand Theatre, was Denis Alipov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India.He spoke about the cooperation between the two countries:<blockquote>"I believe that everyone in the packed auditorium, myself included—shared the same impression: sheer delight. On my own behalf, as well as on behalf of the Russian Embassy in India and the Russian government, I would like to thank the organizers, including, from the Indian side, Nita Ambani’s center. I also want to congratulate our celebrated champion, an Olympic and world champion, Alina Kabaeva, on this event. It was a truly magnificent occasion, held in India for the very first time. I consider this one of the most significant contributions to the development of Russian-Indian cultural relations this year."</blockquote>Denis Evgenievich noted that the show was a synthesis of rhythmic gymnastics and various types of art:<blockquote>"In the world of rhythmic gymnastics, Russia, and the Russian school of rhythmic gymnastics, is a recognized brand. The show the audience witnessed today brought together the Russian school of rhythmic gymnastics and performances by musicians from the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, under the direction of the renowned maestro Valery Gergiev. This synthesis, this blend of sport, art, and music, created a unique experience that we were able to share with the Indian public."</blockquote>He also shared plans for 2027, when Russia and India will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations:<blockquote>"I would also like to note that next year marks a major milestone, the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. Together with our Indian partners, we are preparing an extensive program to commemorate this date, a program that will span the entire year. I sincerely hope that we will see more shows and performances like today’s here in India."</blockquote>

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Among the distinguished guests at the 2026 Alina festival, held at The Grand Theatre, was Denis Alipov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India.


"This is one of the most significant contributions to the development of Russian-Indian relations this year." Denis Alipov speaks about the Alina festival in Mumbai

<blockquote>"Dear friends,&nbsp;This grand celebration of sports and art, the Alina 2026 Festival, has come to a close! For the first time, it was held in India, in Mumbai. This was our first experience holding the festival in Asia, and it can be said with confidence that everything was a success!&nbsp;I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance company and Nita Ambani for the invitation and their help with the organization! I appreciate all the participants from the Indian side for the warm welcome, care, and assistance in all matters! Every single request of ours along the way was heard, and we are deeply grateful for that.&nbsp;Our festival is the result of the coordinated work of teams from two countries, India and Russia. A common language was found very quickly, allowing us to bring all our ideas to life at the highest level. We had a massive goal — to show the audience a true fairy tale, introduce them to Russian traditions, and make them fall in love with this symbiosis of high-performance sports and fine art. Thus we have taken another major step in developing rhythmic gymnastics worldwide.&nbsp;I appreciate everyone who helped us and worked for many months to perfect the show, who assembled the stage sets, set up the lights and sound, and ensured all the necessary conditions for the gymnasts and performers!&nbsp;Special thanks go to the staff of the Consulate General of Russia in Mumbai and the Embassy of Russia in India for their help and involvement.&nbsp;We will certainly continue our cooperation. See you next time!"</blockquote>

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Olympic champion and head of the Charity Foundation, Alina Kabaeva, addressed the organizers of the festival in Mumbai with gratitude.