The Crystal Rose International Tournament will soon begin in Minsk, and Yana Zaikina from Volgograd will be competing as part of the Russian National team.&nbsp;Did you know that this competition was Yana's first after she got into the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy in 2023? Back then, she, an unknown little girl, was invited to Sirius along with her coach, Elizaveta Chernova, in order to help this talented duo blossom, so that both gymnast and coach could realize their potential in a new environment, reach major international competitions, and qualify for the Russian National team. Thanks to the hard work of the gymnasts, a large team of specialists, and the contribution of Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, all of this is possible.This year, Yana will be competing in the Crystal Rose for the first time as the European Junior Champion.&nbsp;<div data-component="video" data-props="{&quot;materialId&quot;:9402,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;14.07 История успеха Яны&quot;,&quot;externalCdnLink&quot;:null,&quot;video&quot;:{&quot;subDir&quot;:&quot;035/254&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;035254695a0534f70f5d42.mp4&quot;}}"></div>Yana is a member of the Russian National team, a silver medalist at the national championship, and lives and trains at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy.

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Academy Life

This year, Yana will be competing in the Crystal Rose for the first time as the European Junior Champion. 

Yana Zaikina will take part in the Crystal Rose. This was her first competition after being selected for the Academy in 2023

&nbsp;Ksenia Savinova from Gatchina will compete at the Crystal Rose International Tournament this year.Just three years ago, Ksenia made her international debut in Minsk as part of the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy team. Now she's heading there as a silver medalist at the European Junior Championships.Together with Ksenia and her coach, Evgeniya Eliseeva, we reminisce about her journey from her first rhythmic gymnastics lessons in Gatchina to the Academy, where Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, coaches, choreographers, and other specialists help athletes unlock their potential and achieve high results.<div data-component="video" data-props="{&quot;materialId&quot;:9403,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;15.07 История успеха Ксюши&quot;,&quot;externalCdnLink&quot;:null,&quot;video&quot;:{&quot;subDir&quot;:&quot;b84/681&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;b846811678c416770f68cb.mp4&quot;}}"></div>Ksenia is a member of the Russian national team, a National championship champion, and lives and trains at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy.

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Just three years ago, Ksenia made her international debut in Minsk as part of the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy team. Now she's heading there as a silver medalist at the European Junior Championships.



Ksenia Savinova will perform at the Crystal Rose. She made her debut for the Academy there three years ago

Two-time world champion and European champion Sofia Istomina, alongside world champion and Honored Master of Sports Anzhela Gasparyan, told about the training camps of the Russian women's national combat sambo team at the Martial Arts Academy.Sofia talked about the daily routine and how the training process is going:<blockquote>"This is our third year holding a combat sambo camp here. We've formed an official team now that women's combat sambo has become an official sport. We wake up in the morning, and at 7:30 we exercise. We just walk around, breathing in the fresh air. Those who want can stretch, others can do warm-ups with the pads, whatever they want. At 8 we have breakfast, then we rest. Since there's training at 10:30, sometimes at 11, there's time in between to read, sleep, whatever you want. Then training at 11. We do some weight training with the girls, the guys on the mat. We work out, stretch, have lunch, take a nap, maybe some people go to the beach. And then there is training again. After evening training, we get together with the team, trying to be more cohesive. And we bring the junior guys along with us. We play Mafia and various games, basically. That's how we spend our days, sometimes we go for a walk. Everything is wonderful here, it really is a very good base and really good conditions. Probably one of the best."</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/eb8/442/eb844201fd01b694daec4f270f2d46dc.jpg"></figure>Anzhela also shared her impressions of her stay in Sirius:<blockquote>"This is our second year here with the Combat Sambo team. I was here for the first time in 2024. I was very surprised by how modern, beautiful, and spacious it is; you really want to train here all the time. I expect muscle growth, technique, and, of course, mental recovery."</blockquote>

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MA Academy

Two-time world champion and European champion Sofia Istomina, alongside world champion and Honored Master of Sports Anzhela Gasparyan, shared insights into their training process and daily routine.


Sofia Istomina and Anzhela Gasparyan speak about the training camps of the Russian women's national combat sambo team at the Martial Arts Academy

The training camp for the Russian combat sambo national team continues in the Martial Arts Academy.&nbsp;Juniors coach Alexander Abramov spoke about impressions of the athletes from the workouts in Sirius:<blockquote>"We have our traditional training camp here. We'll be here in July. Our training camps have a general focus: improving our specialized physical fitness, general physical fitness, and raising our overall level. That's the main focus of our work here, in the gym. We visit many bases, and here, we can probably say, the conditions are the best we've ever been. Everything is well-designed, everything is for the athletes. Honestly, people are delighted after visiting this base."</blockquote>The specialist also shared his preparation plan for the World Championship:<blockquote>"After this camp, we'll have another one. There, we'll be gearing up for the World Championships, which will be held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in October."</blockquote>

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Juniors coach Alexander Abramov spoke about impressions of the athletes from the workouts in Sirius and the training plan for the world junior championship.



Alexander Abramov, coach of the Russian national combat sambo team, speaks about the athletes' impressions of the training camp at the Martial Arts Academy

Tatyana Ryupina, senior methodologist at the Talent and Success educational foundation, summarized the results of the third year of the early development program for preschoolers:<blockquote>"The early development program has completed its third year.&nbsp;There's no similar experience anywhere in Russia or anywhere else in the world, because, firstly, the program is based on a scientific approach, specifically the dissertation written by Alina Maratovna Kabaeva. Secondly, the program's implementation utilizes a comprehensive and integrated approach. The coaches, rhythm, choreography, general development, and English teachers all work together, learning from each other."</blockquote>She spoke in more detail about the development of materials that contributed to the training of young athletes:<blockquote>"Over the past three years, our teachers have created many unique teaching and learning materials, including games, specifically designed for young athletes who practice rhythmic gymnastics. This is to motivate them and foster their interest in rhythmic gymnastics. For the youngest, we've created a series of stories about Alina the Doll. This playful character acts as a moral compass for our children. They love this character and strive to be like her, so we're currently working on this to continue, and will be creating stories for older children in their second year. Accordingly, the stories will no longer have a fairytale-like content, but rather a more educational focus."</blockquote>She also shared how the program is being improved:<blockquote>"We also have new projects planned for graduating classes. This year, we had a program on the history of rhythmic gymnastics and an introduction to the geography of the Sky Grace International Association. Most importantly, the entire team is working to improve the program's foundation, both methodological and didactic."</blockquote>Preschoolers at the Academy are enrolled in a unique educational program with elements of rhythmic gymnastics. It was developed based on the PhD dissertation of Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva.

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Opinion

Preschoolers at the Academy are enrolled in a unique educational program with elements of rhythmic gymnastics. It was developed based on the PhD dissertation of Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva.


"There is no similar experience either in Russia or anywhere else in the world." Tatyana Ryupina talks about the results of the third year of the early development program for preschoolers

Jojo Tawinun from Thailand has arrived at the Academy for a training camp, accompanied by her coach, Zhou Tianke.&nbsp;At the Sky Grace Cup International Tournament and Beijing Top Open 2025 in China, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva invited Jojo to the training camp.The Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy is covering the costs of accommodation and meals for the duration of the camp.

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At the Sky Grace Cup International Tournament and Beijing Top Open 2025 in China, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva invited Jojo to the training camp.

Jojo Tawinun from Thailand has arrived at the Academy for a training camp, accompanied by her coach

Sambo wrestlers told about the program at the training camp at the Martial Arts Academy.The current champion of Russia, Demid Volkov, shared his impressions of training in Sirius:<blockquote>"It's more about rest and relaxation. We fully recuperate, have fun, sunbathe, swim in the sea, and lift weights. Everything is going great. This is one of my favorite camps. Because it's a resort area, the weather is nice. I really enjoy it. The conditions here are fantastic, some of the best in Russia, I think. I like the food here the most. The rooms are nice, the gym is well-equipped, everything you need for training is there, so I'm happy with everything here."</blockquote>He told us what he is preparing for at the training camp:<blockquote>"The main event, of course, is the World Sambo Championships, which will be held in November in Tashkent, Uzbekistan."</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/c49/d60/c49d60a26b46f2d30551a22a1c5fe453.jpg"></figure>The winner of the European Championship, Artyom Markov, also assessed the training conditions and revealed the details of the preparation:<blockquote>"Everything at the Martial Arts Academy is wonderful, I love it. Everything is so modern, unique, and top-notch. I'd also like to mention the cafeteria here, the wonderful buffet. The food is delicious; every meal is like a holiday for me. The training process consists of three microcycles, with rest and recovery. We focus more on strength and general fitness. We add a little bit of mat training, so we don't forget. But otherwise, it's mostly about general fitness. This is all new to me. Also, the sea, the sun, and the beach are nearby. I really like it all. On the first day, I arrived late in the evening. I couldn't resist going to the sea and swimming."</blockquote>The athlete shared his plans for the upcoming starts:<blockquote>"We're currently preparing for the upcoming season, laying the groundwork. We'll be diving into the new season in September. Our first competition is the Siberian Cup. Personally, I'll be competing at the Siberian Cup because I'm from Krasnoyarsk. After that, there will be other key competitions leading up to the Russian Championships."</blockquote>

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Demid Volkov is the current Russian champion, and Artyom Markov is the European Championship winner.

Demid Volkov and Artyom Markov talked about sambo wrestlers' training camps at the Martial Arts Academy

Preschoolers born in 2021 from the free early development groups of the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy started training after the holidays.The athletes are trained under the guidance of coach Elizaveta Zorkina.<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/6bd/b0f/6bdb0f8c34093223a6f5db4a173afaa0.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/320/53c/32053c010083f1402d85019a5ce224f5.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/85f/f4f/85ff4ff591a5293a51d306fade29214b.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/bb7/195/bb719563f37ed564860212e95ecf5b86.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/60c/cf2/60ccf29e98c6aa9156dd30fae5d4bb3e.jpg"></figure>

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The athletes are trained under the guidance of coach Elizaveta Zorkina.

Preschoolers born in 2021 are back to trainings at the Academy after the holidays

Due to the emerging cases of mailings sent on behalf of the Alina Kabaeva Charitable Foundation representatives, we’d like to state that the foundation does not send letters and does not practice any fundraising.&nbsp;These letters are sent by scammers and have nothing to do with the foundation, the Olympic champion, the Academy, or the International Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics&nbsp;Association.&nbsp;Please exercise caution.

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Due to the emerging cases of mailings sent on behalf of the Alina Kabaeva Charitable Foundation representatives, we’d like to state that the foundation does not send letters and does not practice any fundraising.

Important information!

Sofia Raffaeli, the winner of the hoop final and the silver medalist of the all-around, told how she managed to cope with the high temperature in the gym at the World Cup in Milan:<blockquote>"We're used to these temperatures in Italy, especially in Fabriano. So we came here prepared for this climate."</blockquote>She also assessed the competition at the World Cup stages after the return of gymnasts from Russia and Belarus:<blockquote>"There are a lot of strong gymnasts now. The Russian gymnasts who just returned, the Belarusian ones. I think the level of competition has gone up significantly with their participation. I think they're all much younger than me, younger in age, and they're stronger than me, that's fine, I, being older, have more experience, but they're much stronger."</blockquote>The gymnast told about the performance of her signature element:<blockquote>"The fact that everyone does it is wonderful for me; it's an honor to see other gymnasts doing my element. I do it myself, if not worse than many... But in any case, not very well, that's true, I don't do it very well. But I watch others do it, and I see how they try to do it as best they can."</blockquote>

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At the tournament, the gymnast won gold in the hoop exercise and silver in the all-around.

Italian gymnast Sofia Raffaeli assessed her performance at the World Cup in her native country

Taisiya Revkovskaya from the Moscow Region and Taisiya Nazarenko from Moscow came to the Academy to try out for the junior group exercise team. The gymnasts shared their first impressions of the training.Taisiya Revkovskaya noted the good conditions and high level of training of the athletes:<blockquote>"The Academy is very big and cool. It's a great place to train. Everything is great here. The girls are really cool, they have a high level of difficulty, and they achieve good results. I'd like to join the team and compete with the girls."</blockquote>The gymnast also talked about herself and how the try-out process went:<blockquote>"I'm the Moscow Region champion in the individual competition. I'm also the Central Federal District champion in the team competition. I also performed well at the Formula of Victory competition, taking third place and qualifying for the Cup of the Strongest stages. At the Formula of Victory competition, my coach, Maria Golovina, and I came here for a tryout. I first went to choreography practice with the girls, and then we recorded videos and did collaborations, trying things out. Then the next day, I competed again and came here for training."</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/ce8/801/ce8801ca38c3c023f5781d87c6f1ef20.jpg"></figure>Taisiya Nazarenko shared what she likes about the group exercise, and also revealed the goals she sets for herself:<blockquote>"I think group exercises are more interesting than individual exercises because everyone interacts with each other. Individual exercises are more like one-on-one, you could say. I like the coaches here. And a big, beautiful hall. I want to qualify for the group stage, to compete in serious competitions. At Russian Junior Championship, maybe at some other international competitions."</blockquote>The training of the athletes took place under the guidance of Daria Pirogova.

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The gymnasts shared their first impressions and the goals they set for themselves.