About the basketball player Andrei Vorontsevich fans know, if not everything, then a lot. His versatility, ability to effectively close multiple positions and tenacious defensive play against opponents of any caliber have become the hallmark of CSKA Moscow, where the forward is a backbone performer, and the national team in the last decade. We set out to learn more about the life of one of the most positive and sociable Russian players off the court.

"Americans should learn friendliness"

- V Lately you, an open, sociable and cheerful person, are increasingly supporting conversations about the problems of our country. Tell me, at what point did they start to worry you seriously?
- Interest arose a couple of years ago. My brother and I began to delve into national history, world history ... As a result, this resulted in my decision to get a second higher education at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Now I am a student (laughs). Everything went on as usual: interest arose, a desire appeared, an opportunity to enter - and here I am.

- That is, it is connected not only with your growing up and becoming as a person - facing various problems every day, do you just want to understand them better?
- I think so. I would like to know what is happening in our country and abroad, to understand what people communicate with each other, what topical issues they are concerned about, how the citizens of this or that country react to what is happening in the world. At some point, it takes over, you start thinking, analyzing.

- Don't you think that your character does not quite correspond to the requirements of the profession of a diplomatic representative? They are usually more reserved, and your positive energy is always bursting out.
- In life, I try to behave more calmly, more restrained, I try to learn this. My irrepressible energy, and my temper too, find a way out mainly on the site, and not outside of it. But this is partly why I entered the Diplomatic Academy - to become more literate. Both in life and in work. In all areas.
- What are your favorites?
- I barely started my studies, now we have an introduction to international relations, and this is very interesting to me. I learn how countries conduct a dialogue with each other, how they defend their own interests in various situations. After all, there are several implications in international relations - they can be political, economic, cultural, or whatever. For us, it turns out that they are sports. By my example, I can say that everyone prepares for tournaments in different ways, although everyone has the same goal: to win. In world politics, many strive to become a leader, to take leading positions, to win the respect of other countries. The same thing happens in sports. This is not only interesting to me, but also close in spirit.

My specialty is called International Security. The situation in the world now, to put it mildly, is unstable, our country is dragged into hostilities, and this cannot but worry and worry. Therefore, it is security that will become my priority subject, and I hope to achieve some success in this area.

- Once you dropped the phrase that people in Of Russia and abroad it seems to be the same, but foreigners live a little better. Explain what meaning did you put into these words?
- It seems to me that everything depends on the opinion of the people themselves. If in specific conditions a person feels good, if what he has is enough for him, he is calm and happy - thank God! When you start comparing, evaluating, you express, first of all, your point of view. In what place you feel good, in what place you feel comfortable, what your soul is drawn to and lies in. For me, when there is an opportunity for comparison, it is already good that you have it. Looking at the positive and negative qualities of the cities and countries we visit, I come to the conclusion that we need to take only the best from everywhere and bring it into our life.

For example, the smile of Americans - they can sometimes seem arrogant, which does not prevent them from smiling all day long. You can and should even learn from them how to be friendly. The pragmatism of the Germans - every square centimeter of German soil is somehow involved, well-groomed, tidied up, everything is clean and smooth. Why not? There are many points that you are trying to apply to yourself, to your family ... Everyone should start with themselves. Let's say if in Of Russia everyone will clean up at their house or summer cottage, our country will become much cleaner and it will be more pleasant for us to live in it.

"The child is a blank book in which everything needs to be written down"

- What fundamental things do you teach your children, if you do not take into account the standard educational moments like brushing your teeth in the morning or washing your hands before eating?
- I teach to give all the best in everything they undertake. The youngest son, of course, to a lesser extent, he is still too young, but the eldest daughter, who recently went to school, I teach not to be lazy. She's a smart girl, so she can be lazy, she carefully chooses her position. Children, on the other hand, always check everything, and if they are allowed, they can cheat, fail to do something or not bring to mind. I see this and explain that there have never been lazy people in our family, there were hardworking guys, they never grabbed the stars from heaven and they achieved everything only with their own labor. I help her to form the correct impression of the price of labor, I show with what efforts she has, for example, new toys or outfits, how dad tries for this.

Recently we had a conversation on this topic, and it was a big surprise for Nastya that I am doing my best for the whole family. Now, I hope she postponed it. After talking with me and my wife Natalya, she began to play tennis more diligently, there were noticeable successes in training ... She herself felt that there could be nothing better than that, when after class you were praised by your parents and the coach, and began to give your best on the court. That is why I say that you always need to start with yourself and your family, and then, if possible, the whole country will notice it.

- They say that for daughters, a dad, who works a lot and is often not at home, is an outlet, because mom treats them much stricter. Is that so, or are you yourself acting as a strict policeman?
- I will not say that I am the kindest dad in the world. It seems to me that relations in our family cannot be described by any standard system. Mom happens to be with children both soft and strict, if they do not fulfill our requests, but in order to raise their voice - we do not have this. Dad can sometimes scream, but still he tries to be restrained, because our children are still small and we need to understand that with your cry you hurt more than you teach.

- Does your daughter have any reproaches to her father - for example, about the fact that he comes home for a short time and cannot always pay attention to her?
- These are not reproaches, but rather requests or wishes. "Dad, where are you going again?" - "To the GIM". "Dad, where are you going again?" - "Out". Children want to see their parents more often, this is good and very pleasant, but in every moment they need to be explained, communicate with them for a long time, and give examples. Telling that dad has to go, he has his own schedule, like his daughter at school - every day is busy by the minute. Today one training session, tomorrow two, the day after tomorrow the game, then the departure ... I explain, the child begins to understand and treats it easier. Ignoring questions or answering in monosyllables is wrong, because a child is a blank book in which everything needs to be written down.

- You talk about raising children so calmly, measuredly. Did you come to most of the conclusions yourself, or did you resort to the help of special literature? Sometimes, after all, there is a need for advice when trying to understand what is in your child's head.
- There was, of course, the literature that my wife and I studied - not so many, five books, no more. Up to how to properly massage the child. And, of course, experience. Again, I'm used to assessing the situation by my own yardstick. Roughly speaking, if I have a question or I do not understand something, I want to get a comprehensive answer. The same applies to a child who always has a lot of questions. When I was 8-9 years old, I had books in which answers were given to a huge number of children's questions - why is the grass green, why does the sun shine ...

The same is true for children: they ask a lot, a lot of questions, and you understand that you need to explain everything to them. They just need to make time. Even when communicating with other people's children - for example, after matches, guys who play basketball come up to us, communicate, ask questions. Children are curious, and when you pay attention to them, communicate with them for at least five to ten minutes, you see how their eyes start to sparkle even brighter, because an adult spoke to them. They come to see how we play basketball, and when you supported them, said some words of parting words - for them it is an incredible charge of emotions and an incentive for further work.

Once I was young too, and I remember very well how I communicated with people whom I called senior researchers - adults who paid attention to me, answered my questions. Then I realized how important it is, just priceless. Parents should spend more time with their children and talk to them more often. Laptops, phones and tablets will never replace live communication and provide the benefits that only parents can bring.

- If it's not a secret, how often do you call your daughter?
- Infrequently. Mostly I contact my spouse. Still, the child's schedule is crazy - even tougher than mine - everything is scheduled literally by the minute. Massages, swimming, tennis, school, English, physical training - everything is complete.

"The role of the father of the new Maria Sharapova is not the worst in life"

- Do you think it is the right approach that now parents load their children with everything they can, almost with preschool age and by the age of 13-14 they are exhausted to such an extent that they no longer want anything?
- To say whether this is normal in general is difficult. If you personally see that the child is coping, why not? I believe that children should be loaded. This is done for their development and future. You can sit at home, play the tablet all day long and get tired in the same way. In any case, by the evening everyone, both adults and children, is exhausted, regardless of whether they worked, studied or did nothing useful. It seems to me that you need to proceed from the load that you yourself give your children.

If the child cannot cope with what the parents have put on him, then, of course, the load must be reduced. But when you see what he is doing - first of all, physically - let him practice. Of course, she will moan, but this is more of a psychological moment. After all, now in Moscow you will not surprise anyone with the fact that children know one or two languages, or even three. This is the norm for today's youth. In order for a child to grow up and become a normal, educated person, he needs to be developed.

- Would you like your daughter to achieve success in sports?
- Of course, because I myself am an athlete. It is interesting. Competitions force you to overcome yourself, open up new opportunities for you: traveling around the world, communicating with an incredible number of people. Moreover, tennis is a very popular sport.

- So, you see yourself in the role of the father of the new Maria Sharapova?
- No, to be honest, I don’t see it. But if it comes to this - this is not the worst role in life, and I will be very happy if my daughter achieves comparable results on the court, and I myself become the father of a new Sharapova.

- If suddenly your daughter loses interest in tennis and wants to do something else, will you not insist?
- In this case, I will need to understand how serious and balanced her decision is - whether it is the result of ordinary laziness or a sincere desire. For me, of course, while the child is very small, he needs to be guided, and in the future, simply provide support and not interfere with his development. All people, both children and adults, are inherently lazy, want to play, indulge in and do nothing. But now we are laying the foundation on which the whole life of our children will be held.

- Share some truly actionable advice that you gleaned from the books you read.
- It refers to the correct communication with children. You don't need to talk to them in denials. We say “don't do”, “don't break”, “don't hit”, but the child hears not negation, but the action - “do”, “break”, “hit” ... Russian language is rich, and you need to try to explain this or that moment so that both the child understands and you do not use negative particles. I always try to give some examples, to speak with children in their language. There is no point in resorting to terms whose meaning they do not understand.

The same goes for tennis. Masha Sharapova, whom we mentioned, is a huge example for all novice players and the brightest star of our time. We assume that Nastya will grow to about 188 centimeters (with a dad with 2.07 and a mother with 1.82 she will not be 1.60) - there are special tables that allow you to calculate this - and explain that she will also be tall. Once we found Masha's photographs as a child, which interested the child very much. She was surprised, they say, was Sharapova really so small. After viewing these photos, she began to study more intensively, and this is the main reward for parents - when the child is delighted with the work he has done.

- Were there any questions that your daughter embarrassed or embarrassed you with?
- There were, of course, many times. Where do children come from, how they are born. My wife and I did not speak this moment in advance, so we gave our daughter different answers. At 2-3 years old, they talked about storks, cabbage, and it worked. When she got older, her mother told her that her father had a seed, which he shared, she ate it, and a daughter grew up in her tummy. These are the stories (laughs). It's too early to explain to her the whole point of the process.

"I did not fight for long, they broke my neck there."

- We are all about the daughter and the daughter. Does your son have any predispositions - for music, for example?
- The son is a fan of CSKA. In the first place he has balls, cars, he is a serious guy. Basketball fascinates him, football. There is a desire to give it to football first, because we like to kick the ball, and hard. A child from three or four years old can be enrolled in the football section (Andrey's son turned three in November - Author's note), but in basketball there are simply no such age groups. Well, in the future, how it goes. Although personally, in parallel with basketball, I did a lot - and handball up to high school, and karate, and Greco-Roman wrestling, and table tennis. Everyone in the world.

- Struggle - with your height? It is interesting.
- Yes, even though it was not long, they twisted my neck there. It was a wonderful game - one wrestler climbs onto the shoulders of another, and while the upper ones fought among themselves, the lower ones tried to stay on their feet. We were somehow knocked down, and my neck jammed in one direction. Muscle spasm that lasted for about a week. I had to give up these activities, although, to be honest, I really liked it. And the somersaults that we did there, and in general. I was engaged in wrestling when I was 12 years old, and was not the highest in the group - I stretched out already at the age of 16. Before that, in the basketball team, I was also of average height and played in the positions of the first and second numbers. Then, when I grew up, they put me on the four and even the five.

- Psychologists say that in order to maintain relations between spouses, they sometimes need to part for a while. In your case, these partings are too frequent. How do they affect you? Is this a plus or do you acutely experience a lack of communication with your family?
- Naturally, I really do not have enough communication with my family, but to some extent my trips are good, because I feel that sometimes I strain my family. And you need to eat, and there are more things in the wash. I'm joking, of course, but everyday troubles with me are really getting bigger. Nevertheless, I agree with psychologists who say that sometimes you need to be alone, not disturb your loved ones, if one of them needs privacy. But, since I am a sociable person, I really miss my family. When you are often alone, attune yourself only to basketball, unnecessary thoughts arise, and this is not good. It is better to do more than think a lot. In the team, although we have common goals, everyone thinks differently and are on their own wave, concentrating only on the game. At such moments, you begin to miss your family especially much.

- Often you catch yourself thinking that you seem to people to be a cheerful, outgoing guy, but in fact no one knows what problems are bothering you at this moment and how you deal with them?
- It happens. It is absolutely precisely said that someone else's soul is darkness, and even relatives cannot know what you are thinking, what you are worried about, what you are worried about, what you want to hope for, what you believe in ... Of course, there are times when you are sad, both restless and anxious, but I try to always think positively, as well as behave. Superfluous thoughts do not lead to anything good, you start to be loaded with them. I cannot say that here, Andrey Vorontsevich from the first minute of his day, from the moment he woke up, always positive. I try very hard, of course, but I am also a living person and can experience a variety of emotions. Unfortunately, in our world, not everything is painted with only bright colors, but this is worth striving for, no matter what.

“Playing at 33 is already good. At 40 - an old man, you are the best! "

- It seems that just recently you were 21-22 years old and you were called young and promising. You are now 28, and on the court, of course, your progress is noticeable. How has your perception of basketball and your attitude to business changed during this time?
- I will not say that it completely turned upside down, but it really changed. With experience came the understanding that after 25 years you have to work on yourself every day. Each. God's. Day. And there’s nothing you can do about it. We, athletes, are real people, we all have our sores. Professional basketball is not a recreational exercise, here they beat, push, knock out teeth, get injured, no matter how scary it sounds. Anything that hurts must be treated, kept in good shape, and procedures must be done. For a year, this probably translates into a million different exercises, but there is no other way.

Every day you have to work on your body, keep it in good shape, and with your head understand why you are doing this - to achieve high goals, prolong your playing career. And there, as long as you have been assigned to play basketball, as long as you will go to the court. But if you understand all this and continue to work hard, you can stay in sports up to 40 years old, there are a lot of living examples of this. Take the same Dennis Marconato from Sassari - yes, he does not play that much, but at his age he remains a part of the Euroleague team, and this commands respect.

- How old do you see yourself in basketball? Up to 35 years old? Until 37?
- To play at 33 is, I think, already good. At 35 - great. At 37 - great, and at 40 - an old man, you are the best!

- Over time, you probably also changed your own diet - you began to consume less carbonated drinks, chips ...
- Certainly! Until the age of 18 I could eat everything in any quantity, absorb everything on the table, and drink it with any liquids, with gas, without gas, juices, drinks with sugar, without sugar ... And then, for two weeks of New Year's holidays - You yourself understand what it is, here are guests, there I ate, here I had a snack - I gained 15 kilograms. I ate as usual: Olivier salad, salads, first or second, tables are bursting. I came to visit, they offer a snack, and I do not refuse. I love to eat! As a result, I put on a kilogram a day, it grew somehow imperceptibly, and when I returned, my coach Nikolai Semenovich Kostitsyn was in shock. Instead of Andrei Vorontsevich, a sausage arrived, I had not a neck, but a pelican's jaw, a bag where they put the fish (laughs). My playing weight was 91 kilograms, and the scales suddenly showed 106. I quickly put myself in order, got back in shape, but from that moment I realized that I had to monitor my diet.

I will not say that I immediately switched to low-fat food or limited myself to some vegetables. No, I just started eating in moderation. Now, thanks to the emergence of video materials about what is harmful and what is useful, and communication with our sports nutritionists, physical training coaches, giving advice on how to eat right, has become easier. We regularly measure the body fat, and if it has increased, you must add the load on the "physics", remove from the diet all fat and gas. Based on the results obtained, each basketball player builds his own diet. If your height, weight and percentage of body fat are within the normal range, then you are doing everything right and, as a result, you feel good.

The most important thing in this process, it seems to me, is good health, energy and health. If we look at some guys from the NBA, we will see that even with obvious 20-30 kilograms of excess weight, they run and jump and feel comfortable. The same Boris Diao, for example: from the outside it seems that he needs to lose weight, but he plays at a high level, he wins titles with the team, and thank God. This does not bother him. But in science it is better, of course, that all components are normal. That's why I came to the right diet.

- Four years ago, on the eve of the European Championship in Lithuania, you said that you have a great desire to try your hand at the NBA. During this time, you have become a top player in Of Russia... Has the desire to go overseas been restrained, or is there still a hope of conquering North America in the depths of your soul?
- There is always a desire to learn something more and better, but at this stage of my development, I understand that there is no point in going just to try my hand. As well as moving your family to another country, radically changing your lifestyle just for the sake of trying, without real guarantees of success. It seems to me that this should be done at an earlier age.
- When you look at the rosters of the NBA teams, do you think: "What is this guy doing here, because I could have spent much better 18-20 minutes?" Or is it a hat?
- Sometimes such thoughts do appear. Not because I, in the place of this or that guy, would have shown myself better, no. The question arises: "God, do such people play in the NBA?" After all, in addition to the superstars in the league, there are guys that we would not have come out for a minute. I don’t want to offend anyone, but we are still athletes and must earn money. And going to the other end of the earth for 15-40% of the amount that you have now, just to try something new, is stupid. Cancel all plans, schools, kindergartens ... It is clear that if such a situation arises, the family will support my decision and will follow me. But first you need to understand why this is being done. Moreover, the team where I have been spending the tenth season has become my home and it is pointless to leave Moscow, which I felt as my home during this time, for the sake of some ambitions.

- I’ll ask an uncomfortable question, probably. You say you would move your family to USA, if the situation so demanded. Where, in what country, do you see the future of your children? Would you like them to study abroad, stay to live there?
- I have a desire for children to study abroad - not so much for the sake of education itself, but for the knowledge of the language. No matter how you study foreign languages ​​here, the practice of communicating with their native speakers is necessary. And our education is quite good. Of course, we will see what the children themselves want and what they decide. By that time, I will have finished my career and it will not be a big problem for me to pack my things and leave with them. Let’s wait and see how everything goes, we cannot make plans. To plan - yes, but it is too early to give any guarantees or promises. In principle, in retirement, you can try to find yourself in different countries - he lived here for two years, there ...

- Is the Riviera a good place to live, in your opinion?
- There is a sea, so we will not be lost (laughs). But as far as I know, this is not the most student-centered region in the world. So far, I play basketball, the children go to school, together we develop and everything goes on as usual.

“I would like the national team Of Russia there was a domestic coach "

- I was planning to ask a lot about the last Eurobasket, but we went in a completely different direction and practically did not touch basketball. What three words would you describe last championship Europe?
- If it is very short, but capacious? There are a lot of conversations, players are drawn into politics, and then each of us has to answer questions in which we are not fully competent. When not everything is good around, then problems also arise within the team. Nevertheless, I want to thank the guys who went to the site with a desire, for the fact that none of them remained indifferent - both the coach and the basketball players. There is no particular sense in looking back, you only need to look forward. Now each of us, including the President of the RBF, has our own job, and we need to forget about that result in order to take a step forward. Sitting still and getting upset simply because we lost and didn't get anywhere is wrong. When we get back together, we will pay attention to the problems that we have and will have. As they say, they need to be addressed as they become available.

– David Blatt entered the RBF coaching council, and there is talk that the players would not mind his return to the coaching bridge in the foreseeable future. How do you feel about this perspective?
- Yes, I will not object to this turn of events. But I would still like the national team Of Russia was a domestic coach. We have worthy specialists, and it seems to me that they need to be trusted. One should not belittle Russian mentors in order to elevate foreign ones. That's all.

- What are your impressions of filming the video for Match TV with Timofey Mozgov? Many people got the impression that a good idea could not be fully implemented.
- For me it was an experience that I enjoyed. Take at least the same makeup. I really liked the opportunity to test myself in a new way. It's okay that it didn't work out, no - it means that next time will be better.
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The spouses have started a divorce proceedings and cannot share two expensive foreign cars in any way

Law enforcement officers took up a showdown in the family of the famous Russian basketball player, the forward of the CSKA club and the Russian national team, a participant in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, 30-year-old Andrei Vorontsevich. Husband and wife took turns writing police reports against each other.

The athlete himself was the first to make his move, informing the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Airport area about the theft of two cars at once - a BMW 750 Li xDrive and a Ferrari. Usually they were in the underground car park in Kochnovskiy proezd. By the way, although foreign cars were issued for Vorontsevich, his wife regularly used the cars. And after the recent decision to dissolve the marriage (Natalia found out that the basketball player is in a relationship with another woman), the CSKA striker allegedly promised to leave the cars to his wife.

Actually, it was Natalia who "stole" the cars. The lady suggested that her husband changed his mind about leaving her vehicles, and therefore parked the foreign cars in another place.

A few days later, Natalia herself turned to the police with statements about illegal actions with property. Allegedly, when Natalia was in St. Petersburg, unknown persons tried to enter her apartment in Kochnovsky passage. The police outfit did not find any signs of burglary. Only in the upper keyhole was a lonely piece of a key sticking out. Subsequently, it became known that the house was trying to enter ... Andrei Vorontsevich, who currently does not live there. The athlete's representative complained to the guards that Natalia was preventing her husband from visiting his own apartment. The basketball player tried to open the door, but broke the key.

Natalia told the guardians of the law that she feared reprisals from her husband. Indeed, during a quarrel, he allegedly threatened her with a traumatic pistol. Andrei's representative said that the guards seized the pistol from the athlete this summer at the 2017 Confederations Cup.

As a result, due to the lack of corpus delicti, the initiation of criminal cases was denied to both parties.

Note that the athlete and his wife are growing up a son (5 years old) and a daughter (8 years old).

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Basketball player Andrei Vorontsevich in the HELLO.RU project "Sports Stars Summing Up Personal Results of the Year"

On the eve of the New Year, it is customary to sum up the results. HELLO.RU spoke to four outstanding Russian athletes from the world rhythmic gymnastics, football, boxing and basketball. Their main achievement this year is their sporting victories. Margarita Mamun, Ivan Novoseltsev, Murat Gassiev and Andrey Vorontsevich talked about how the champion's path was for each of them and what they dream about on the eve of New 2017. We present the fourth hero of the project - basketball player, forward of CSKA and the Russian national team Andrei Vorontsevich.

Andrey - two-time champion Euroleague, 10-time champion of Russia, 6-time champion of VTB United League. In 2016, he became the Euroleague champion, won the Russian Championship and VTB United League as part of PBC CSKA.

Andrey's wife Natalia also took part in the photo session for HELLO.RU.

Andrey Vorontsevich (jumper, Vincenzo Brandonisio)

About achievements:

Winning the championship is one thing, but keeping it is quite another. Now we are striving to defend the title of champion of the Euroleague, the Russian championship and the VTB league. This is a great responsibility. Opponents work no less than ours and also strive for high achievements - everyone wants to become champions!

We have more than enough motivation. You understand how many championships the club has had, how many great players, and you realize that you cannot let them down. You can come to the CSKA sports complex and look at all the cups and portraits of players from past years. You immediately realize that your 10th or 15th championship is nothing compared to how many there were in history. I would like to prove that you, too, deserve it.

For me, the interests of the team are important, and only then are personal ambitions. Of course, I want to show myself in every match and play all the time, but with so many high-quality basketball players, the coach wants to give everyone time on the court, to play various combinations. It's okay that today you have not scored anything, and your partner has scored a lot of points. Next time you will excel. You can be invisible according to statistical indicators, but help the team - set up screens, give the correct passes, help in defense.

About the path to success

As a child, I wanted to be free, to go against the system. I liked playing, walking, playing tricks - breaking bottles, shooting from a slingshot, climbing fences. My dear Omsk, we passed with friends on foot up and down. I was not a perfect child, but I tried to help everyone.

My dad brought me to basketball when I was 7 years old. He played himself, and my older brother is still playing in the Omsk championship. In parallel, I went to fencing, wrestling, karate, table tennis- tried many sports. I also had handball in my life - 3.5 years in a sports school and 5 years in a city one, every year we became city champions.

I didn’t dream about something - everything turned out by itself. I just worked, trained, loved and love to play basketball. When I was sixteen, we played at the Promin tournament in Omsk. There I was noticed by Nikolai Semenovich Kostitsyn, he was the coach of the youth team of the Novosibirsk Lokomotiv. After graduating from the sports school, I left to play for Sibirtelecom-Lokomotiv. Then I was invited to the Russian youth team, where he saw me head coach CSKA Ettore Messina, and the era of CSKA began in 2006.

In CSKA you have to overcome yourself every day. It was difficult for me the first seasons, when I was growing up, I had to adapt to the team, to the game rhythm, to get used to life in a big city - all this was very different from the regime I was in until the age of 19. I remember the words of my father: "It's one thing to get into CSKA, another thing is to gain a foothold there." You have to prove every day that you deserve to play in CSKA. For example, today in a match you spent a little playing time and you think: "Okay, for the next match I will prepare even better, I will try to prove myself."

I fall asleep late - after the game it's hard to fall asleep right away, the adrenaline in my blood is boiling. Therefore, if there is no morning workout, then I sleep for a long time. If it is, then I wake up, have breakfast, go to train. Then lunch, a nap, a snack - tea or coffee with a snack and back to workout. In the evening - dinner, play with children and sleep. But because of the frequent flights, sleep gets lost. Recently we flew in after a match in Milan at 7 am, while I arrived home, had breakfast, took out my bag, it was already 9, and in the evening we had a training session at 18. Then I sleep until the victorious - until 16.30.

My family plays one of the most important roles in my sports career. All issues that are not related to basketball are dealt with by my wife Natalya. My schedule is crazy, and she tries not to burden me. Everything succeeds, but our home is crystal clear, you can send Revizorro with a check!

Andrey Vorontsevich with his wife Natalia (clothes - Vincenzo Brandonisio)

The secret to success is perseverance and flexibility. As long as a person is dissatisfied with himself or has at least a grain of doubt that he has failed somewhere, then he is progressing. I'm not always happy with myself. I will also add the absence of selfishness. Yes, each of us has a share of healthy egoism, but the desire to help and work for the team is one of the key factors why I have been playing for CSKA for so many years.

About New Year:

As a child, on New Year's Eve, my father always brought home large living trees - I remember this incredible smell. It inspires me, it seems to me that the spruce is my totem tree. We recently planted a large spruce under 6 meters in the country house, it stands on a small hillock, and on the left and right along the fence, thuja are planted. It turned out so beautifully and symbolically - as if it were the Euroleague Cup in the middle and 17 high tui, CSKA players and coaches. I remember how my parents and I decorated the Christmas tree for the New Year. We have toys from the 60s and 70s, my father kept them. They used to be wrapped in newspapers. You take them out every year, unfold them and read them. This is a memory, it warms the soul so much. Since childhood, I remember the smell of tangerines. I can eat a ton of them, I guess. I really love the New Year - for me it is a holiday associated with something kind and bright, with new hopes.

I remember how I met 2005. I have already played for the Novosibirsk Lokomotiv for six months, but I came to Omsk for the holidays. My parents and I met the New Year, and at 00.15 my friends called me and invited me to visit - I had to go to the other end of the city. My salary was small then, it was only enough for a taxi in one direction. We agreed to meet at the Kirov regional executive committee behind the monument to Lenin - there were no mobile ones at that time. I come - no one is there. Then I made about five circles around the district executive committee. It's good that it was minus 10-15 outside - this is an ideal winter for Omsk, it was so fabulous around, like New Year's. Circled, circled, but never met anyone. I looked - the minibus was coming, and I had just a small change in my pocket for the return trip. I get out at my bus stop, go to the house and see a wallet with money on the road. There was some trifle, but still nice. I didn't just go! I remember that that year I moved from the youth team to the base and my salary was raised from 5,000 to 20,000 rubles. No wonder they say: as you celebrate the New Year, you will spend it ( Laughs).

I never think about what I'm going to make on New Year's Eve, it's always impromptu. But there are wishes that are repeated every year: health to my family, my relatives and friends and, of course, success to my own club - so that there are fewer injuries and troubles.

The next year is the Fire Rooster. Let him not bite each of us at the crown, but do better, bring the right thoughts. Never be discouraged! If something doesn't work out, don't look for blame in yourself or others. Any failure is a chance to start over, but more experienced. Be confident in yourself! Doubts prevent many from taking any steps. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, do it! Live in love, love yourself and the whole world around you. Happy New Year!

Style: Olga del Occhio / designer brand Vincenzo Brandonisio
Makeup: Natalia Krenina / BROW B BAR Moscow

The athlete plays as a powerful forward in the CSKA Moscow team. The main achievements of a professional basketball player can be considered the victory in the Russian Championship in 2006-2007, when Andrei Vorontsov played for CSKA. In 2007 he managed to win the Russian Cup. He was a member of the Russian youth team several times.

Vorontsevich Andrey, professional Russian basketball player, was born on July 17, 1987 in the city of Omsk. Andrey Vorontsevich is currently a member of the national team Russian Federation in basketball. Will represent the country at Olympic Games in Beijing 2008.

The athlete plays as a powerful forward in the CSKA Moscow team. The main achievements of a professional basketball player can be considered the victory in the Russian Championship in 2006-2007, when Andrei Vorontsov played for CSKA. In 2007 he managed to win the Russian Cup. He was a member of the Russian youth team several times. Before CSKA, Andrey Vorontsov played for Novosibirsk Lokomotiv-Sibirtelecom (2004-2006). He became a member of CSKA in 2006, where he continues his sports career.

Among the potential members of the Olympic team were more experienced and eminent athletes than Andrei Vorontsov, but it was he who managed to win a place in the national team that will go to Beijing. According to the athlete, he managed to get the right to a place in the national team thanks to the native walls of the CSKA sports club, where he was supported by many fans.

Andrey Vorontsevich regards participation in the Olympic Games as a lifelong dream come true. “For any athlete, this is a lifelong dream,” says Andrei Vorontsov in his interview dedicated to the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Andrey Vorontsevich had to skip some decisive matches The Euroleague and the Russian Championship due to an injury to the back of the thigh, however, at the moment, doctors consider the condition of a professional basketball player to be satisfactory. The main task that an athlete sets himself at the Olympic Games is to show the maximum of his capabilities and to represent the country with dignity.

Big sport №6 (53)

Andrey Supranovich

Andrey Vorontsevich, a pupil of Omsk basketball, is a representative of the “new wave” of the Russian “orange ball”. When, on the eve of the Beijing Olympics, the team needed rejuvenation, it was Andrei who was chosen by David Blatt, preferring more experienced players. And the 21-year-old CSKA player did not disappoint, having made as many as two double-doubles in the tournament, including in a meeting with eminent Americans.
Andrei Vorontsevich talks about why those Games did not give a ticket to the NBA, the upcoming lockout overseas and the coaching leapfrog at CSKA in an interview with Bolshoi Sport magazine.

With your height of 207 centimeters, it was difficult to pass the basketball section. Did you grow early?

In fact, there is no direct connection. I started practicing at the age of six, and at that time I was not the tallest. Grade up to the sixth in physical education was the third or fourth, did not stand out much and did not think about a center career. But in the summer, between the ninth and tenth grades, it suddenly grew by as much as 16 centimeters - up to 196. And then gradually it got to 207.

There was nothing to do in the provincial Omsk for basketball. Perhaps that is why you rushed to Novosibirsk after school?

My hometown has a good sports school, many girls from Omsk play in the Premier League. We would have had more money, then Omsk basketball would have developed faster. However, everyone only thinks about hockey. When I was in a special school, even on trips to Tomsk, Irkutsk and Nizhny Tagil, I had to travel with my parents' money. At one of these rare tournaments, specialists from Novosibirsk drew attention to me. After talking with them, I decided to go to the capital of the district. I entered the university there, played a year Major league, and then got to the masters - to the local "Sibirtelecom-Lokomotiv".

Now follow the successes of the club that gave a start in life?

To be honest, no. My friends haven’t played there for a long time, and it’s not so easy to watch a team that doesn’t play in PBL.

While they are gaining competitive experience overseas, we play once a week, and the rest of the time we train 2.5 hours a day - it's so boring! When CSKA didn't make it to the top 16 of the Euroleague, the breaks between games were huge. If we play so rarely, we will never reach the Americans.

It seemed that your career was on the rise - Omsk, Novosibirsk, CSKA, the Russian national team. The final step is the NBA draft. What was not enough to get there?

Probably, it's all about agency work. Many guys who play overseas or are simply drafted by the NBA clubs are not much stronger or more talented than me. My agent is a nice guy, but in the draft year, he may not have worked. Therefore, I had only 1-2 views, which coincided in time with the training camp of the national team. If there were such calls from the heels, it would have been possible to refuse the national team, but in that situation I chose the training of the national team. But I do not despair yet, there is always a chance to go overseas - scouts from the USA constantly come to watch the Euroleague.

Do you watch the games overseas?

I don't follow the program specifically, but at home I always turn on sports channels for dinner. If the NBA is shown there, I will definitely watch it. I don't have any favorite teams - I watch a beautiful game. Loved the Chicago Bulls this season.

Duncan, Garnett or Nowitzki? Who do you think is the best number 4 in the world?

I really like Kevin Garnett. Firstly, because of his fighting nature. It can be seen from him that he does not like to lose, and this is close to my spirit. Looking at Garnett, you understand that he will not give up his position for a second, he will help his partners in everything. If Kevin scores four points in a match, then there is no doubt that he plowed back in defense, fought on the rebound and, most importantly, cheered and led his teammates.

The NBA is almost sure that the next season will not take place, a lockout is brewing. Will super players go to Russia from America and how will this affect your game?

It is difficult to draw any conclusions here. But it seems to me that the lockout is not so obvious, the parties must find a middle ground - so to speak, neither ours, nor yours. It seems to me, given the recent crisis, the players could moderate their appetites. As for the superstars, I think they are unlikely to go to Russia. And the players of the middle hand will not oust me from the squad, I even want them to come - let them add depth to the command personnel.

Last October I had a chance to play against Durant, Bosch, James. How do you like overseas stars?

Had a very pleasant time. Still, the matches were friendly, to test their strength, and just for the audience. It is clear that neither Bosch nor James gave all their best, so it was difficult to get a full picture of their capabilities. What was striking - the guys are physically very gifted. But they hardly train - all the experience they get in real games, which only in the regular season runs up 82 per season. While the competition experience is accumulating overseas, we play once a week, and the rest of the time we train 2.5 hours a day - it's so boring! When CSKA didn't make it to the Euroleague Top 16, the breaks between games were huge. If we play so rarely, we will never reach the Americans.

Let's talk about CSKA. Although this season has not yet ended, it has already become the most disastrous for CSKA in the past few years. What is the main reason for failure?

It is impossible to find one reason for all our failures. You can't point your finger: this one is to blame for everything! Everyone at some point gave a weakness: both the players and the coaches. And when the black streak came, it was very difficult to break out of it. The coaching leapfrog began, and each new mentor, coming, declared that we had a bad physical form... And every time we train, train and train again.

Both CSKA and Khimki failed the Euroleague, leaving Russia without a club in the Top 16 for the first time. Could you have done better?

Honestly, I don't know what happened. Something clearly happened, it didn't work out. But what exactly - I cannot say.

Maybe you shouldn't have changed Pashutin? Vuyoshevich did not cope with the team at all.

As a player, I have no right to comment on coaching appointments. And I still do not agree that Vuyoshevich is a weak specialist. Each mentor has his own philosophy, and when Dusko appeared at the club, he changed the whole system, and it was not so easy for the players to accept it in a short time.

What has improved with the arrival of the head coach Jonas Kazlauskas?

The Lithuanian mentor devotes a lot of time to defense, and his defense system is, perhaps, closer to CSKA than Vujosevic's. “It doesn't matter how many you scored today, the main thing is how you played on defense,” says Jonas. He speaks perfectly both Russian and English and finds an individual approach to everyone. Kazlauskas' communicativeness and huge knowledge base help us a lot.

Nevertheless, he does not let you out in the starting five and significantly limits the time on the court. Kazlauskas explained the reasons for the mistrust?

Yes, I didn't play as much as I wanted, but the coach doesn't explain anything personally. He addresses all the guys who come in from the bench. It requires us to create pressure, to bring the maximum amount of energy into the game. If I do the settings well, the increase in time will not matter.

How do you rate the first PBL regular season?

This year is a very unpredictable championship and every team, even if it is in 9-10th place, can beat the leaders. There are good basketball players everywhere.

What has changed in Russian basketball with the change of the signboard? Are there any differences between Superleague and PBL?

At first glance, it seems that everything is the same - the same teams and players. But according to the inner feeling - PBL is more powerful. I do not know why, but the intensity seems to have increased and the unpredictability has increased.

Do you feel the difference between PBL and VTB?

Both leagues are very similar. Both are decent teams with a good selection of players and strong coaches. Even the Belarusian and Finnish clubs cannot be discounted, while the Ukrainian Dnipro gave us a fight on their site and lost less than 10 points. All teams, playing, gain experience and add from game to game.

It is impossible to find one reason for all of CSKA's failures this season. You can't point your finger: This one is to blame for everything! Everyone at some point gave a weakness - both the players and the coaches. And when the black streak came, it was very difficult to break out of it. The coaching leapfrog began, each new mentor, coming, declared that we were in bad physical shape. And every time we train, train and train again

You have already received a call to the Russian national team. What do you expect from the European Championship in Lithuania, which will take place in September?

I'm going to join the national team in July. So far, thoughts are only about the end of the season and the next three weeks of vacation. It is very good that there will be a chance to rest, - then with renewed vigor, immediately into battle. I don’t think too much about the European Championship yet, it’s not time yet. Except that sometimes a thought slip through that the Lithuanian tournament is the last chance to get to the Olympics. But if Mozgov, Holden, Kirilenko come, then high tasks are within our reach.

Then let's remember last year's top tournament. Satisfied with your performance at the 2010 World Cup?

On the whole, I am satisfied, despite some errors and shortcomings. A tournament of this level is a colossal experience, and matches with the USA and Argentina are more useful than a dozen meetings in the national championship. The result was a little upsetting, I would like to try on the awards, but we were not very worried. Our team is young, no one is going to finish, so there will still be chances to climb the podium.

In the national team, the general manager was replaced not so long ago. Was there any dissatisfaction with the work of the previous one?

Yes, the press wrote that there are dissatisfied, but I did not notice anything negative. But the new manager, Oleg Ushakov, is my friend, a very capable guy.

Now let's talk a little about your personal life. Nowadays, it is believed that it is too early for a man to marry at 22.

It seems to me that age does not matter here. If you feel that next to you is a person with whom you want to spend your whole life, then why wait? I made up my mind and do not regret it at all. Now my daughter is growing up.

Daughter and wife probably take away the lion's share of their free time. What do you do when they are not around?

Everything is trite - I read books, magazines, watch films. I read mostly on the road and more often than not by Werber - I overcame his trilogies "Ants" and "We, the Gods." Honestly, I don't really like to sit with books, but I realize that this is necessary in order to develop, to be able to correctly express my thoughts. Werber is just to my liking - he writes books that are very suitable for me.

In the end, I would like to ask about other sports. What do you choose: football or hockey?

Definitely hockey. I don't watch football, although I like to play it. And on TV - mortal boredom: 90 minutes, 22 people, and the score is 0–0. No, this is not for me. Here is the ice hockey world championship - yes. I watched it recently, I was very upset. We lost everything we could, even though all the stars gathered. Although, on the other hand, their arrival could be the reason for the failure. One team was preparing for the tournament, and then the stars from the NHL drove up and the game was rebuilt. Ovechkin never scored a single point. But all the same, I wish the guys good luck, I always cheer for them.