Valuev Nikolai Sergeevich (08/21/1973) - former professional boxer, world champion according to the WBA and the Pan-Asian Boxing Association. He received several nicknames for his physical characteristics: Kolya the Sledgehammer, the Russian Giant and Nikola Pitersky. Currently a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the VI convocation from the United Russia party.
“You can never give up. Even if the chances of winning are small, you must remember that they still exist. I never made any wishes before a fight. I just went out and did what I could"
Childhood
Nikolai Valuev was born and raised in Leningrad. He was born on August 21, 1973. From childhood, the boy was tall and towered head and shoulders above his peers. That is why his first sporting hobby was basketball. He was willingly accepted into the team of the Frunze Youth Sports School, with which he won the national championship among youths. He was also actively involved in athletics. In particular, discus throwing. In this discipline he received the title of master of sports.
After graduating from school, he entered the St. Petersburg Institute of Physical Culture named after Lesgaft. For his thesis, he chose a topic related to boxing, namely, “the activity and condition of men and women, depending on the stages of preparation.” Valuev became one of the best graduates of the university. He was even awarded by the then governor of the city, Valentina Matvienko. She personally presented him with a diploma and a bronze figurine of the Sphinx.
Boxing career
Nikolai Valuev decided to take up boxing in 1993. It only took him six months to move from the amateur league to the professional league. His first coach was Oleg Shalaev. The debut fight took place in October 1993 in Berlin against the American John Morton.
Among other significant fights for Valuev, the following are worth highlighting:
- Yuri Elistratov (2000). In this fight, Valuev won his first serious title. He became the champion of the Pan-Asian Boxing Association. Subsequently, the athlete defended this title five more times.
- Richard Bango (2004). After this fight, Nikolai Valuev became the intercontinental champion among professionals. He defeated his opponent in the 6th round. After Valuev confirmed the title 4 more times.
- John Ruiz (2005). Valuev becomes the first Russian WBA world champion. Victories and titles did not come easy. The opponents spent all 12 rounds in the ring. And only one judge’s vote in favor of Valuev decided the outcome of the confrontation.
- Ruslan Chagaev (2007). The fight took place in Germany. Before the start of the fight, all experts bet on Valuev to win, taking into account his experience and size. But Chagaev proved himself to be a dangerous fighter. He was active throughout the match and eventually won on points.
- Evander Holyfield (2008). The fight turned out to be boring. The American “danced” around the Russian throughout the meeting. There was no contact for almost all 12 rounds. The victory was eventually awarded to Valuev, but the audience booed this decision, and Western experts rushed to accuse the judges of bias.
- David Hay (2009). This fight is recognized as one of the best in Nikolai Valuev’s career. Both opponents were active throughout the match, striking each other numerous blows. By the way, after the calculation it turned out that the Russian hit Haye three times more. But the judges gave the victory to the Briton. After this fight, doctors recommended Valuev to end his professional career, as serious problems with his legs were discovered.
“I was just happy because I had been working towards this for 12 years. I was ready for the fight to be difficult and protracted. But fortunately, everything ended well. This is definitely a great day for me."
Nikolai Valuev officially announced his retirement from boxing in 2010. Now the ex-athlete is involved in politics. He is a deputy of the State Duma of Russia from the United Russia party. In addition, the boxer often appears in films and appears on television. For example, at one time he hosted the popular Fort Boyard.
Nikolai and Galina Valuev.
It's hard to imagine two more different people. He is a huge giant with a rather terrifying expression on his face, and she is a fragile, pretty, very smiling brunette. Nikolai and Galina Valuev have been together for more than 15 years, they are raising three children and consider themselves an ideal couple.
Chance meeting 
That's how it all began.
They met in 1999, at a mutual friend's birthday party. Galina came with a friend and did not pay any attention to Nikolai, whom he introduced. In general, the future star boxer also did not experience a fit of love at first sight. Although the charming girl, showing politeness, strictly monitored the presence of food on his plate.
And then she offered to give him a ride home. Along the way, they managed to discuss the topic of past relationships. Just at this time, Nikolai broke up with his ex-girlfriend, and Galina broke up with her boyfriend. The new acquaintance nevertheless decided to take the girl’s phone number, promising to call the next day. True, he remembered the promise in two days. 
Young and in love.
And he was simply stunned when he heard in the telephone receiver not the joy of being heard, but deep indignation. Galina scolded him like a boy because he did not keep his promise. However, it was this rebuke that became the reason for their next meeting. Kolya was surprised and interested, because no one had ever talked to him like that. 
It was easy to carry.
The first meeting was followed by a second, then a third. And the dates began according to schedule, twice a week. Nikolai, who was training intensively at that time, simply could not afford more frequent meetings.
Love will come unexpectedly 
Nikolai and Galina.
Nikolai was never particularly prone to romance. He gave the first flowers to Galina when she collected and displayed his things. He had the imprudence to say in one of his interviews that he had many girls. This was the demand of his promoter, but his beloved was very offended by such a statement. Since then, if a giant comes home with flowers, the question invariably arises of what he did wrong this time. 
The happiest day.
The boxer also proposed not to Galina herself, but to her father, in the bathhouse. Kolya simply asked if he would give up his daughter for him. Naturally, dad agreed, and the bride herself was simply presented with a fait accompli. 
This is how the Valuev family was born.
The wedding also took place somewhere between training and competitions. A fragile bride and a huge groom next to her.
Ordinary happiness 
The Valuevs' spouses.
As scary and menacing as Nikolai Valuev was always in the ring, he was so gentle and caring in the family. The large and menacing “Beast from the East,” as sports commentators called him, crossed the threshold of his own home and became discreet, cozy and warm. He takes very touching care of his wife. But she doesn’t allow him to give him gifts. After he brought her as a gift five pairs of completely unimaginable shoes without heels, which he sincerely considered fashionable and beautiful. And his petite wife at that time wore exclusively elegant and ultra-fashionable high-heeled shoes. She arranged her husband's gift among his girlfriends, but now they always choose gifts together. 
Nikolai Valuev with his son Grisha.
In 2002, the first-born, little Grisha, was born into the Valuev family. The boxer was going through very difficult times at that time, on the verge of depression. He did not have the opportunity to perform and, accordingly, earn money. He spent a lot of time with his newborn son, helping Galina with everything. He looked after the baby, carefully holding tiny Grisha in his huge hands.
The dark streak passed, Valuev became more and more popular and in demand, the family managed to pay off all debts. People recognized him on the streets and asked for his autograph. And he dreamed of quickly escaping to his small, cozy world, where his beloved wife and their first-born were waiting for him.
Flowers of life 
He's not a romantic at all.
He was happy, this big man. He had a beloved woman who considered and still considers him the best man on earth. For her, he is the most beautiful, the smartest, the most important. 
Nikolai Valuev with his daughter.
In 2007, Nikolai Valuev became a father for the second time; he and Galina gave birth to the charming Princess Irishka. She melted his heart at first sight. This tiny girl with a serious look, like her mother’s, filled his heart with aching tenderness. 
Nikolai Valuev with his youngest son.
In 2012, Nikolai and Galina had a third child, son Sergei. Happiness and pride fill the hearts of the spouses. Nikolai, who always dreamed of three heirs, finally saw his dream come true.
Home is where your heart is 
They have been together for more than 15 years.
They have been living together for almost 17 years. They are still in love with each other, big Nikolai and little Galina. They have a classic family, in which the husband takes care of the financial well-being of the family, and the wife protects the home. She always remains his reliable support. Only next to her can he relax and be himself. An emotional and active wife completely complements her reserved, phlegmatic husband. Galina happily devotes all her time to her family, not at all considering that she is sacrificing herself. She likes to be the guardian of their warm world, their corner of peace and happy peace. 
And Nikolai bakes pancakes for his beloved, because in their family this is an exclusively male responsibility. He still never tires of thanking God for giving him the most important things in life: his beloved woman, beautiful children and the opportunity to do what he loves. 
Nikolai and Galina with older children.
Nikolai turned out to be a surprisingly gentle dad. He enjoys playing with his children. The eldest always accompanies his father on fishing or hunting, the daughter was already acting in films with her dad at the age of 7, and they all take care of the youngest together. Galina helps her husband in everything; she knows for sure that he will always protect her and her children from any hardships and bad weather in life. This fragile and sweet woman is very weak, but at the same time incredibly strong. No matter how difficult it was for her, she always supported her giant. She knew exactly when he needed her words of encouragement and when he needed to just come and stand quietly next to him. 
Nikolai and Galina Valuev.
They do not consider it necessary to be nostalgic for the past, remembering first dates, first kisses. They stand firmly on their feet, live in the present and look to the future.
Nikolay Valuev. Beauty and the Beast (2009, documentary, Channel One)
He is like that - he does not fit within the boundaries. The tallest of the world champions. The most successful Russian heavyweight. The first athlete whom MH addresses in an interview as “you” (you never know). Here are just some of Nikolai Valuev's records, with his comments.
VALUEV NIKOLAY SERGEEVICH
Professional boxer.
Nicknames: Russian Giant, Beast from the East, Nikola Pitersky, Man Mountain.
As a professional, he had 53 fights (50 wins, 2 losses, 1 no contest).
08/21/1973 Born in Leningrad.
11/15/1993 He had his first professional fight.
01/22/1999 Became Russian heavyweight boxing champion among professionals.
06/06/2000 Won the Pan-Asian Boxing Association world title.
12/17/2005 Became the first Russian world professional heavyweight champion (according to WBA).
04/14/2007 Lost the championship title to the Uzbek boxer Ruslan Chagaev.
08/30/2008 Regained the WBA world title by defeating American John Ruiz.
11/07/2009 Suffered the second defeat in his career, losing to the Briton David Haye.
Married, has two children.
214
...centimeters- such is the height of Nikolai Valuev and, accordingly, the span of his arms. One of Valuev’s fights looked like this: he simply put his glove forward, his opponent jumped around helplessly and refused to continue the fight. But you have to pay for such an advantage: “You dig a long pillar and a short one next to it. A good wind will blow, the large pillar will experience much greater loads. And it is more likely to break faster than a short one. These are the laws of physics. And the laws of physics also apply in boxing. The back, knees, spine are wearing out (Valuev has already had both knees operated on - mh). When playing a lot of sports, anyone should be prepared for injuries. This is not fitness, big sport will not improve your health...”
Valuev moves measuredly and speaks in a deep, calm voice. While changing his trousers (still filming), at some point he gets tangled in the legs and begins to slowly fall to the side, like a cut down oak tree. Maintaining such height and weight on one leg is not easy.
15
...fights Valuev spent his time in the amateur ring, coming to boxing at the age of 20 and in just six months fulfilling the standard of a master of sports. “It’s very fast,” says boxing expert and columnist for the Sport-Express newspaper Alexander Belenky. - And of course, Valuev was helped in this regard by his unique dimensions. People simply didn’t know how to box with such a person. An ordinary boxer spends incomparably more time on this. He starts training at the age of 10, and when he becomes a master of sports, he may have already had more than a hundred fights. It’s a completely different preparation.”
A promising boxer will first live out his entire amateur career to the end, in a good situation he will become a world champion or an Olympic champion and will come to the status of a professional as a ready-made star and a seasoned fighter. Valuev, succumbing to the persuasion of his coach Oleg Shalaev, decided to bypass this stage.
12
…years as a result, it took Nikolai Valuev to enter the major league of world boxing. Years passed, Valuev even won somewhere, but was always on the periphery. Only in 2005, having changed both coach and manager, he entered the ring in Berlin against John Ruiz and became the WBA world champion. The Russian Giant (or Beast from the East) is the tallest and heaviest champion in boxing history. The World Boxing Association didn't even have a championship belt of the appropriate size. The belt had to be sewn to order.
148
...kilograms- this is the weight of a boxer. If we apply the well-known Brock formula (“height in cm minus 110 plus 10%”), taking into account Valuev’s hypersthenic body type, then Nikolai’s ideal weight is 114.4 kg. But that would be if he didn’t play sports.
The boxer sits on a chair in the MH studio with doubt, the furniture creaks and crackles.
- Have you broken many chairs during your career?
- Probably at least five.
- How much do you need to eat to maintain this shape?
- If I like some kind of soup, I can eat a lot of it, but then I won’t eat the second one. I could easily eat a huge salad bowl of soup. I love ice cream, but not candy.
- Nikolay, imagine, you wake up at night, go to the kitchen, look in the refrigerator, and there are only three kilograms of sausage...
- If there are three kilos of sausage, and I’m very hungry, the problem is solved. It will even remain.
12
...pull-ups- this is Valuev’s record: “I wasn’t very good with the horizontal bar before, 12-15 times, but now, due to injuries, I’m careful with pull-ups, I don’t go for the record.” In push-ups, the boxer also does not rely on quantity. “You can do a hundred push-ups in one approach. But these are short, incorrect ones. I prefer to do 10-15 push-ups on your fists or on your fingers in one approach, but the right ones: when your body doesn’t move, when your chest touches the floor. And then - the longer the arms, the more difficult it is to press.”
241
…joke in the archive of the site “Anecdotes from Russia” (anekdot.ru) contains the keyword “Valuev”. Here, for example: “At night, thieves entered Nikolai Valuev’s apartment and suffered everything - beatings, fear, pain and humiliation.” In addition, the boxer appears in 38 funny stories, 7 aphorisms and 16 poems. Valuev regards this with carefully disguised pleasure: “Thank you for composing, this is popular recognition. I used to even collect these jokes on the computer, but the secretary accidentally erased them.”
3
…free boxing schools Nikolay Valuev has already opened for children and adults in St. Petersburg and the region. There are two more in the pipeline in the northwestern region and one in Sochi. In addition, since 2007, a youth boxing tournament for the Valuev Cup has been held: “We give the winners prizes that are not even available at adult championships. In addition to commemorative cups, certificates, medals and tracksuits, there are three nominations: “Will to Win”, “Best Technique” and “Best Boxer” - 10,000 rubles each. winner. Of course, this caused a storm of emotions in amateur boxing - they don’t pay anything at all.”
5
...guns in the arsenal of hunter Nikolai Valuev. Favorite gun - Sauer carbine: “I always wanted a carbine made for me, and they made it to order for me. My other guns are standard, but this one has a stock that fits my hand and is comfortable for my fingers.” If you want to learn more about the activities of the boxer-hunter, look in the 2010 edition of the “Hunting Yard” magazine for a series of articles by Nikolai Valuev “For quails in Armenia.”
3
“I am the first world heavyweight champion from Russia. Yes it is. It was and was. I don't live by this, it's already the past. Someday, when I become an old grandfather, I will tell my grandchildren how cool I was. But when the time comes. Now I have so many things ahead of me. I'm young, lots of energy. When a person begins to think about what he has already done, what merits he has, this is either vanity or crazy pride. I have neither one nor the other. Of course, I have not yet set all the records I would like to. Galya will give birth to a third, and then that’s it.”
47
...fights Valuev went undefeated - he was two victories short of the record of the legendary Rocky Marciano. And no one has ever managed to knock Valuev down. “The point is not that I take a hit well, but that I didn’t hit well,” explains Valuev. - Everyone's head is the same. And if they really hit you in the painful spot, you will fall.” Sports journalist Alexander Belenky still believes that they hit: “In the last fight with David Haye in the 12th round, Valuev missed such a blow that anyone in his place would have fallen. But he has one of the strongest jaws in the current heavyweight division. Or maybe the strongest. But still, there is not a single boxer who is forever immune from a knockout.”
8
...sandwiches with homemade pate, prepared by the wife of the art director of MH, Nikolai Valuev ate during the shoot of the cover. Along the way, the Beast from the East was interested in details: “How do you manage to get rid of lumps?”
“I love to cook, but often I don’t have enough time,” the boxer admits. Here is one of Valuev’s favorite recipes - “khorovats”: “We used to call it vegetable caviar. We grill vegetables - tomatoes, eggplants, sweet peppers. Then remove the skin, chop finely, and mix into porridge. Add chopped green onions, basil, parsley, dill, salt and a piece of butter. I also like to add hot green peppers, also baked. The Armenians taught me how to do it, I really like it.”
44,9
...kilogram was the difference in weight between challenger David Haye (98.4 kg) and WBA champion Nikolai Valuev (143.3 kg) in a fight that took place on November 7, 2009. Valuev lost this fight. The Russian Giant's performances in the ring often resemble hunting flies: a fly swatter the size of a stool flies towards the target, but at the last moment the annoying insect dodges and bites back. Expert Alexander Belenky claims: technically Valuev is a normally trained boxer. “There’s just no high speed at that size. The speed drops sharply after two meters of growth. At the same time, you seem to look at NBA basketball players - oh, how fast they are all. But there is a completely different type of muscle there. Yes, they have huge muscles, but this is not a boxer's physique - thinner bones. It’s not for nothing that many basketball players boasted that they would switch to boxing and easily punch everyone in the face, but for some reason no one did this.”
4
...feature films with the participation of Nikolai Valuev have already been filmed (“The Path”, the series “Game without Rules”, “Stone Head”, “Seven Dwarfs: Even the Whole Forest is Not Enough”), another project is in line: “There is already a script. This is an action game, we can’t say the name yet.” And the Russian Giant is not going to stop there. “In principle, cinema is interesting to me: as self-expression, as work, as a process in general. All this suits me.” Valuev calls his life goal not to return the championship belt, but to act in a good movie.
- It seems that it just happened this way: I took up boxing, spent a lot of time on it - well, don’t give up what you started, work is work. If you could earn decent money doing something else, would you never take up boxing?
“That’s all true,” Valuev smiles.
Text: Andrey Zolotov
Photo: Itar-Tass, Photoxpress, Legion-Media, Reuters
MAXIM met in an honest interview with the greatest world champion in boxing history!
Valuev Nikolai Sergeevich, professional boxer, was born on August 21, 1973 in St. Petersburg. Became the first Russian WBA world heavyweight champion in December 2005. Height - 213 cm, weight - 148 kg... Authors of sports encyclopedias usually get off with such dry lines. But can numbers (even such large ones as 213) convey the materiality of this little man, the scale of his talent? Nikolai Valuev is a cult figure, the hero of sports reports and jokes. A living refutation of the thesis that humanity is getting smaller!
His fans, whose number is growing every year, are often perplexed: how could parents of normal height (father - 170 cm, mother - 168 cm) produce such a giant? Already in the first grade, Kolya was head and shoulders taller than his teacher, and he was mistaken for a repeat student. When something broke at school, everyone immediately thought of Kolya Valuev. As a rule, in vain.
Of course, the boy was sent to sports. From the age of twelve, Valuev played basketball, but under the backboard he lacked coordination. Then he went into athletics, throwing discus. He became a national medalist, although due to his enormous height he fell out of the throwing circle. As a result, Valuev entered the Institute of Physical Education, the boxing department. “This sport is not for you, Kolya! - they told him. – Starting a boxing career at twenty years old is pointless. You’ll just be wasting your time.”
But Valuev did not allow himself to be intimidated: he graduated from the department, quickly moved from amateurs to professionals and ended up in a vicious circle. For ten years he traveled around the planet (Australia, Japan, USA), entering the ring with “bags” - that’s what weak opponents are called in slang. His rating did not grow, no money was added. The breakthrough came only at the end of 2003, when the famous German promoter Wilfred Sauerland began working with the giant. As a result, Valuev became world champion. I just couldn't help but become. It is not clear how it was even possible to defeat this giant, if most of his opponents, as a rule, are breathing down his armpit? In the title fight, Valuev beat American John Ruiz with one left. No joke: Nikolai’s right hand was injured shortly before the fight, but this was carefully hidden.
Three times, like in a fairy tale, Valuev defended his championship title. But on April 14 of this year, the heavens fell to earth, snow began to fall in the Maldives, and Valuev lost a fight for the first time in his life. Ruslan Chagaev turned out to be lucky. He was inferior to Nikolai in height by 20 cm, but gained his strength due to his technique. The judges gave “White Tyson” the victory on points. And after the fight, Chagaev’s representative quietly knocked on the locker room and returned the championship belt to Valuev: it turned out to be too big...
Not long before, Valuev, just like Tyson, got into a scandalous story. The 61-year-old controller of the Spartak sports complex, Yuri Sergeev, sued the champion, saying that he beat him for almost ten minutes, delivering about forty blows. Nikolai insisted that the guard had insulted his wife, and that the bruises were caused by him hitting the radiator when he was called to account. Whose side is right remains unclear. But it is obvious that if Valuev hits someone at least once, the person will then be saved in intensive care. One day he broke his opponent’s jaw in two places in the ring. And here the pensioner survived almost four rounds.
But despite the loss of the title and the scandal in the press, Valuev is still respected in the boxing world. This can at least be judged by the nicknames that foreigners give him: the Beast from the East, the Rock, the Armored Train, the Eighth Wonder of the World... “In the West, everyone thinks that I am a wild animal,” Valuev laughs. “And they are very surprised that I’m talking!”
Now the patronage of Valuev has been taken by the most authoritative promoter in the boxing world - Don King, who once looked after Tyson himself. According to legend, when he saw the Russian, he exclaimed: “I am the King who found his Kong!” Don likes to tell his protégé: “Nico, almost all champions have lost their belts at some point. The truly great boxers were those who returned to the top." Valuev will begin this ascent on September 29, when he meets with Canadian Jean Francois Bergeron. Well, while there is time before the fight, the legendary giant gave an interview to MAXIM.
How did it happen that such a giant appeared in the family of parents of normal height?
No genetic failure or excess growth hormones. Everything is simpler: my great-grandfather was a hero. I won’t tell you his exact height: he lived at the beginning of the last century, the data in our family has not been preserved. But my great-grandmother said that my dad’s grandfather was much taller than the rest.
Has your height put you in any interesting situations?
Well, yes. The chairs broke under me. I sit down on a chair - and once again! - already on the floor. Well, this did not happen at an official reception. In general, tall people see more dirt. In the literal sense of the word: the roofs of cars, refrigerators, high shelves that are rarely washed because they don’t reach. Giants perceive the world from a slightly different perspective.
What's your shoe size?
Fifty-one. Nowadays it’s not a problem to get big shoes, but before it was a real problem. I had to order from abroad and buy through friends. And I wore each pair for several years.
Is it difficult to type SMS with such fingers?
Not at all, I write text messages quickly. In general, a boxer must have dexterous fingers - we earn our living with our hands.
When you met your wife, was she afraid of you?
No, what are you talking about! We were at a mutual friend's birthday party, and sympathy immediately arose between us. I can’t imagine how I would live without my Galya.
How much do you bench press?
I stopped doing bench presses: the muscles become clogged. And I do ten pull-ups on the bar.
Explain: what happened to the world of boxing? If earlier the “kings of the hill” were North Americans, now all four heavyweight champions are from the former USSR: Klitschko, Chagaev, Maskaev, Ibragimov...
Nothing surprising. The Americans abandoned amateur boxing, forgetting that it is there that personnel for professional boxing are forged. Besides, our Russian wave is hungry, that’s why we’re winning. This is a normal course of history, and not just sports history. Some peoples eat too much and become lazier. They are being replaced by others. Behind the Greeks are the Romans, behind the Romans are the barbarians... Maybe in a hundred years the Chinese will be boxing champions.
Why are you holding training camps in Germany?
Partners are more willing to come to the center of Europe than to St. Petersburg. Although there is a problem with them too. It is difficult to find a person who exactly fits the type of your future opponent. And when people find out that they are invited to a training fight with me... “Fight with Valuev? What are you talking about?!” Even high fees don't help.
How do you like working with King? They write that this is an odious scandalous person...
He is sociable and energetic. At seventy years old, he will give even young people a head start. Clever, knows how to look for benefits. Someone once told me: “After any fight, Don King leaves the winner.” I will sign every word. I can't imagine who would replace Don if he left. Even his younger brother Carl King can't handle it.
There is a tradition of verbal skirmishes before a fight. Don't they annoy you?
My opponents try to tease me, but I stay calm. John Ruiz said that he brought twenty-eight suitcases with him and one of them was empty. They say that after the battle he wants to put the pieces of the Russian giant there in order to distribute them later in America as souvenirs. Bloodthirsty guy. I replied that I would free him another suitcase - the one in which he brought the championship belt. And so it happened.
You are the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history. And aren't you ashamed to beat little ones?
Small ones? Yes, they hit like a sledgehammer! Fast, nimble. You'll suffer with them until you get there. That’s why I lost to Chagaev.
They call him White Tyson. Is he similar in style?
What is Tyson like?! Let's be objective...
Do you like movies about boxing? "Rocky", for example? After all, you were two steps short of the record of his prototype, Rocky Marciano: 49 fights in the ring without defeat...
The energy of boxing in Rocky is well portrayed. But reliability is lacking. It’s the same as if ten clips of a machine gun are fired at you at point-blank range, and not even a hair falls off your head. This only happens in movies. Those who really understand boxing laugh at “Rocky”. If such a championship fight had happened in life, Stallone would have long ago gone into another world with his head thrown back. But overall, “Rocky” touches me – that means it’s a good film.
Have you acted in films yourself?
Yes, the German Otto Waalkes once released the painting “For the Seven Dwarves, the Whole Forest is Not Enough.”
My God, you played a dwarf?!
No, a prisoner. And the gnomes ran past. In general, this is a cameo role. But everyone said that I performed it well. They call me to Hollywood too. They offered to play with Robert De Niro. But while I’m seriously engaged in boxing, I try not to be distracted by other projects.
Does it bother you that directors only see you in brutal roles? I know, they called for the role of Mark Ratboy in The Master and Margarita...
Let's be realistic. I can’t play the role of DiCaprio in Titanic: I’m not a professional actor. And I have my own type. Yes, brutal. But everyone is happy. People joke that I could play Shrek in a feature film adaptation. If they offer me, maybe I won’t refuse. This green ogre is like a little brother to me.
When was the worst time in your life?
I'm terribly afraid of heights. Once I climbed a ten-meter tower, forced myself... I closed my eyes and fell down. Still gives me goosebumps.
And the most painful thing?
When I was betrayed by a person from whom I did not expect it. Mental pain is often stronger than physical pain.
How is Valuev resting?
I love fishing - I meditate on it. And hunting - you can move around there. Jeep, off-road. Then the forest. You walk with a gun... One day I climb a mountain in Armenia and come face to face with a bear. Healthy, as tall as me. He looked somehow unkindly. What to do? There is no use in running away. I screamed, “Wow!” The bear got scared and took off. He was so heavy that the ground shook as he ran.
Karelin went into politics, the Klitschko brothers. Maybe it's time for you too?
I met with the mayor of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko. She whispered in my ear: “Kolya, just don’t go into politics.” But I'm not going to. For someone to use my face for personal gain? It hurts! I’d rather do boxing as long as my health allows. Since we have the strength, we need to regain the championship title. This is what I dream about.
Last music CD purchased: "Time Machine", "Time Machine"
Idol: Muhammad Ali
Car: Toyota Land Cruiser 100
Favorite city: St. Petersburg
Favorite dish: herring under a fur coat
Favorite Actor: Robert De Niro
Favorite movie: "Heat"
The site is an information, entertainment and educational site for all ages and categories of Internet users. Here, both children and adults will spend time usefully, will be able to improve their level of education, read interesting biographies of great and famous people in different eras, watch photographs and videos from the private sphere and public life of popular and eminent personalities. Biographies of talented actors, politicians, scientists, discoverers. We will present you with creativity, artists and poets, music of brilliant composers and songs of famous performers. Writers, directors, astronauts, nuclear physicists, biologists, athletes - many worthy people who have left their mark on time, history and the development of mankind are collected together on our pages.
On the site you will learn little-known information from the lives of celebrities; latest news from cultural and scientific activities, family and personal life of stars; reliable facts about the biography of outstanding inhabitants of the planet. All information is conveniently systematized. The material is presented in a simple and understandable manner, easy to read and interestingly designed. We have tried to ensure that our visitors receive the necessary information here with pleasure and great interest.
When you want to find out details from the biography of famous people, you often start looking for information from many reference books and articles scattered throughout the Internet. Now, for your convenience, all the facts and the most complete information from the lives of interesting and public people are collected in one place.
the site will tell in detail about the biographies of famous people who left their mark on human history, both in ancient times and in our modern world. Here you can learn more about the life, creativity, habits, environment and family of your favorite idol. About the success story of bright and extraordinary people. About great scientists and politicians. Schoolchildren and students will find on our resource the necessary and relevant material from the biographies of great people for various reports, essays and coursework.
Learning the biographies of interesting people who have earned the recognition of mankind is often a very exciting activity, since the stories of their destinies are as captivating as other works of fiction. For some, such reading can serve as a strong impetus for their own achievements, give them confidence in themselves, and help them cope with a difficult situation. There are even statements that when studying the success stories of other people, in addition to motivation to action, leadership qualities are also manifested in a person, fortitude and perseverance in achieving goals are strengthened.
It is also interesting to read the biographies of rich people posted on our website, whose perseverance on the path to success is worthy of imitation and respect. Big names from past centuries and today will always arouse the curiosity of historians and ordinary people. And we have set ourselves the goal of satisfying this interest to the fullest. If you want to show off your erudition, are preparing a thematic material, or are simply interested in learning everything about a historical figure, go to the site.
Those who like to read biographies of people can adopt their life experiences, learn from someone else’s mistakes, compare themselves with poets, artists, scientists, draw important conclusions for themselves, and improve themselves using the experience of an extraordinary person.
By studying the biographies of successful people, the reader will learn how great discoveries and achievements were made that gave humanity a chance to reach a new stage in its development. What obstacles and difficulties many famous artists or scientists, famous doctors and researchers, businessmen and rulers had to overcome.
How exciting it is to plunge into the life story of a traveler or discoverer, imagine yourself as a commander or a poor artist, learn the love story of a great ruler and meet the family of an old idol.
The biographies of interesting people on our website are conveniently structured so that visitors can easily find information about any desired person in the database. Our team strived to ensure that you liked the simple, intuitive navigation, the easy, interesting style of writing articles, and the original design of the pages.
