Margarita Drobiazko

Drobiazko began skating at age six – she became interested after seeing children learning to skate at an outdoor rink.^[1] She convinced her mother, who wanted her to become a ballerina, to let her try skating.^[1] At age 12, she took up ice dancing and was coached first by Natalia Linichuk and then Natalia Dubova.^[1] She initially competed with Oleg Granionov for Russia.^[2][3]

Drobiazko was paired with Lithuanian skater Povilas Vanagas by Tatiana Tarasova in Moscow.^[1] After the breakup of the Soviet Union, they decided to represent Lithuania. Vanagas said, "It was difficult at the beginning because there was a lot of friction between Russia and Lithuania. Since Rita is Russian, it caused many problems."^[1] They moved to Kaunas, Lithuania and began training with Elena Maslennikova.^[1] In 1995, they began working also in England with Betty Callaway, Jayne Torvill, and Christopher Dean.^[1]

In 1999, Drobiazko and Vanagas began spending time with Elena Tchaikovskaia in Moscow, while continuing to work with Maslennikova in Kaunas.^[1] They were also coached by Lilija Vanagiene and Anatoliy Petukhov.^[2][4] Drobiazko and Vanagas retired from competition following the 2001–2002 Olympic season, but returned to competition in 2005 to compete at their fifth Olympics.^[5] In preparation for the 2005–2006 season, they worked with Maslennikova, Rostislav Sinicyn, Igor Shpilband, Marina Zueva, Gintaras Svistunavicius, and David Liu, in the United States, Germany, Russia, and Lithuania.^[5] Drobiazko and Vanagas became the first and only figure skaters to compete at five Olympics. They retired again in 2006 following the World Championships.

Their choreographers included Elena Maslennikova,^[1][6] Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean,^[1] Elena Tchaikovskaia,^[1] Tatiana Pomerantseva,^[4] Elena Kholina,^[4] Yuri Puzakov,^[4] Vasily Kleimenov,^[2] and Gintaras Svistunavicius.^[5][6]

Television

She appeared in the 1-7 seasons of ice show contest Ice Age.

Drobiazko was born in Moscow, but lived in Magadan, the Russian far north-east, until the age of six.^[2] Since the Olympics require citizenship of the country represented, Drobiazko obtained Lithuanian citizenship in 1993.^[7] She has been married to Vanagas since June 2000.^[6][8][9]

In the summer of 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Drobiazko played a role in a ballet Swan Lake on ice with Vanagas in Sochi that was organized by former Olympic champion Tatiana Navka. On 10 August 2022, Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda signed a decree stripping off the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas from both skaters.^[10]

On 15 September 2023, Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda signed a decree stripping Margarita Drobiazko of her Lithuanian citizenship due to her "public support for the Russian Federation during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine". ^{[11][12][13][14]}

(with Povilas Vanagas)

(ice dance with Povilas Vanagas)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Margarita Drobiazko.

• Drobiazko & Vanagas – Official website
• Margarita Drobiazko / Povilas Vanagas at the International Skating Union
• Care to Ice Dance? – Drobiazko & Vanagas