When I began my blog I first of all saw it as a channel for my writing, secondly as a route to self-understanding: what on earth is it about gymnastics, Russian gymnastics in particular, that I find so compelling? After three and a half years of blogging (769 posts!) and 2.6 million page views ... Well, I am a little wiser, but no less hooked to my subject. In fact, if anything, I have dug myself deeper and deeper into a multi-layered world. There are not enough hours in the day, weeks in the year, years in a lifetime for me to cover this subject in sufficient depth. I want to thank all the journalists, bloggers, translators, photographers, marketers and fans who are forever contributing to my personal picture of Russia, its gymnasts and its wider context of sport, friendship and international relations. This ever-changing picture, sometimes flickering and indistinct, often clear and beautiful, occasionally sad and painful, is what gives me the stimulus to keep on writing.
I have also slowly begun to realise that it isn't just gymnastics that fascinates me. Without Russia, gymnastics would be meaningless to me. Russia is simply intoxicating. The wholly different philosophy of sport. The pretty colours in the amazingly ornate architecture. The way the language looks and sounds. The people. The woody smell - is it fennel, is it sandalwood? Gymnastics and Russia is a perfect match of mystery, culture, sport and politics ... gymnastics is a window into a world that I will never really know, but can't stop exploring.
My self-knowledge still has a long way to go. I know now, for example, that being read means far more to me than the tortuous process of writing! Comments and discussions are very often the most interesting part of this blog. I don't write as much as I would like; often I am merely reporting events, or providing summaries of what is being said in the Russian press. One thing I had not envisaged when beginning the blog is that a whole community of interested people would build up around it; 3076 followers on Facebook is far more than I ever expected. But of course, this makes for a responsibility towards the blog's followers; I try to provide an overview of all the main things, but can't do everything. Other blogs, such as the excellent Videos of Russian Gymnasts, are better at keeping track of the up and coming juniors, the Russian Gymnastics Federation site is increasingly useful for its links to news stories and brief profiles of team members. The gymnastics groups in VK.com keep us up to date with the gymnasts' lives as far as is respectful to them as people, and the various Tumblr blogs give some useful insights.
I say I don't write as much as I would like to, but it is vital to chronicle the events of Russian gymnastics and to collate the central events in its developments if I am to be able to write anything meaningful about the sport. This blog therefore tries to be a repository for the key sources. Some of the most under-used resources here are the tabs to the right of the blog's home screen, where links to articles, a bibliography and a list of video documentaries can be found. There is also an archive of all the past posts on the blog, accessible by date. You can search by label to find all the articles on a particular subject.
So I am now looking forward to another year of blogging and learning about Russia, its artistic gymnastics and its sports system. I am going to write another post imminently - in the next few days - talking about the different areas of knowledge that I could develop here. I want to try to add depth to my work more than breadth, so expect a few surprises.
If you have read this far, and have thoughts and ideas on the direction this blog is taking and could take in future, please leave your ideas in a comment or two - I love reading them and they are always useful.
I love what you are doing already, Elizabeth and I wouldn't change a thing! It's such a wonderful site and has been such a treasure to have something that concentrates particularyl on Russia and the Russian tradition. Have another wonderful year, I say!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. Do not change anything. As a kid I always loved the Russian gymnastics. When I watched Shushunova and other Russian gymnasts, I could not even blink ... My passion for Russian gymnastics took me a little while to learn the Russian language. And today, amid the tribulations of my work, my studies (I decided to try a Ph.D.), I always have a little time aside to watch the Russian gymnasts on youtube and every day I visit your blog. The only thing that I must say to you: thank you. Thanks for updating us. Thank you for putting us in touch with the wonderful world of Russian gymnastics and Russia. (And I love England. I will never forget the English teachers I had at Cultura Inglesa in my town). Maybe someday I can visit every little piece of England that both loved to hear.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your energy and passion. Looking forward to another year.
ReplyDeleteI love this Blog and always have a look for news. Also, like the way u write all those articles. Thank you so much for your dedication :)
ReplyDeleteDear Queen E - congratulations on your accomplishments thus far - I'm always looking forward to the part of my day where I can try to catch up on gymnastics news and I frequently visit your blog for its content, but also because you write so well. I have especially enjoyed reading about your insight on politics, economies and migration in sport - I feel I am a much more educated fan of gymnastics for reading your blog. Although you are sometimes reporting the news or covering events, please know how invaluable those posts are! You're providing access to Russian Gymnastics to many of us who are either short on time, lack a command of the Russian language or knowledge of the sport. I am all three at times, so thank you
ReplyDeleteJust want to say that I love your blog and THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteKathy
I love your blog and I visit everyday. Thanks very much for all the wonderful posts that provide well thought out insights and news on not just Russian Gymnastics, but other relevant social topics. Keep up the really great work!
ReplyDeleteI love the blog, it's informative and interesting. Your insights are great. Keep it up.
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