Valery Brumel ... The name of this man in the 60s of the twentieth century was associated with the Olympic Games, high-profile victories, deafening success and world records.
“Space jumper”, a legend of Soviet sports - at the age of 19, Valery became the idol of millions of Soviet citizens, breaking new heights each time.
Valery Brumel: biography of the Olympic champion
How it all began? The boy, whose name will rattle the whole Soviet Union in a couple of decades, was born in the village of Exploration (Amur Region, Tyndinsky District) on May 14, 1942. His father worked as the head of the geological exploration party and discovered a large number of deposits of iron ore and coal. However, this work was unprofitable, so the family of the future athlete lived quite modestly. Valera in childhood was a sickly, frail child and did not stand out from the crowd of teenagers like him. A modestly dressed boy was not taken to a sports school because of his small stature.
In 1954, the Brumeli family moved to Voroshilovgrad (now Lugansk). At one of the physical education lessons, while performing high jumps, Valera, to his surprise, easily defeated 120 centimeters. This circumstance at the same time surprised and pleased him. The young man had a hobby, which in the future became the work of his whole life: high jumps. The starting impulse was given to Valery by the experienced trainer of the children's sports school, Shane Petr Semenovich, who examined the qualities in the boy that determined his future successes. Brumel had a year to overcome the bar of 150 centimeters after regular training, where the young man showed maximum industriousness and perseverance. At the age of 15, Valery took part in the championship of Ukraine and took 2nd place. The height he conquered was 1 meter 75 centimeters; Brumel overcame the 2-meter bar after 2 years.
Record after record
After graduating from school, Valery Brumel clearly defined his intentions and entered the Moscow Institute of Physical Culture, where he entered the Olympic team of the Soviet Union. In training, he paid great attention to working with the barbell, which determined the strengthening of the leg muscles, improved jumping ability and increased level of physical fitness. In 1960, he made his debut in Rome at the Olympic Games, took a height of 2 meters 16 centimeters, for which he received a silver medal.
In the next three years, Valery set six world records, repeatedly becoming the best athlete on the planet. In 1964, in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, he won another triumph, taking a height of 2 meters 18 cm. For sports success Valery Brumel was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
No signs of trouble…
The athlete Valery Brumel, whose biography admires him as a strong personality, actually faced a huge tragedy in life, cutting down all the successes and hopes for future victories. Later. Later. In the meantime, a young successful champion, who was popular with the fair sex, created a family with Svetlana Lazareva - a master of sports in rhythmic gymnastics. Young people signed in 1963 and soon rejoiced at the birth of a charming little son. In the dreams of Valery, who showed good results in sports, there was overcoming the bar of 2 meters 30 centimeters, on which the athlete worked hard. It seemed that a few steps remained before the cherished dream.
The tragic day, which turned Valery Brumel's whole life, was October 5, 1965. Having finished the next training, the athlete, heading home, met the familiar motorcycle racer on the way, who offered to give him a ride. Rainy weather ... Turn on the Yauza embankment ... The motorcycle lost control and crashed into a concrete fence. In this accident, Valery, flying out of the saddle, hit the reinforced concrete pillar with his right foot. The result is broken legs, a torn foot, barely held on ligaments and tendons. The injured driver was taken by a Zaporozhets driver passing by. Valery, who did not lose his composure, held his foot in his hands, jumping on one leg to the car.
In the struggle for life
Doctors at the Sklifosovsky Institute were diagnosed with a double fragmentation fracture. Initially, even doctors considered the question of amputation, but then it was decided to have an operation. Like a mosaic, doctors gathered the bones of a mutilated leg, without giving any guarantees. For more than three weeks, body temperature held 39 degrees. Seven times a blood transfusion was performed to avoid gangrene. There was no question of big sport; I was glad that at least I kept my leg. But the bones did not grow together for two years. The famous jumper still moved with crutches.
Then one of my friends advised me to go to the wizard surgeon from the Barrow, Gabriel Ilizarov, to whom Brumel went and hoped for healing. The doctor agreed to take on Valery’s treatment and, to everyone’s surprise, put him on his feet in less than 4 years. What the first steps were worth is known only to Valery himself, who, biting his lips to blood, walked from the bed to the TV, along the corridor from the room and back. Over the course of three years, Valery Nikolaevich Brumel underwent more than 30 operations that shortened his foot by 5 centimeters. At this difficult time, the family broke up, his wife Svetlana left him, leaving him, sick and weak, a little son. Later, in 1968, the court will deprive the ex-wife of parental rights. Valery and little Sasha at that time had a hard time. Pension was scanty. The circle of friends attracted by the brilliance of the athlete’s name narrowed sharply and totaled no more than 15 people.
The literary path of Valery Brumel
To obtain additional income, Valery plunged into literary activity and began to write books. Perhaps he could prove himself in the sports industry, in a more gentle direction: as a trainer or teacher of physical education. But the freedom-loving nature of Valery, who did not tolerate any bureaucracy over himself, chose a radically different path: writing thoughts on paper. These works subsequently resulted in books such as The Height, dedicated to Dr. Ilizarov, Doctor Nazarov, Roar of the Tribunes, and Olympic Comedy. His novel “Don't Change Yourself” has been translated into 7 languages. In 1971, at the "Mosfilm" started shooting the film "Right to Jump." In parallel, Valery did not leave training, dreaming of returning to his records. In March 1969, at a covered stadium, he gathered his closest friends in order to show that he remained the same as before, and will be able to conquer the heights. And conquered!
Brumel is back ?!
Some time ago Valery dreamed of learning to walk, and now he was able, thanks to incredible efforts, to return to his beloved business. Started from a height of 1.75 meters, finished 2.05 meters. The audience unanimously jumped to their feet, hugged, shouted with joy, applauded. Everything was clear: Brumel is back! The one in whom they believed, whom they loved.
Valery began to train with increased energy and diligence. In 1970, he managed to do the seemingly impossible: he conquered a height of 2 meters 9 centimeters. But the victory, given by the efforts of enormous efforts and efforts, came at a high price: Brumel tore the Achilles tendon on the jerk leg important for the athlete, becoming an invalid of the 2nd group. Sport is a thing of the past.
Only real friends are nearby
Later, Valery met Elena Petushkova, daughter of the USSR Deputy Interior Minister. She was fond of equestrian sport, in which she achieved great success, becoming the Olympic champion. After the wedding, the young received a separate apartment, their daughter Vlad was born. It would seem that everything was abundant: live and rejoice, but the family did not take place: the couple broke up.
From the sad thoughts of the writer, who was hard going through a divorce and failed personal life, his friends saved: Inna Ulyanova, Yuri Senkevich, Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vysotsky. Brumel Valery Nikolaevich during this long time period thought a lot: in 1989 he left the party and was christened according to the Orthodox canon. The Olympic champion traveled a lot around the country with lectures, because he had the gift of a wonderful storyteller and was easily able to keep the attention of the public.
Last love Valeria
The last love of Valeria was Svetlana. A physician by training, a psychiatrist by profession, she met on his way visiting friends in common. Feeling mutual sympathy, a man and a woman first walked around the city a lot, went to the cinema, theaters, and concerts. In 1992, a couple in whom Svetlana was 16 years younger than Valeria registered a marriage and went on a honeymoon to Genoa, and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of her husband, whom she loved madly, Svetlana presented a gift - her son Victor.
Valery Brumel, whose photo you can see in the article, again felt in demand, felt responsibility for his relatives on his shoulders and tried to fully provide for his beloved family financially.
January 26, 2003 is the day on which Valery Brumel passed away. The cause of death is cancer, a disease that spares no one. Until the last day, Valery hid the disease, because he did not want to look weak and sick before his friends.