Miss Wheelchair World: “I was inspired by the example of Frida Kahlo. Bezuglova Ksenia: biography and interesting facts from life

This is not the story of life - life goes on. Rather, stories from the life of a girl with whom we once made our favorite magazine. Then Ksenia got married, went to Moscow, and worked successfully. Five years ago here, in Vladivostok, I was in a serious car accident. And recently she became the winner of the international beauty contest “Vertical” for girls in wheelchairs. Today our “Miss World” is visiting the “EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION”.

Won with one smile

How did it happen that you won the Miss World crown?
Accidentally! Last year I was in long-term rehabilitation in Crimea, and when I returned to Moscow, a friend called me. “Ksyusha,” she says, “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t find you, so I made the decision on my own. In general, I sent your photos to the international beauty contest “Vertical”. You passed the casting and will represent Russia in Rome!

That is, any girl in a wheelchair can send her photos to the casting and, if she’s lucky, become a participant in the competition?
Yes. At this competition it is allowed to conduct absentee photo and video castings. I had some materials on my social media pages, a friend put them together, sent them, and soon I received an invitation.

This was the fourth international competition “Vertical”, in which girls in wheelchairs from twenty-five countries of the world took part. It takes place in Rome with the support of the mayor's office, the jury includes representatives of the European Union: famous TV presenters and actors, heads of Italian Fashion Houses, representatives of show business.

The ideology of the competition is simple and organic: a professional model and a girl in a wheelchair appeared on the podium at the same time. This was done in order to visually equate the beauties: after all, they presented haute couture masterpieces with equal dignity. However, this is not just worthy: the female models and girls in wheelchairs were... gorgeous! They shone on the podium, causing wild delight among the audience. This incredible spectacle turns the minds of the audience! Why, it even changed my mind! I suddenly saw so many beautiful girls around in wheelchairs, with hairstyles, makeup, in luxurious dresses, in heels, smiling happily... It gave me goosebumps.

Was the victory not easy?
I think I won because... I missed the dress rehearsal! At it, as it turned out later, the girls were told that they couldn’t smile on the podium: we had to choose one point and look only at it, because every second means hundreds of photographs. Of course, I knew about this - I participated in fashion shows many times, but at this competition... I simply forgot! It was impossible not to smile here: I walked onto the podium and felt how the hall froze. And then... burst into applause! People stood up and shouted: bella! Bellisimo! Sent blowing kisses... I couldn’t help but look at them, I couldn’t help but smile!

The main thing in the competition is fashion show. But, you must admit, every girl had something to tell - about herself, about her destiny...
Yes, of course, and every story deserves to be heard. But the organizers of the competition did everything... concisely and, in my opinion, correctly. They drew attention not to girls with problems, but... to beautiful girls. There is no need to talk about how each of us lives - believe me, going to the podium in a wheelchair is already a feat. After all, you need to overcome the huge fear that lives in your soul - the fear of being seen, noticed.

The first time I found myself in a wheelchair was a few months after the accident. And when I saw myself in the mirror, I cried, and my mother cried with me. It took a long time to get used to a wheelchair, it was difficult. Then I lost the habit of admiring myself in reflections - it’s not that I didn’t perceive my reflection - I ignored it. “I” as a person was within itself. What others saw and what the mirror showed was... some kind of misunderstanding: “It’s not me.” I couldn't come to terms with myself like this. I think all the girls in wheelchairs felt something similar at some point in time. And the fact that now they are beautiful, radiant, happy! - they don’t just go out into the street, where hundreds of glances await them every time, but from the podium, under the rays of spotlights and camera flashes, they give people their beauty, this is a huge amount of work and... victory over oneself.

A man, born, smiles

Do you remember the moment of the accident?
Yes. She covered her stomach with one hand and grabbed the headrest of the front seat with the other. When the car stopped turning over, I opened my eyes. Everything seems fine, I’m sitting. But I can’t get up - my legs don’t move. Somehow I immediately understood everything. They tried to open the door from behind, and I screamed: don’t touch me, my spine is broken.

Then - hellish pain. I looked at the sky, and in my head there was one thought: that’s it.

Then - the emergency room of the village hospital. Seeing any person in a white coat, I whispered: “Do something...” My husband shouted: “Agree on every drug with me, she’s pregnant!” “Forget about it,” said the doctor. “We should save her.”

The head of the gynecology department's wife gave birth to a child that day. He was... wonderful: “The placenta is intact, the heartbeat is normal, everything is fine, you’re smart!” And at that moment I realized: we will live. There is a reason for this.

Then - a seven-hour operation, a very difficult recovery from anesthesia, a helicopter to Vladivostok, a hospital - everything somehow started... A week later, a rehabilitation specialist came to see me, and we began doing physical exercises in bed. Meanwhile, the gynecologists at consultations, not embarrassed by my presence, decided whether to have our child or not. They advised me to do rehabilitation and get back on my feet, and then think about pregnancy, they said that I couldn’t give birth, they explained that I couldn’t bear the baby, they convinced me that normal child I’m not giving birth - seven hours of anesthesia behind me! - and I myself will die in childbirth. But... how can I say this... The specialists knew that it was impossible to give birth to a child in my condition, but I didn’t know and didn’t want to know. I was expecting a child. And she said to her husband: “Believe!”

We flew to Moscow, and I spent the entire six months before the birth of my daughter in bed. I was personally supervised by the chief gynecologist of Russia - this was the first such case in the country. I really enjoyed being pregnant, I still remember how nice it was to feel my condition and communicate with my child. And when Taya was born... Incredible - she smiled! Well, how can this be? I have a photograph - the first minutes after giving birth - a man is smiling, smiling!

And on Taechka’s first birthday, which we celebrated in the Maldives, my husband said that, despite everything, I made everyone believe in a miracle. She proved that there is a miracle. Something like that…

Corset from friends

Many people are abandoned by their boyfriends after an injury, their husbands leave, their relatives turn away...
I am sure: if a person manages to maintain a respectful attitude towards his family, towards others, towards the world - despite the fact that a misfortune has happened to him! – then everything in his life will return to normal. But this, unfortunately, is rare. Often the ego simply goes off scale, resentment, aggression, and anger appear: “Why did this happen to me?! Why are you walking and I’m lying down?!” “Pay attention to me!” - this cry of the soul is often heard loudly by those around us: “Fuck you all!..” At first it happened that I, too, could not express some of my requests normally, my mother was offended and cried. Well, I didn’t have the strength inside me to say... with love. I had to learn this.

What helped you survive?
Thoughts about the child. Husband. And, of course, friends. I was lucky: I managed to create around myself... a strong corset of friends. In Vladivostok and Moscow, they didn’t give me a single opportunity to simply close my eyes and moan: “God, how unhappy I am!” They brought so much good! Lying in intensive care, I thought that, probably, I had not lived my quarter of a century in vain. And it doesn’t matter what happens next, whether I survive or not, but now, at this period of time, I am absolutely calm and happy - there are people around me who love me. It is most important. That’s why it’s so strange for me to sometimes hear the words: “I had an accident, and everyone turned away from me...” Why did they turn away? What did people around you need from you when you were on your feet?

Immediately after giving birth, did you start going to a rehabilitation center?
Yes. Three training sessions daily, the first of which began at eight o’clock in the morning, during breaks I flew into the locker room, expressed milk and went back to training. There wasn't even a moment to drink water. A year passed at this pace. And I realized: I can’t live in the gym alone anymore. Nothing in life makes me happy. And I made adjustments to my schedule: now I live not a rehabilitation life, but an active, eventful life, literally squeezing a rehabilitation program into the intervals between different things.

But then, in the beginning, it was still necessary to be able to find life in what is. To begin with, I looked around. But I must say that until a certain point I was not particularly interested in the life of disabled people. In the rehabilitation center I talked with two friends, I simply didn’t notice the rest of the people with their stories - it didn’t concern me, I thought I wouldn’t be here for long. But time passed. And my attitude towards what was happening changed. “If I’m here,” I thought, “that means it’s really necessary. Without any high words. But what can I really give to these people? I suddenly remembered working in our magazine, when I painted models for photo shoots... I looked at the girls who surrounded me... Honestly, everyone looked deplorable: unsightly tracksuits with elongated knees, a bun of colorless hair on their heads, dull faces. And I decided to teach beauty classes. I wanted to see these girls, girls, women... different. Dressy. Beautiful. Happy. So one day you can enter the cafeteria of a rehabilitation center and... be stunned! Looking ahead, I will say: this is what happened.

I posted announcements about makeup master classes in the center. They brought together a lot of women - mostly adults, for whom it is important to keep their family together and to be interesting to their husbands. Then somehow these master classes naturally grew into style consultations. I introduced a trend to Long Dresses for girls in wheelchairs. She said: you need to stretch out the silhouette, and the length of the dress will help with this! They looked at me like I was crazy: in a wheelchair and in a dress? That's horrible! How can you even come up with this? I had to convince, make slide shows, compare photos - is there a difference or not? Now, when several years have passed, I look at the girls who surround me and understand: I did everything right then... They are beauties!

There is no elevator or ramp, but there are curbs

Now you are actively involved in social and charitable activities.
Yes. And there are reasons to be proud! We hold charity marathons. Together with the chairman of the Primorsky organization of wheelchair users "Ark" Artem Moiseenko, they turned to the Phuket prefecture with a request to equip one of the beaches for the disabled. They treated us with understanding and quickly gave us all kinds of permissions. And now, at our instigation, the Moscow authorities have agreed to equip a beach for the disabled.

On Russky Island, in Rynda Bay, we have had a camp for disabled people “Invaleto” for several years, organized by Artem Moiseenko and his “Ark”. I’ve long dreamed of going there, and finally Taechka and I went. It’s so cool there!.. The people I talked to said that before this camp existed, they didn’t leave their apartments for years. For years! One girl, my age, spent seven years within four walls! Fifth floor. There is no elevator in the house. No ramp. But there are curbs. AND public opinion. It is believed that for some reason disabled people in our country do not need to go outside. This gives the impression that there are very few of them. In fact, on Far East 129 thousand disabled people. A scary number, isn't it? But of these, one and a half thousand people are in wheelchairs. Let's find out what exactly they need. Let's help - at least a little! Let's at least think about the problems that people with disabilities face. Why does the curb I'm driving into have an entrance, but no exit? For many it is such an insignificant detail, but for others it is an insurmountable obstacle.

So, in the Invaleto camp, people do not just undergo rehabilitation. For them, it is great happiness to live on the seashore in the summer, communicating with other people, being interested in everything that happens around, living full life, feeling like an active participant. I think they will be happy if the authorities include in the budget an article on stable financing of the Invaleto camp - this will become a kind of guarantee that every summer disabled people will be able to relax and undergo rehabilitation at sea.

I dance every night

After the accident, you probably thought why and why this happened. ..
Yes, sure. Five years ago I had many questions, the main one of which was: why, why do I need this? What do I have to understand? Maybe this situation was given to me to learn to hear people? Maybe I should be more attentive to them? More patient?

Now I understand: I must serve people. Help them. Guide. And if I can help - in word, advice, deed, then I help. I like it! Sometimes I think: how could I devote myself to social activities if I were... on my feet? How is this possible to an ordinary person: change your life completely, leave everything that fills every day, and start doing charity work? Agree, it's unrealistic.

I also think: it doesn’t matter what happened “before”. It’s great that it was, and thank God that I had it - I saw life in all its colors. But there are children who are born with injuries or are injured in childhood and they don’t even know what it’s like to live life to the fullest!.. It’s great that it exists now. That's it. Every day is beautiful in itself. He's special. It gives new impressions. And now answering the question to myself, why all this was given to me, I believe that, probably, so that I learn to appreciate what I have... Ask me what I want? I can’t find what to answer. Because what I have is already valuable. I'm happy that people smile when they look at me. They probably sometimes think: “Why am I whining, complaining about life: I cough a lot, I sleep little, I don’t have enough money, I’m always busy with work... In fact, everything is fine!” Believe me, this is how it really is. Everything is fine!

Of course, sometimes I have a feeling in my soul... of the injustice of what is happening. For example, when I’m in a nightclub, I think: well, who dances like that?! They didn't see what we were giving out! I wish I could, now... What could I sell so that they would give me the opportunity to dance for an hour? Although in a dream - almost every night! - I am dancing. Or I ride a bike. Or I run. Or I walk pathetically high heels. There's a different life there. I wake up and my first thought is: “Is this a dream? Damn... But it was so cool!” And in a new dream I again give my husband my hand, get up from the stroller, and he leads me in a slow dance...

Movement is life. And my life is movement. I can’t remember a single day without movement – ​​it just doesn’t happen! It’s just that the vector of this movement has changed. I saw a different direction in life.

No, I haven't accepted it. I'm not used to the stroller. I will never give up - I’m not that kind of person. And my faith has not dried up. It happens that sometimes it subsides, but then it is reborn - with new strength. And I believe, you know what? I believe that soon there will be a very big leap in medicine. The new Einstein will do something that will enhance nerve conduction in the spinal cord. This will enable many people to get out of wheelchairs. And I don’t just believe, I’m doing everything possible to be ready for this - not only mentally, but also physically. I know I'll go.

P. S. Taechka says to me: “When I grow up, I will become a great doctor, I will invent a medicine that will cure you, and you will get rid of this stupid stroller!” Previously, she did not realize that her mother was not like everyone else. Then a question arose in her head: why is this? I told. And one morning she comes up to me and says: “Do you know what I came up with? Now I’ll take the stroller from you and hide it. All! Get up!..” I explained to her that it wouldn’t work. “Then,” he says, “I’ll think about what can be done...” I’m waiting! I'm ready to do anything for her.

callouts

Walking onto the podium in a wheelchair is already a feat. After all, we need to overcome the huge fear that lives in the soul of each of us - the fear of being seen, noticed.

Everyone knew that it was impossible to give birth to a child in my condition, but I didn’t know and didn’t want to know. I was expecting a child. And she said to her husband: “Believe!”

There are 129 thousand disabled people in the Far East. Of these, one and a half thousand are in wheelchairs. Let's find out what exactly they need. Let's help - at least a little! Let's at least think about the problems that people with disabilities face.

Movement is life. And my life is movement. Its vector just changed. I saw a different direction in life.

Text: Yulia Udovenko
Photo: Katerina Kotsyuba, Olga Moiseenko

The life of many wheelchair users is divided into 2 parts: before and after the tragedy. But Ksenia Bezuglova turned out to be different. The accident that the girl had at the age of 25 left her forever confined to a wheelchair. The accident not only did not break Ksenia, but also gave her new vitality. Having won first place in 2013 at the international beauty contest among wheelchair-bound girls “Vertical” in Rome, she was able to prove to the whole world that life does not end with disability.

Childhood, studies and early career

(before marriage - Kishina) was born in 1983 in the small town of Leninsk-Kuznetsky, located in Kemerovo region. A year later, the girl’s family moved to the Primorsky Territory and settled in the village of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye. This is where Ksyusha spent her childhood. She studied at an ordinary rural school, and after classes she performed in a puppet theater. Having become a little older, Ksenia became interested in sports. She enjoyed running and enjoyed participating in district competitions. After school, the girl entered the Faculty of Management at the Primorsky branch in Vladivostok, and at the same time began working in the advertising department of the popular glossy magazine “ Expensive pleasure" She devoted 5 years of her life to this publication (from 2002 to 2007).

Meeting my husband, getting married

While pursuing a career, Ksenia Bezuglova did not forget about her personal life. Her husband Alexey met her in 2003, when she was a third-year student. A chance acquaintance became love at first sight for the young people. Ksenia at that time was going to marry another man, but her feelings for Alexei were so strong that 10 days before the planned wedding, she canceled the celebration, not being afraid of the condemnation of her family and friends. And I have never regretted it. In 2006, Alexey Bezuglov proposed to his beloved. This event was remembered by many residents of Vladivostok, because the lovers’ engagement took place in front of hundreds of people right on the central square of the city. The groom, like a fairy-tale prince, arrived there on a white horse, and his chosen one was given a real carriage.

The wedding took place in the same 2006, after which Ksenia Bezuglova and her husband flew from Vladivostok to Moscow. In the capital, the girl continued to work in glossy publications, and Alexey started the construction business. In 2008, the girl found out that she was pregnant. For the young couple, this news was long-awaited, and they began to prepare for the birth of their first child. The future seemed to them only in bright colors.

Car accident

Ksenia Bezuglova will forever remember August 2008. The girl's biography changed in an instant after she was in a car accident. Together with her beloved husband, Ksenia went on vacation to her native Vladivostok to relax and celebrate another wedding anniversary. On the way home, the car in which the couple were traveling was involved in an accident. Pregnant Ksenia was riding in the back seat. As a result of a car accident, she suffered a spinal fracture. The pain that the young woman had to endure was unbearable. But it was even more difficult for her to realize that the life of the baby she was expecting was in danger.

After Bezuglova’s accident, Ksenia was taken to the hospital by helicopter. followed complex operation, then resuscitation and long-term treatment. Doctors strongly advised the woman to terminate the pregnancy, because used during surgical intervention anesthesia could have a negative impact on the development of the child. However, Ksenia did not listen to the specialists and kept life inside herself. She believed that everything would be fine with her baby.

Life after the accident, the birth of a daughter

After being discharged from the hospital, Ksenia Bezuglova returned to Moscow. The accident knocked down her vital energy. She was not allowed to sit down, so she was constantly in a lying position. Alexey was next to her throughout the difficult time for the girl. Ksenia’s mother flew in from Vladivostok to help him. The support of loved ones and thoughts about future motherhood did not allow the woman to completely fall into depression. In February 2009, Ksenia Bezuglova gave birth to a completely healthy girl. The biography of this courageous woman contains information that the couple named their long-awaited baby Taisiya.

After giving birth, the young mother began a long rehabilitation process. It seemed to her that in a year or two she would get back on her feet, but the doctors’ worst fears came true: Ksenia found herself confined to a wheelchair. But the woman could not give up, because her little daughter required her constant attention. Spinning all over the kitchen, she cooked Tassenka porridge, and then fed her herself. Ksenia could allow herself to cry only when no one was looking. The girl could not come to terms with the fact that she would no longer get back on her feet, but she also did not want to remain helpless. A fighter by nature, she quickly realized that she needed to change her attitude to the current situation and start a new life.

First steps in social activities

Visiting rehabilitation center for the disabled, Ksenia involuntarily drew attention to women in wheelchairs. They all lost interest in life, looked gloomy and did not take care of themselves. To support her friends in misfortune, Bezuglova began to regularly conduct master classes on makeup and style among them. She was sure that a woman should look great in any condition. Ksenia's master classes have gained popularity among wheelchair users and showed her that she is at the right way. Inspired by her success, the woman applied to participate in a Moscow fashion design competition for people with disabilities. Now Ksenia Bezuglova understood that fate had sent her such a difficult test so that she could support disabled people, prove to them that even in a wheelchair you can remain energetic and purposeful.

A new turn in life

The last month of 2012 became truly triumphant for the girl. She won the Vertical beauty contest for women in wheelchairs. The event took place in Rome and was equal in importance to Miss World. The brilliant victory attracted the attention of the entire world press to Ksenia. She gave interviews, participated in various television shows, starred for glossy publications, and met with high-ranking officials.

Bezuglova's life after the victory

The title of beauty queen opened up new opportunities for the girl. Ksenia Bezuglova began to worry about comfortable living conditions for wheelchair users. Soon after her victory, Miss World ensured that one of the beaches in the Thai city of Phuket was equipped for people with limited mobility. In 2013, Ksenia became a member of the Coordination Council for Persons with Disabilities, operating under the Moscow City Hall. In addition, she is on the boards of the capital’s Departments of Health and Culture. Today the Russian beauty is engaged in active social activities, caring about improving living conditions for people with disabilities. On her initiative, one of the capital’s beaches was converted to meet the needs of wheelchair users. In addition, Miss World 2013 supports projects in Russia, supervises the holding of a beauty contest for girls in wheelchairs, and takes part in “Without Borders” fashion shows created specifically for people with disabilities.

Ksenia’s activities did not go unnoticed by society. For her active public position, the girl became one of those who, in the winter of 2014, was tasked with carrying the torch at the opening of Sochi. Today, all of Russia knows who Ksenia Bezuglova is. “Let Them Talk” is a program to which the beauty was invited in 2015. The studio filmed a program about a girl without arms and legs from Chelyabinsk. Ksenia came to the program while expecting her second child. The program aired in May, and already in August the young woman gave birth to her husband Alexei’s second child.

Conclusion

Women like Ksenia Bezuglova are called real heroines. Her life story is impressive and teaches people not to give up even in the most difficult situations. difficult situations. Difficulties could not break this fragile girl. She accepted the blow of fate with dignity and was able to by example to prove that even in a wheelchair you can remain attractive woman, a loving mother and a sought-after person in society.

Positive psychology 24.02.2018

Dear readers, today we will talk about the fate of Ksenia Bezuglova. Her name became famous after this young woman, having become a wheelchair user, proved to herself and those around her that this was not a death sentence. After the terrible accident, she won an international beauty contest and gave birth to three children. She became a successful businesswoman and public figure.

But she could not be called a media personality. Wide popularity came after a discussion of the “Housing Issue” program with Ksenia Bezuglova swept across the Internet. You've probably heard about this too.

A number of “critics” were so angry, crossing all conceivable boundaries of decency and elementary delicacy, that several television companies at once showed remarkable interest in the fate of this woman. Many programs with her participation were filmed, and documentaries, and on the Internet the mention of this name has grown by an order of magnitude or more. In general, as Vladimir Vysotsky would say: “Thank you, my correspondents...”

I will remind you below about the “Housing Question” itself and the “wave” that modern misanthropes raised after it, but now I’ll tell you how it all began, how the biography of Ksenia Bezuglova developed before that ill-fated accident.

Background in pink

"Like in the movies!" - we sometimes talk about unusual destinies. The story of my heroine really developed according to cinematic laws. First: a joyful, carefree plot, then a dramatic climax, long haul struggle with oneself and circumstances, and “at the end” - a well-deserved happy ending.

Ksenia Yurievna Bezuglova comes from Leninsk-Kuznetsky, a small town in the Kemerovo region. In 1984, when she was one year old, the family moved to the village of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye, in the Primorsky Territory.

Rural school, puppet theater, sports activities - an ordinary, even a little patriarchal childhood. Then she began studying management at one of the local universities. Almost immediately I took up practice: I came to work for the reputable glossy magazine “Dear Pleasure”.

From 2002 to 2007, she mastered the basics of a difficult profession in this publication, and in 2008 she moved to the Hearst Shkulev Media Publishing House. By this time, Ksenia had already lived in the capital for two years. And in the same significant year for her, 2008, she completed her studies at the Plekhanov Institute under the Presidential Management Training Program.

Prince on a white horse

Often women who are successful in their careers are not very happy in their marriages. There is no secret here; there is simply not enough physical or mental strength for everything. But young Ksenia managed to achieve complete harmony on the personal front. Although not right away. While still a student, she was getting ready to get married, but suddenly she met another person and realized that this was her destiny.

The decision was not easy, but she canceled the wedding 10 days before her scheduled visit to the registry office. Not everyone close to me understood this step. But many changed their minds after the girl’s chosen one, Alexei Bezuglov, proposed to her in 2006 by staging a real theatrical performance on the central square of Vladivostok. He rode there on a real white horse, and then the newly-made bride as fairy princess seated in a luxurious carriage.

It was after the wedding that the young couple left for Moscow, where Alexey quite successfully took up the construction business. 2008 brought Ksenia new prospects in advertising activities. And then she learned that she would soon become a mother.

Car accident

Then, in 2008, everything worked out for them, everything turned out just fine. It seemed that a wide, bright main strip in a common destiny was opening up before them.

In August they decided to visit their native places. We went to Vladivostok, where we planned to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was there that the terrible accident occurred: the car she was in flew into a ditch and overturned several times. Here is how Ksenia Bezuglova herself talks about the details of the accident:

“When the car stopped turning over, I saw my legs and screamed. I couldn’t move, I was in severe pain. As it turned out, my spine was broken, there were multiple open fractures on my arm, and it looked terrible.”

Despite the pain and fear, she thought first of all about the child: she was in her third month of pregnancy. When it turned out that the fetus was not harmed, she made a firm decision to fight and keep the baby.

Even cut wedding ring didn't allow it. Overcoming incredible pain, she endured it, insisting that the ring be removed from her monstrously crippled, bleeding hand.

She was taken to the hospital by helicopter. Some were supportive, but there were some among the medical staff who strictly discouraged me from continuing the pregnancy. There were doubts about the effects of anesthesia on the fetus and other risks. One of the doctors cynically warned: they say, in such a situation, you can’t vouch for yourself, and what if her husband leaves her, how will she cope with a newborn in such a state alone...

Life after...

She clenched her teeth and endured. Because of the pain, I could sleep 2-3 hours a day, and then in fits and starts. But also in postoperative period for a long time She couldn’t sit, her spine was too fragile. She was constantly lying down. My husband and my mother, who came from Vladivostok, helped around the house.

Contrary to the negative predictions of doctors, the first child was born healthy in February 2009. Or rather, she was born: it was a daughter, Taisya.

Everyone has enough troubles and problems with their first child; one can only guess what it was like for this couple.

“Ksenia Bezuglova can walk!” - she tried to convince herself and tried hard to get up. At least with a walker. I trained, worked with specialists in the gym and at home. Again and again I endured the pain and took new steps. She fell and broke her leg. Then again and again. After the fourth fracture, I realized that I couldn’t continue like this; the consequences of falls could be fatal. It was necessary to change tactics, but in reality this meant putting up with a wheelchair. She learned to live with it.

In addition to her main job, she decided to help other women who found themselves in a similar situation. When I came to the rehabilitation center, I noticed that many wheelchair users looked lost: they didn’t take care of themselves, they became despondent. Ksenia began giving them master classes on style and makeup.

When she felt that there was a response, she decided to move on and decided to participate in a fashion design competition for people with disabilities, which was organized in the capital.

Taking off vertically and expanding opportunities

At the end of 2012, the Vertical beauty contest was held in Rome. This is an analogue of “Miss World” for women in wheelchairs. Ksenia became the undisputed winner of this unique competition. Although I got there almost by accident: I resisted for a long time, but my friend formalized everything necessary documents, carried out the organizational work for her. All that remained was, having received an invitation, to fly to Rome and conquer it!

For many, this enchanting success would be enough to rest on their laurels, or even demand certain preferences for themselves. But Bezuglova, on the contrary, rolled up her sleeves for new things. She found a second wind, realized that now she had much more more possibilities to help others.

At first, the wave of attention involuntarily forced her to take part in countless shows, interviews, and filming for glossy magazines. But at the same time, there and behind the scenes of glamorous events, she met people with a certain power and business status.

On the list of good deeds that we managed to implement on her initiative for last years, equipment of beaches for people with disabilities, and such sites appeared not only in the Russian capital, but also in distant Phuket, Thailand. She became a member of the series public organizations supervising the problems of disabled people. Including at the highest state level. At the opening of the Paralympic Games in Sochi in 2014, she was a torchbearer.

But, perhaps, the main work of her life was beauty contests for girls in wheelchairs and “Without Borders” fashion shows for women with disabilities. And in 2016, she created the “Everything is Possible” foundation. The fund helps students and aspiring entrepreneurs with serious health problems. It also supports those who, despite enormous difficulties, strive to engage in sports, even extreme ones.

Family and new phenomenally bold projects

She realized herself in the family: in official Instagram Ksenia Bezuglova we already see her two cute daughters and little son, born in October 2017. And her businessman husband often goes on business trips, so she has to shoulder the lion's share of the daily worries about the family.

She admits: sometimes moments of weakness come, you want to hide in the house as if in a safe shell, to isolate yourself from the world with its wave of other people’s problems. But it's really only minutes. She is not used to feeling sorry for herself. And he gets irritated when he hears whining and complaints about the lives of quite healthy and even quite respectable people.

She herself saves herself from the sin of despondency not only by helping those who find it difficult, but also by playing ethnic drums and sports training. She is engaged in wheelchair dancing: both herself and as an organizer of such competitions.

She also mastered monoskiing. This is a special ski chair. The occupation is very dangerous, in Russia it the only woman, who dared to do such extreme things! I tried to jump with a parachute, and not just for adrenaline: in tandem jumping, Russian participants took 1st and 2nd places at the World Championships for this special type sports

Once again about the “Housing Question” and questions for bloggers

Remember, I started the story about Ksenia Bezuglova with the efforts of her opponents. With energy clearly worthy best use, a number of bloggers and regular regulars of various online forums began to discuss, or rather, condemn our heroine. For what? For taking part in the “Housing Question” program at all. And at the same time because there is “too much” of her, that she often appears on television screens, supposedly promoting herself instead of quietly sitting at home and licking her wounds.

I don’t want to retell these monstrous accusations and ordinary banal insults, even in indirect speech, even in a softened form. Alas, such is the fate of public people; we often see such statements that turn facts on their heads.

Some “experts” angrily advised Ksenia to better engage in helping other disabled people than “narcissism.” The “revealers” did not even consider it necessary to at least look through the pages of the woman’s biography and see what she managed to do for others in recent years. Or maybe the haters deliberately “did not notice” this side of her activities.

Fortunately, Ksenia has many well-wishers; she often receives grateful feedback from precisely those people in whose lives, with her help, a bright streak of light, hope, and faith in their strength appeared. And this, in turn, fuels her confidence in the correctness of her chosen path. She became an example, a lifeline for many of them who were ready to drown in a sea of ​​despair. And this is worth a lot!

I thank Lyubov Mironova, a reader of my blog, for her help in preparing this article. I sincerely wish you, dear blog readers, to never give up on circumstances and never lose hope for the best. Believe in yourself, your loved ones, your country! And when it gets difficult, remember how you an ordinary girl Ksenia Bezuglova managed to overcome the most difficult trials and become happy.

And for the mood, let's listen to the composition GIOVANNI MARRADI - Just For You .

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These six very different heroines have one thing in common - each of them can be said to be a “strong woman.” Paralympic champion, businesswoman, “Miss Wheelchair World”, chief physician, a hospice manager and a pilot told ELLE about where they get their energy and at what moments they allow themselves to be weak

PHOTO Egor Zaika

Obstetrician-gynecologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Chief Physician of the Heirs Medical Center, founded together with Olga Slutsker, believes that strength is intelligence and the art of compromise.

ELLE Tatyana Yuryevna, for me the profession of an obstetrician has always been something akin to the military. Making decisions at lightning speed on which human life depends is not something everyone can do. I always wanted to know what was behind it.

TATYANA GURSKAYA I'll start from afar. In the mid-1990s, I worked at the First Medical Institute as an assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology. The work paid well, I gave lectures, taught classes to students, was engaged in therapeutic activities and divided my life between measured work and home. It seemed to me that it would always be like this, and I didn’t really think about anything else. And only when the wave of perestroika reached our institute and problems, showdowns, and infringements began, a period of activation began in my life, which brought me out of my somnambulistic state. You can say that everything I achieved in life was done thanks to stress. It turned out that I have such a character.

ELLE Didn't you know about this trait of yours before?

T.G. Imagine, no. There were people around me who saw these qualities in me and tried to push me to change. But only when real obstacles and obstacles appeared in my life was I able to realize myself. It was very difficult for me to leave the pulpit, but I realized this need. Within a fairly short period of time, I outlined a plan for myself - to complete my doctoral dissertation and receive the title of professor. By getting up every day at 6 am and doing a clearly planned amount of work, I managed to get everything done before leaving the institute.

T.G. You won't believe it, but I never wanted to be an obstetrician. I was going to become a gynecologist-endocrinologist - then it was a new, developing specialty. And I didn’t understand that she absolutely didn’t match my character! Life itself pushed me out of endocrinology. This is a profession where, essentially, the same decisions are made every day. There is no stress, no drive, no tension - for me it is equivalent to falling asleep. There is only one thing I regret - I should have left the institute earlier. Because I received the main development as a doctor, as a specialist, only by moving from there to the Perinatal Medical Center on Sevastopolsky Avenue and immersing myself in a completely different, innovative obstetrics.

ELLE You are known as the founder of a perinatal center in the Tver region. Have you moved from Moscow to Tver?

T.G. At some point, I received an offer from the governor of the Tver region to open a perinatal center in Tver. There was no talk of moving; I understood from the very beginning that I would have to live in two cities. Moreover, for some time I combined work in Moscow and Tver. You leave the operating room and the phone rings - you have to go to Tver. I get behind the wheel and drive 140 km there and then back. If it weren’t for my family, my husband, and his support, this would hardly have been possible. Even though now I understand that in the family I am probably the main mover, but you can successfully move something only when you are supported.

I made a decision for six months, realizing that I was leaving two men in Moscow, one of whom was a student initial courses. So, two and a half years passed between Moscow and Tver. And then the moment came when it was necessary to fully concentrate on the Tver project. By that time, I had already assembled my Moscow team of professionals whom I could trust. We lived like this: on Monday we went to Tver at 9 am, and back on Friday. I came home, cooked food, and we left for the dacha. On Monday it all started all over again. It was non-stop work. I don't know if it's possible to repeat this again. It was just very, very interesting.

And again about character: when I got to know the team, the head nurse, who had known me since college, told the employees: “Listen to my words - do not create obstacles for this person” (laughs). Then I realized once again that the people around me knew me better than I knew myself.

Of course, I understood that I had to return to Moscow. This is how the “Heirs” medical center appeared, founded together with Olga Slutsker.

ELLE Our project is dedicated to strong women. What is your idea of ​​what a strong woman is? For example, I have a lot of questions. You gave a wonderful example of a relationship with your husband. Is there strength in weakness?

T.G. I have never considered myself a strong woman. When strangers told me about this, I was skeptical. For me, personal relationships have always been in the foreground, work was secondary. What's happened strong personality? This is not a separate character. A person has a life that itself is built around everything that he creates. For me, the basis is family. Because of this, many things I do in life become possible. My husband, for example, considers me strong, but this does not mean that I cannot throw myself into his arms and cry, ask him for help and protection. In my family, I never had to demonstrate any strength. And in general, what kind of concept is force? I would call it intelligence. Are you a strong person or a weak one? This is determined, from my point of view, by a completely clear answer to the question: what did you do? When you can present yourself with an impressive list of what you have achieved, then you can probably say to yourself: yes, I am strong. But, on the other hand, people achieve everything not only by force. There are moments of weakness and compromise decisions. Strength without compromise is a bad thing and will lead to nothing good. In general, I believe that many people use the concept of “strong woman” as self-defense, to hide their weaknesses and failures.

Transaero, one of the largest air carriers in Russia, has four pilots on its staff. So Yulia, the co-pilot of the Boeing 737NG, is a truly rare girl with whom ELLE now dreams of going on a flight.

ELLE You come from a dynasty of pilots, right? Who else in your family flies?

YULIA UDACHINA At the moment, my father and uncle, grandfather are already retired. My grandmother met my grandfather at a flying club; she once flew as an athlete. But it all started with her father, my great-grandfather. He is a war hero.

ELLE So you dreamed of this profession because family history Or were you simply given no choice?

Yu.U. There was always a choice, and I never even thought that I would connect my life with aviation. I wanted to be a journalist, a doctor. It would have happened that way, but dad tried really hard. When I graduated from school, he was an instructor at the flying club. He wanted one of his children to continue the aviation dynasty, but he failed to impress my older brother with the sky. At first my dad tried to persuade me to think about it, go to the institute, and have a look. Then he began inviting me to the flying club. In the end, I took it there as a birthday present. They took me for a ride on a sports training plane. The impression was strong, but rather like this: great, but no longer needed. But dad believed that I would succumb to persuasion. Summer came, he continued to take me to the flying club and give me rides. And suddenly he offered to sit in the chair as a cadet. The essence of the introductory flight is that a person holds the helm, does not control anything, but it seems that everything is in his hands. And then I realized that all this time I had been refusing this for no apparent reason! Consciousness was completely turned upside down.

ELLE Why are there so few female pilots?

Yu.U. This is not enough in our country. Abroad, for example at Lufthansa, there are as many women as men. It seems to me that this is because our state is military and civilian pilots can be mobilized.

ELLE Are there any special requirements for girls when entering university? Is there a difference in attitude?

Yu.U. Formally, everything is the same. But when you come to the medical examination, the doctors are surprised and ask why I need this. Everyone has the same motivation: you expectant mother! How will you fly? How will you leave the children? But that's all there is to talking. Initially, at the institute there was a lot of negativity from my classmates; they told me: well, let’s see how long you can hold out. But all this passed very quickly. During the first 2 years of study, no one really understands what kind of profession this is. After the start of flight practice, a rethinking of the choice occurs. The guys begin to understand that yesterday you were a snotty girl, and today you are sitting in the same way on the plane at the controls, and everything works out for you.

ELLE Remember your first solo flight?

Yu.U. I was still in school and was involved in a flying club. I just turned 17 years old. There was a lot of excitement. I was afraid of doing something wrong, of getting mixed up - a lot of fears that dissipated as soon as I took off. And at this moment euphoria sets in: I myself am responsible for everything. Me and the plane!

ELLE How is the first pilot different from the second?

Yu.U. By and large, there is little in modern aviation. This is the same knowledge, the same skills. In flight, in addition to the concepts of “commander” and “co-pilot,” there is also a “piloting” and “controlling” pilot. We usually switch roles every other flight. The pilot performs all actions to control the aircraft, and the controller, accordingly, monitors, maintains contact with the dispatcher, keeps records, and deals with maps. The commander is much more experienced, he has skills that the co-pilot does not have. For example, a visual approach, which is carried out without technical means - you see the runway with your eyes and decide when to descend - is allowed only to the commander. And, of course, he is responsible for everything: for the cabin crew, communication with ground services, for passengers.

ELLE You got into dangerous situations in flight?

Yu.U. No. The equipment is reliable and nothing fails. One day we got caught up in a thunderstorm a little. I felt uneasy. During a flight with an instructor at a flying club, the engine failed. We gained 100 meters, turned around and sat down on the runway. Everything happened quickly, there was no time to be afraid.

ELLE What is the strength and advantage of female pilots?

Yu.U. In flexibility, endurance. In emotionality. I have repeatedly heard from men that we are losing because of this. But I can't agree with this. Unlike men, we know how to share emotions. This is the strength.

ELLE Do you have a boyfriend? Does it have anything to do with your profession?

Yu.U. Yes. He's a pilot. We met in a company of friends.

ELLE Is there competition between you?

Yu.U. He is proud of me and glad that he has someone “in the know.” Any other girl, listening to his stories about airplanes, would not understand anything. And I can advise him something - just like he can advise me. But there is also competition. We work for different companies and fly on different planes. Our conversations are an endless, calm discussion about which plane is better.

ELLE Do you want to become an aircraft commander?

Yu.U. Any pilot with healthy ambitions wants.

Text: Olga Islamkina

ELLE And yet there is a profession in which you live. It requires certain qualities from you.

T.G. Obstetrics is one of those specialties where you have to make decisions very quickly, and the outcome of the whole situation depends on them. It happens that there is not even a minute to think - you must concentrate and make a decision. I remember all the cases that did not develop the way I wanted. Not only me, all my colleagues remember! But at the same time, obstetrics is a type of activity from which you get incredible pleasure, because there is always a result.

ELLE Of course, and what else! Human life!

T.G. Exactly. But that's not enough for me. Here comes a woman with a scar on the uterus and says: I want to give birth on my own, through the natural birth canal. Every time I know that this birth will cost me new gray hair, and every time, having completed them safely, I say to myself: “That’s it, stop! This is extreme, I don’t participate in this anymore!” But the next woman comes to the appointment with a similar problem, and I will definitely find a reason why I will follow her lead - in last time! But then I will drive at night after the successful completion of the process and experience a feeling that no amount of sitting in an office can provide you with. Despite the fact that humanity has been overcoming the same problems for centuries, each case in obstetrics remains unique. And one more thing: you are always programmed for success - you must get a healthy mother and a healthy child. If you want, for me a patient is an everyday result that brings drive and meaning to life.

ELLE You work in a clinic where very wealthy people go. Accordingly, special requirements are placed on you. What course of action do you choose?

T.G. In relation to patients, I am a very gentle person and often follow their lead in some matters - but only in those that are unprincipled from a medical point of view. I see my task as, by observing a woman during pregnancy, to gain her trust - then I can insist on my own. Of course, during this time I became a psychologist and understand who needs what approach.

ELLE You are a spectacular, well-groomed, slender woman. Do you think external factors help you in life?

T.G. I am first and foremost a woman, and nothing feminine is alien to me. Yes, I keep myself in shape every day. There is no point in doing this once a month to impress. Appearance should be style, business card- and this is a matter of self-discipline. Whether you want it or not, you are an object - but it depends on you whether to be imitated or vice versa. Of course, appearance helps in life. Especially when you work in an administrative position (laughs).

ELLE How would you describe your self-esteem?

T.G. I have it understated, and this is one of the main problems in my life. My husband and I always argue about this topic. He says: “You underestimate yourself.” And I am a doubting person, it always seems to me that I can’t do something. But then a certain trigger goes off in me, and I achieve my goal. I have a rule: if you have been offered something in life, it means that someone sees you differently, and you may not know about your hidden resources. It’s better to try something new and not live up to expectations than to give up and regret it later. I have no regrets about what I have done, I only have regrets about what I didn’t do. That’s basically where I started our conversation.

“Do you know why NIRVANA is BAD? It doesn't bring results. For me it’s a SLOW DIVERSION into numbness, hibernation, which scares me.”

ELLE Nowadays, women have a common problem with finding a partner and getting married. Do you see traits in the younger generation of women that prevent them from surrounding themselves with men?

T.G. I would approach this issue in a non-standard way. When a woman comes and talks about wanting to have children, I never ask her if she is married. From my point of view, the realization of a woman is children. And no one will ever convince me that a woman who has not given birth (in any way, of which there are plenty today) will never regret it. I would put marriage on the back burner. I always tell my patients: give birth for yourself, and the rest will come to you. There are women who understand this. We achieve pregnancy, they give birth to a child, and then they often write to me: you know, I got married. Children will never interfere with marriage. You can look for a companion all your life and get married perfectly even at 60 years old. But it will no longer be possible to give birth to a child.

ELLE What could you say about your own marriage?

T.G. One day my husband called me and asked: “Tatyan, what kind of water should you throw the pasta in: cold or boiling?” If he doesn't know this after so many years of marriage, I guess good wife. At least that's what I'd like to think!

Text: Elena Sotnikova

The manager of the children's program of the Vera Hospice Fund is young, lively, with a thin, almost childish voice, clearly thinking and practically talking about truly tragic things without unnecessary tragedy.

LYDIA MONIAVA While still in school, I got a job as a volunteer in the oncology department of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital. I started working at the Gift of Life foundation, but then I noticed that if a child does not get better and is discharged home, he is left with virtually no help. And I thought: many funds help children who are sick, but no one helps those who are doomed. I moved to the Vera Foundation and suggested they create a children's program.

ELLE What is the joy of your work if you know in advance that your ward will soon die?

L.M. We try not to think about how it will all end. In general, all children are wonderful, and their parents are grateful for any help. In ordinary life, most people are closed, talk about unimportant things, and parents of sick children do not have the energy for formalities. They only talk about the main thing.

ELLE Remember your most wonderful child?

L.M. A year and a half ago, the family of Marzhana, a 13-year-old girl who had cancer, contacted us. She couldn’t even walk, she was lying at home, in a small one-room apartment near the Kashirskaya metro station. At first we thought that we would help her with diapers, diapers, wheelchair We bought it because my mother took her to the toilet in a regular office chair. But then Marzhana said that all this, of course, is very pleasant, but for her the main thing is to remain yourself, not to lose your personality due to illness, and she would be grateful if we gave her a digital camera, because photography is her hobby since childhood. Then, with the last of her strength, Marzhana, already taking morphine and spending most of the day in oblivion, woke up briefly to photograph friends and family. We organized an incredibly beautiful exhibition of her works at the Pioneer cinema, which was attended by a lot of people. Marzhana was discussed as a real photographer, and it was amazing. She died when she was 14.

ELLE Do children understand what will happen to them?

L.M. In Russia it is not very common to talk about death. Not only with children, but also with adults. In very rare families, no more than 20 percent, they talk openly about oncology. Marzhana knew everything, but this is rather an exception.

ELLE Why is a hospice better than a hospital?

L.M. In Russia, when a child dies, it is customary to take him to intensive care. This is the protocol: the child cannot die in the ward. According to the rules of his parents, they are not allowed to see him, and the last precious minutes, hours, days of his life he lies alone, naked, tied to the bed, they push various tubes into him, pump his heart - not because they believe that he will survive, but because This is the protocol. And mothers sit outside the door and cannot get to their children. In such situations, we call the hospital and ask the parents to be allowed in for at least five minutes, then for at least ten.

ELLE What help do you need first?

L.M. We need money for equipment: oxygen concentrators, artificial lung ventilation devices. In Russia, children who cannot breathe on their own are forced to live in a hospital. We at the foundation buy ventilators, which cost a million, so that parents can take their child home.

ELLE What do the children themselves want?

L.M. We had a five-year-old boy with a huge eye tumor. It was his birthday and we asked what he would like. And he replied: “Look at live hedgehogs.” And hedgehogs came to his hospice and, it seems, they even danced. There was also a young man, Lesha, who dreamed of going to a Scorpions concert. He could not get out of bed and was connected to an oxygen machine. And it was clear that it would not be possible to take him to the concert. And then the lead singer of the group called him at the hospice and sang hits over the phone. And Lesha was very, very happy. But mostly children want something material: iPads, iPhones...

ELLE Do you become attached to your wards?

L.M. Yes. I was friends with a girl named Christina. We had a tradition: every day I took her out on the bed to the hospice garden, and we sat there and chatted for half an hour. There are always one or two children with whom you not only work, but are friends.

ELLE How are you coping with their departure?

L.M. Every time it seems to me that this particular child will recover. It is impossible to be prepared for a friend to die.

ELLE Are there cases of happy recovery?

L.M. In my memory, two children recovered. One boy came to us in a coma, he had a brain tumor, the doctors said that he was incurable. We washed him, fed him, he lay motionless for a year, and then he opened his eyes and said: “I want kebab.” He was from Armenia and did not know Russian before his coma. And then somehow he spoke. He was sent for rehabilitation to France, where he still lives. He is 19 years old, he studies at the university, and it is difficult to imagine that this boy was once in a hospice. And the girl Nastya, who was in critical condition, she was already injected with morphine, she fell into a coma for three months, and then suddenly woke up and also started talking about food - she asked for pizza. Apparently we didn't feed well. (Laughs.)

ELLE What do you think gives strength to terminally ill children?

L.M. There was a study explaining how children survived the concentration camps, what kept them going. And it turned out that three things: faith in God, humor and creativity.

ELLE What gives you strength personally?

L.M. Friends who love me.

Text: Olga Siplivaya

The multiple Paralympic champion, Duracell energy ambassador, took up cross-country skiing and biathlon professionally, despite doctors' orders. And now it’s unlikely that anyone will call her life inferior.

ELLE Why did you choose skiing out of all the sports?

ANNA MILENINA My whole family is skiing: mom, dad, aunt - my first coach. Family traditions. But I started with swimming - my mother sent me to the pool, for general development, due to illness (Anna birth injury, due to which one hand cannot fully work. - Approx. ELLE). But then I felt offended: how is it that everyone in the family goes skiing, my brother and sister followed in their parents’ footsteps, and I’m the only one who swims. I started skating and I liked it.

ELLE What did the doctors say?

A.M. They categorically prohibited any sport. There were moments when my mother simply took me out of the next doctor’s office so that I would not hear all these: “No, under no circumstances, you, mother, will kill the child.” My mother needs to erect a monument that, contrary to professional opinion, she sent me to sports. And then, when I had already achieved success, the doctors with whom I was examined came to the conclusion that they were wrong and that sports actually develops.

ELLE Did you immediately decide that you would take up skiing professionally?

A.M. No, at first I just went to a children's sports school, at first I skated with two poles, like all the other guys, but I soon realized that one was still in the way. And then I found out that it exists Paralympic sport. Of course, I couldn’t compete with healthy athletes, I have a lower class, one stick limits my speed, so I needed something else. I started training hard, going to international Paralympic competitions - and off we go.

ELLE How does this happen technically? How do you, for example, carry a rifle in biathlon?

A.M. For Paralympians, everything works a little differently. The rifles are lying on the line, we don’t carry them with us, plus the distance to the target is less - ten meters. And with us Airguns, and not cartridges, like ordinary athletes.

ELLE Are the loads commensurate? Did you also spend your entire childhood at training camps?

A.M. It was childhood. I had a sporty childhood, of course, but I also managed to hang out in the yard with friends. I do not regret anything. Once I went to a nightclub and was disappointed: loud music, smoky toilets - all this was not for me. You get used to the sport mode. In addition, sometimes you manage to “finish” - in the off-season, at the end of April - May, there is an opportunity to relax and be with your family. I endure, wait for the moment when I can give in, and relax.

ELLE Remember your most disappointing defeat?

A.M. It was not even a defeat, but a disqualification at 5 kilometers in a classic move. I fall into a hole, come to the finish line third, and I’m disqualified because I took three steps with a skate move instead of a classic one when I got out of the hole. We filed a protest three times, but never received a medal: there was a video recording that showed me taking five steps, but the moment of falling into the pit was not recorded. Of course it was a shame.

ELLE When this happens, what reaction do you expect from others - sympathy or, conversely, no sentimentality?

A.M. No, sympathy, I don’t like all these pitying looks. You need to analyze mistakes, draw conclusions from them and move on. Work, get ready for the next race and win so that defeat is no longer remembered. In general, in our country the image of a disabled person is exactly this, pitiful - a man stands in the passage with a stick and asks for a handout. We, athletes, are changing this stereotype. And now disabled athletes are admired more than pitied. When you look at a wheelchair skier descending from an Olympic course where able-bodied athletes fall, you feel nothing but pride.

ELLE Is it true that you ran at one of the competitions in Khanty-Mansiysk while you were three months pregnant?

A.M. Yes. I ran the first race, won it, after which the coach took my skis away with the words: “That’s enough, I’ve been running.”

ELLE Are you unfamiliar with the feeling of fear at all?

A.M. I felt good and would have run more than one race. The condition allowed, and the doctors did not prohibit it. It’s just that my husband, mother, and coach were against it. At first I was offended, but then I realized that they cared about my health.

ELLE Was it scary to give birth?

A.M. The first pregnancy is always scary. The first month after giving birth, I thought: “I wouldn’t do it again, but no way!” But now I understand what a blessing it is to have children. When a little son runs around the apartment with a flag and shouts: “Mom, go ahead! Russia is the champion!” - a second wind opens. I want to win for my son.

ELLE Do you consider yourself a strong woman?

A.M. Well, I don’t respond to “woman” yet. (Laughs.) Of course, I gave birth to a child, but I don’t consider myself a “woman.” There is something very adult about this word. I still consider myself a girl.

ELLE What do you think is the main female strength?

A.M. In patience. We are no better than men, there are both good and bad. But, unlike them, we know how to endure.

Text: Olga Siplivaya

In the harsh male world of business, a female leader has no room for error at all. But it seems that the head of Audi Russia does not feel this pressure at all.

Everything is clear with her, as it should be in a German company. The day before the interview and filming, her staff called six times to make sure the ELLE team was ready for Smirnova's arrival. We even got a little worried.

ELLE How many people do you have under your command? How many of them do you know by name?

Elena SMIRNOVA 87. Everyone. Recently there was team building, I met everyone I didn’t know. In addition, our staff rarely changes; I work with many of them for 5 years or more.

ELLE Do you remember your most striking failure in 14 years of working for the company?

E.S. In the second year of work, I placed an order in the system, which was seen by the plant in Ingolstadt. It accepts the car designated by codes. I was just studying and “assembled” the car in a configuration that is impossible to sell! The Audi A8 luxury sedan is bright blue with burgundy seats and a brown dashboard. And he came to Russia.

ELLE And what happened to this car?

E.S. I found my client. The man was fascinated and bought it the same day he came to the salon. I am very grateful to him.

ELLE What is the strength of a female leader?

E.S. A woman is always inclined to find a compromise. Walking over corpses is still not about us. There is great strength in finding a solution that satisfies both sides. When two alpha males meet, the battle begins. In most cases, it is possible to come to an agreement with a woman. You don't have to go through the wall, you can go around it.

ELLE Who is easier for a woman to negotiate with?

E.S. With men, because they don't compete with us. We also have the opportunity to ask for something or show weakness, even if it is a planned weakness. A man is designed in such a way by nature that he is ready to help.

ELLE Who taught you this?

E.S. All my managers were men. So this is actually mine personal experience(smiles).

ELLE What's the best piece of advice you've received?

E.S. I received it from a friend, a very respected person who has already achieved a lot. When I became the head of Audi in Russia, he simply said: “The main thing is don’t get worse.” I take this as the fact that I must preserve my “I”, not try to show what is not there, be consistent in my decisions, behavior and attitude towards people.

ELLE What advice would you give to your successor?

E.S. Believe in yourself. Often people, having made a mistake, stop, believing that one more step will lead to a mistake again. You have to follow your intuition, and even if something doesn’t work out, you have to try again. If this step is not taken, the topic may be closed. It's like driving a car: if you couldn't start up a hill and then didn't try again - most likely you'll never drive.

ELLE. What would you change in your life if you had the opportunity?

E.S. Margaret Thatcher was once asked how lucky she was. She replied: “I’m unlucky, I deserve it.” That's why I don't want to change anything, everything happened when it was supposed to. And I live by the principle: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do now.” I have no pending cases.

ELLE You don’t have a girlish hobby - helicopter sports...

E.S. I started with a friend and then couldn’t stop. This is a lifelong passion. In Yakhroma Park, not far from the Audi school, there is a helicopter club “Aerosoyuz”, we are friends with the director, and from time to time I allow myself to fly.

ELLE You have a five-year-old son. How has your attitude towards danger changed after having a child?

E.S. I began to take care of myself, especially when skiing. If earlier it was a matter of course to drive down a black highway, not knowing where it ends, but now, without knowing the route, I won’t go anywhere.

ELLE Who is the head of your family?

E.S. We have a traditional division of functions in the family. The man is the head, and the woman is the neck.

ELLE How to do this? How to build harmonious relationships while remaining a strong woman?

E.S. A person wears masks - a leader, a mother, a wife. In fact, if at work you have to solve complex issues, make difficult decisions, bear responsibility for a bunch of things, then it is a great happiness to shift responsibility to your husband at home and immerse yourself in absolutely pleasant worries: playing with your child, buying new furniture. I do not at all pretend to be the leader in the family and am happy to give it to my husband. Men are supposed to help women in everything, we need to give them this opportunity. This is also one of the traits of a strong woman. Don't pull the blanket over yourself. Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Angela Merkel, Princess Olga, Catherine the Great clearly divided: work is work - to govern the state, to build the country. But that's not all there is to life, they were women with weaknesses.

ELLE How did your husband propose to you?

E.S. In a classic way. It was during a romantic walk in the forest. We were picking mushrooms, I don’t know what prompted him. He got down on one knee, extended his hand and asked me to marry him.

ELLE Did you say yes right away?

E.S. Yes. (Smiles.)

Text: Olga Islamkina

ELLE Which of your loved ones had the hardest time understanding that you are now disabled - your mother or your husband?

K.B. A mother recently told me: “I still can’t come to terms with the fact that my child is in a wheelchair. It infuriates me, it makes me angry!” But I’m a successful person and I wouldn’t be like that if I were like everyone else. The situation with my husband is different. He didn't even have time to think about it. The accident happened, and then he acted - provided for, raised the child. It's not easy to suddenly lose a young, beautiful wife. And it's very hard to get used to. He once told me: “We were different, I want you to become the same again.” He waited a long time before saying this. But it won't be the same as before. We must live as we do now. I had to be such that he would not feel the difference, he would be proud of me. Now I have absolutely no complexes. I don't feel like I'm disabled. When you do something for others, it doesn't matter what state you are in. We all feel fulfilled when we receive gratitude from society. I don't live in vain. Now I am a public figure, I am on the council of the Moscow Department of Culture, I brought the crown to Russia, I met with famous people, I draw attention to the problem of disabled people. I like that I am a conductor between the world in which I lived: gloss, fashion, beauties in heels, and the world of those in wheelchairs, who are not seen or heard. But people with disabilities should not remain silent, I tell everyone: you can’t just sit and blame. Everyone has the opportunity to change this life. Society will develop correctly only when everyone acts together.

ELLE The beauty contest you are planning to hold is also for this?

K.B.“Miss Commonwealth 2015” among girls with disabilities will be held in December 2014 in Moscow. A lot of work has already been done, I have secured the support of the Moscow government, negotiations are underway with the Russian Ministry of Culture. Girls from the former Soviet republics will come for a whole week, and a number of events will take place before the final - as happens at Miss Universe. Let's go to a rehabilitation center to see sick children. Lots of inspiration for kids beautiful girls in crowns. And the participants at home will become the center of media attention and will be able to talk about the problems of people with disabilities.

“I like that I am a CONDUCTOR between the world in which I lived: gloss, beauties in heels, and the world of those who are IN STROLLERS, who are not seen or heard”

ELLE Are you facing any negativity? While studying social work? In everyday life?

K.B. In general, no. Sometimes a child sees me in a shopping center and asks my mother why I’m in a stroller. And she gets lost, gets angry at him: “Shut your mouth!” And I smile and explain: “Everything is fine, my aunt’s legs just hurt.” Sometimes I can’t climb onto the curb, but when I look around in confusion, people immediately react and offer help.

ELLE Do you have it? amazing ability win people over. I remember our entire publishing house tried to help in some way when you had an accident.

K.B. Before the moment of injury, I managed to create a special environment around myself, a “corset” - powerful, dense. I wasn't scared because all my friends supported me. When I was in intensive care, boxes arrived with letters from work, candles, and icons. I have a lot of friends from the publishing house, although I only worked there for a year. And I have a feeling that I have childhood friends there. When I already gave birth, I went to our publishing house for the first time, the president of the company met me and said that he hoped that I would return soon.

ELLE What is it about you that can hold people like that?

K.B. Don't know. Once the guys from StarHit magazine and I went to Cyprus. We sit and drink champagne. And for the first time I decided to ask: why are you bothering with me? They were very surprised: “We don’t bother with you, we are friends with you, we love you. We are proud to communicate with you. It’s you who mess with us, constantly bringing us out of stress and setting us up for positivity.” Apparently it's just love.

Text: Olga Islamkina

VIDEO: Ksenia Bezuglova told the story of her success

Ksenia Bezuglova became Miss World in a wheelchair and gave birth to two daughters. A severe spinal injury received during an accident does not prevent Ksenia from being happy and living life to the fullest. According to the girl, love helped her overcome all adversity. She spoke about this in Yulia Menshova’s program “Alone with Everyone.”

Seven years ago, Ksenia was in a terrible accident, after which she found herself confined to a wheelchair. Situations like this break many people. But not Ksenia.

Her mother's love helped her win her first victory over herself, over the vicissitudes of fate, over her illness. Then - to the child who was in the womb. After all, Ksenia was in a car accident while pregnant.

Obviously, it was this pregnancy and the desire to save the life of her child at all costs that gave her strength then. She flatly refused the doctors’ offers to terminate the pregnancy and firmly decided: no matter what, she would give birth.

And in 2009 she gave birth to a beautiful girl, Taisiya. In August 2015, Ksenia became a mother for the second time - Alexa was born.

By that time, she had already become Miss World 2013 among girls in wheelchairs. Ksenia spoke about how difficult this crown was for her in Yulia Menshova’s program.

She went to a beauty contest in Italy without telling anyone. There she encountered the intrigues that accompany such events. Her dress was stolen, and she was given strange makeup that disfigured her appearance and which she had to correct. But she endured everything and eventually won - the Miss World crown ended up on her head.

However, this was not the first crown in Ksenia’s life. And, apparently, not the most important one.

The most important one was put on her at the moment when her husband, Alexey Bezuglov, asked her for her hand in marriage.

He appeared as a real prince- on a white horse.

Ksenia sat on a makeshift throne wearing an elegant crown. Alexey invited her to become his wife.

Naturally, Ksenia could not resist the prince, and agreed.

Alexey is a reliable support in life. Incl. thanks to him, Ksenia was able to withstand the blows of fate.

The program also included details terrible accident in August 2008.

Ksenia’s sister, Natalya Demidova, spoke about them.

It turns out that since childhood, the sisters loved to relax in wild and reserved places - their parents became interested.

It was like that that time too.

By an absurd coincidence, her sister Natalya was traveling in the car with Ksenia’s husband Alexei. Ksenia was riding in the second car, which was walking behind them. Natalya and Alexey saw how the car in which the pregnant Ksenia was was overturned several times.

When my sister ran up to Ksenia, she immediately told her: “I have no legs, my spine is broken.” Those. Ksenia understood everything in the first moment after the disaster.

The places were deserted. They had to call a helicopter to take the girl to the nearest hospital. There, the doctors performed a miracle - they saved the lives of Ksenia and her child.

Bezuglova Ksenia Yurievna(maiden name - Kishina) was born on June 8, 1983 in Leninsk-Kuznetsky (Kemerovo region).

In 1984, she moved with her family to the village of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye, Primorsky Territory.

Graduated from Modern Humanitarian Academy(branch in Vladivostok), Faculty of Management.

In 2006 she moved to Moscow.

Since 2008 he has been working at the Hearst Shkulev Media Publishing House.

In 2008, she graduated from the Presidential Management Training Program at the Russian Economic University. G. V. Plekhanov.

Since 2011, Ksenia annually takes part in shows of collections of the special fashion competition Bezgraniz Couture, the goal of which is to initiate the industrial production of clothing that is comfortable for all categories of the inhabitants of the Earth without exception, and to influence a change in the perception of people with disabilities.

In December 2012, in Rome, Ksenia won the international beauty contest among girls in wheelchairs “Vertical”, equivalent to “Miss World”. After receiving the title, Ksenia became involved in public activities to protect the interests of wheelchair users.

In the winter of 2013, while on vacation with her family in Thailand, Ksenia, together with the chairman of the Primorsky organization of wheelchair users “Ark” Artem Moiseenko, turned to the Phuket prefecture with a request to equip one of the beaches for the disabled, as a result of which Nai Harn beach was reconstructed.

In 2013, Ksenia became a member of the Coordination Council for Disabled People under the Mayor of Moscow, the Council of the Moscow Department of Health, and the Council of the Moscow Department of Culture. As a result of her activities, the Left Bank beach of Moscow was equipped and adapted for disabled people.

Currently, Ksenia cooperates with the Ministry of Health on family planning issues among people with disabilities, takes an active part in the development of projects related to barrier-free environments, and conducts audits of barrier-free environments in the regions.

Ksenia was one of the torchbearers of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games.