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US figure skater supports Ukraine on the second anniversary of full-scale war
Johnny Weir, an American men's singles figure skater, three-time U.S. figure skating champion and bronze medalist at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships, posted a post on his Instagram page supporting Ukraine and urging people to donate and not forget about the terrible war.
"Ukraine has been defending itself for two years. Two years of death, humanitarian disaster and destruction. Please consider donating to charitable aid in Ukraine through supportukrainenow.org. There are many ways we can help. Thank you! Glory to Ukraine," the skater captioned his photo, in which he appeared in a costume of Ukrainian athletes next to a blue and yellow flag and sunflowers, the symbols of Ukraine.
Earlier, Weir expressed his affection for Russia, admired its culture and even learned the language. However, after the start of the full-scale invasion, the athlete changed his mind dramatically and became one of the first to actively support the Ukrainian people. His blog contains many references to Ukraine, including charity fundraisers and photos in national costumes, which makes Russian fans nervous.
In the 2009/2010 season, Ukrainian-American specialists worked with the athlete. These are well-known coaches Galina Zmievskaya and Viktor Petrenko, as well as choreographers David Wilson and Nina Petrenko. Throughout his career, Weir has worked with top-notch international specialists from many countries.
The figure skater pays the most attention to choreography, and among the specialists who helped him create his programs are Natalia Linichuk, Tatiana Tarasova, Denis Petukhov, Priscilla Gil, Evgeny Platov, Marina Anishina and Maya Usova, Angelika Krylova, Yuri Sergeev and other famous choreographers.
Johnny Weir is popular not only in the United States, but also in other countries, especially in Russia and Japan, where he even studied languages.
