In the May 2009 issue of LED – the official Ice Age magazine, Ekaterina talks about the trip to Israel. Tel Aviv was a stop of the Ice Age tour (March 28, 2009).

translated by NatS.

THE TRIP TO THE HOLY LAND
From January until May the Ice Show finalists not only participate in shooting of new episodes but also go on tour around cities in the home country and free of. With such an intense schedule there is no time off at all. But upon the arrival to Israel all the participants have been nicely surprised – they got a day off. Katia Gordeeva talked how the figure skaters spent the day off.

Page 102
As I have never been to Israel, I had been interested in beforehand. However, I was coming here on business trip; I hadn’t planned any excursions and walks in the city. I was planning to work.
The airplane took off at midnight; we got in the hotel in Tel-Aviv only at 6 a.m. Everybody was tired and wanted to sleep. That’s why I hadn’t any thought how I was going to spend my day off. The single thing I remember I had on that day – the smell of the sea. I felt it right upon disembarking from the airplane and in contrast with Moscow’s air, the freshness literally intoxicated me. The next morning, when I opened the window, I saw the sea. It was a big surprise! Under the bright rays of sun the sea was very beautiful and of the deep emerald colour. From the window I could see the coastline and breaking waves. I wanted immediately to go for a walk along the coastline. When I went downstairs in the hall, all the guys were there and it was time to go for a brunch. The restaurant was located near the sea. We wanted eating outside but because of the wind we decided to stay inside. The food and the service were just perfect. When we sit down, the pitta bread with a sauce was served. We aren’t used to eat the bread like that but it’s traditional Arab cuisine. Israeli cuisine has large elements of Arab cuisine. As for people, on the contrary, they look like European. Honestly, I was under the impression that everybody was Russian. In the day, we were going shopping and everywhere I got the same: when I started speaking English to a vendor and then asked someone of our group in Russian… “May I help you?” – I heard the vendor asking me in Russian at once and we continued speaking Russian. By and large, the people were very friendly and all over, the environment was calm and comfortable.

Page 102
In the afternoon, we went to the sea and looked at waves breaking. On the spot, on the embankment, we drunk a cup of coffee prepared on the Arabic recipe and after that, everyone went in different directions. The most of our group were with children, someone had come here one day earlier in order to have one day more for a rest. Tania Navka went to the Dead Sea, someone else – to Jerusalem, and the Director Katia Tsanava and I went walking in the city. And everywhere we went, we met our colleagues – in shops, in cafés, around the hotel. .. Here is Alena Babenko, there is Roma Kostomarov, and here are two Maksims –Marinin and Staviysky… It seemed that we fulfilled the entire town! And everything seemed to be spiritual and clear, like the Holy Land didn’t let us be others.
Nobody had expected such a wonderful gift – the whole day off in the Tour’s schedule. We all were after Moscow as happy as a pig in muck and taking this advantage we walked, got a rest and relaxed. In the night those who visited Jerusalem were sharing their emotions with us and Katia and I, we decided to go there the next day.
The day of our show, we hadn’t enough time for the sightseeing tour. In spite of this we went, walked two and half – or three hours…. I was afraid of getting too tired to perform or of being inspired too much by Jerusalem and forgetting about everything, and of being late to the show. As the last thought didn’t let me in peace, we come back early and missed a lot to see.

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The biggest impression was the view of Jerusalem from the top point of hill. The town is like the white brick temple surrounded by the wall – like a book illustration. And later when we went down the hill and walked through the central gate, we found ourselves in the book.
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Page 104
The Wall of Crying, the Holiest Place to the Jewish people, since hundred years ago has been the Symbol of Faith and Hope for many generations. The people from all countries around the world come here to pray and leave a wish on a small piece of paper. Before the trip Ira Slutskaja’s mom had explained me how to do it: write a wish on the paper, fold the paper and place it between bricks on the Wall. The wish one day will come true. I said that to Katia Tsanava and her daughter Liza and we decided to write before we come to the Wall.
When I took a small piece of paper and wrote down my wish, I saw how Liza prepared a big sheet of paper and began to write in uppercase letters. I was teasing: “This paper will be too big for a small space between bricks “. She became confused: “I just wanted everybody to understand it…” Of course, nobody will read it; we address a wish to God. That’s why we shouldn’t tell anyone about the wish, otherwise it won’t come true. Even when the papers fall on the earth, the keeper collects them and without reading earths them on the spot.
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Page 105: the two last paragraphs
I can’t say that I’m very religious – I don’t go Church or commit myself to the Lenten. I think the faith isn’t in observing the fasts and feasts of the church but it is inside of each of us. It is easier to live when you believe in something. I, for example, in every difficult situation go to church and pray not to help me but to direct me the way how I can help myself. Even in those circumstances it isn’t necessary to go to church. Sometime I feel just exhausted for skating while being in tour I have to skate. What I do, I pray in the Spirit to help me and I get the help!
If you want something very much, it comes true absolutely! When I was competing, I always wished myself to win. That wish made me work hardly and I won. On the other side, I believe in miracles as well. One New Year’s night I made a wish to win at the Olympic Games and I become the Champion. Is it a miracle? May be. Or I wished it very much. Wishes coming from the heart tend to come true.