My meeting with the man who could become the face of today’s Russian business.

Sure, if after a brilliant career on the tatami, the judoka, world champion Alexey Ledenev became sports authority, history with the suspension of our team from participation in the XXIII Olympic games would not be. But Alex, once the brightest the winner of the TV show “dancing with the stars”, chose another path. Three degrees, an MBA, work in “Promsvyazbank”, the management of large agricultural holdings, construction of a plant for the production of animal feed and the creation of trading companies, mining nonmetallic minerals – as he managed in his 33? If you include work on a doctoral dissertation, it is just incredible! But we started the conversation with the unprecedented decision by the IOC.

– At the meeting on 12 December, Russian Olympians will make a decision whether to take part in the Games. Whose side are you on?

– As a former professional athlete I emotionally live and feel their pain. Just imagine: to devote life to a grueling training, four years to be on top form, and you say: “Sorry.” Of course, as a lawyer, I know it well, you can find a lot of loopholes, move to another country, change their citizenship, but this is the second question. The main thing was not to go to extremes. As one of my good friend: “the Olympics is not a stadium, it is a political arena”. If we consider everything as a political game, any country, figuratively speaking, can now be sent to retirement. Find doping or to pretend that you have found. Our athletes have become pawns. It is unpleasant to realize, and here the necessary decisions at the highest level. I believe that the leaders of the state should get involved because if the country is excluded, it speaks about our weakness or that we are unable to agree. There is a professional sport and political arena, and the Olympics is the only competition where they need to be combined. Here it is necessary to communicate to the athletes and officials of high rank, and the last in this situation loses.

They had to think about this before?

Is not the word! Know what business in the United States and their mentality differs from the Russian? Americans expect their strategy for 20-50 years ahead. The famous political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski in his book “the Grand chessboard” plans tactical moves for the next hundred years! Really it was not clear that if we are all of the block has imposed sanctions, the next step will be the Olympics, the sport? We have more weaknesses than you can touch?!

– So, our strategies are not understand what they do?

– Don’t like to talk to someone and to evaluate, because it looks ridiculous. When I headed the agricultural holding and for me there was 1500 people, 130 tons of milk per day, 12 000 head of cattle, I understand how hard it is to manage, especially if not run by a private company, and a huge country. Need to get away from the accusatory conversations in the kitchen, here we are all masters, and become professionals, which chose.

– Speaking of professional approach, you can be called a certified father. Two sons, daughter, all, as far as I know, you’re in the hospital took.

– Yes, personally cut the umbilical cord.

– Share the secrets of education.

The best example for children – parents. I periodically ask my father as he raised me so that I don’t take substances that change consciousness, love sports, somewhere to aspire to. The child is required to have to take, to guide, to it is not staggered along the street. Thanks dad, and I have a master of sports in judo and entrepreneur, my childhood and youth were spent that way. For example, Makar, middle child, I often carried with me to the pool, the gym, and there he is trying for me to repeat. Takes hard drives, I stop, but he doesn’t give up, says he wants to be strong, hero.

– Recently I read that you became interested in kendo style. What is it?

– Kendo – fencing with bamboo swords, and they are known to bend, but not break. And this sport, like many Asians, not focused on the result but on the way. A special moment, which I like very much, – through the holes in the helmet you are strictly looking into the very eyes of the enemy. Ninety percent of Japanese politicians engaged in Kendo, because it teaches us to negotiate, to feel the opponent, his energy, facial expressions, gestures.

– So, in business negotiations, the victory is always for you?

– I advocate that there was mutual consent.

Today, 12 December, it became known that the Olympic Committee of Russia unanimously supported the initiative of our athletes to attend the Games in 2018. Russia will go to the Olympics under a neutral flag