Premiere of the movie "Under Two Skies" at the RUSSIA EXPO

On March 20, the first feature-documentary film about synchronized swimming "Under Two Skies" premiered at the International RUSSIA EXPO.

The film was presented by the authors and creators of the movie, Olympic and world champions of different years. The author of the idea was three-time Olympic champion, three-time world champion, nine-time European champion, Merited Master of Sport in synchronized swimming Maria Kiseleva, the director of the film was Vitaly Minorsky, the script writer - Mikhail Palatnik, the cinematographer - Oleg Gerasimov, producer - Andrei Mogirev.

The film is based on the 25-year history of victories of Russian synchronized swimmers at international competitions, combined with masterpieces of Russian classics. The audience learned about the trials and difficulties faced by the athletes and saw the limitless possibilities of the champions conquering the water element. The production team was inspired by Russian painting and Russian ballet while working on the movie.

"We are honored to present this film right here at the Exposition. Our movie is about the art of synchronized swimming and the skill of our athletes and coaches. Our main idea was to show, by combining sport and art, that synchronized swimming has no boundaries. It is limitless. And the deeper you dive into it, the wider the expanse opens up. Everything that happens on and under water is unique. It is like a new kind of art that only the strongest can master. That is why the heroes of our movie are the strongest titled athletes of our sport - Olympic and world champions, the Russian national team and, of course, the head coach Tatyana Pokrovskaya", - said Maria Kiseleva.

The film was made possible thanks to the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives. The movie was created by the Moscow Synchronized Swimming Federation and 2B Media studio.

"We are immensely grateful that the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives believed in us and supported us. We are also grateful to 2B Media studio, which went headfirst into a completely new story, in a very short period of time recruiting a great, professional, brightest, most talented team that worked as one mechanism," Maria Kiseleva added.

The protagonist of the film is the head coach of the synchronized swimming team, Merited Coach of Russia Tatyana Pokrovskaya. The shooting also involved Olympic synchronized swimming champions and world champions - Svetlana Romashina, Svetlana Kolesnichenko, Alla Shishkina, Maria Shurochkina, Vlada Chigireva, Elena Prokofieva, Marina Golyadkina, Varvara Subbotina, Darina Valitova, Maya Doroshko, Alexander Maltsev, the national synchronized swimming team of Russia.

Synchronized swimming in Russia has reached impressive heights and has become one of the most successful sports. The Russian national team regularly wins medals at the most prestigious international competitions, including the Olympic Games. Their graceful style, coordination, technique and sense of rhythm amaze spectators from all over the world. Their creativity has long transcended the boundaries of competition. This creativity is a new kind of art, a real theater both on and under water.

"Everyone knows the saying "beauty will save the world". And I think the movie "Under Two Skies" is about that. It is about the fact that not only sport becomes art, but also art becomes sport. This harmony is inherent in our life, and what our girls, led by Tatyana Pokrovskaya, have done and continue to do is a small feat that we have been witnessing and proud of for many decades. It is important not only to be first in sports, but also to be an example in how to treat the thing you love, how to treat your coach with respect, how to respect your teammates and be worthy of these great traditions. An important point for people coming into sport today will be to realize the place sport has in the life of our society and every person. It is not just medals and daily work, but also the realization that we bring up our children by the example of the great victorious traditions of our country," said Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin.