"Yes, the grandfather, to us never to reach such" — the grandson of triple Olympic champion Alexander Vasilyevich Medvedya when watched the movie about the legendary relative exclaimed. Honestly, the nice biography of this athlete, three times the Olympic champion recognized as the best Belarusian athlete of the twentieth century, and also the best free wrestler in the history of sports, would suffice on five. Much all was, but the basic human principles over the years remained invariable. They also helped to move to the purpose, to establish a big close-knit family, to build the house similar on in what grew — about the wood...

Thin, but annoying

The house of its childhood still there is in the city a White Church of Kiev region. Alexander Medved lived in it after war with parents, sisters and the brother (too the wrestler). It was constructed of an oak (the city oak groves surrounded), outside sheathed by a shingle and covered with clay with straw. "By the way, in such house it was always very dry and warm. Recently my nephew to whom it belongs now, began to do repair, enclosed outside a wall with a brick, so the oak became such strong as iron" — was noticed by Alexander Vasilyevich who all life loves this noble breed of a tree — behind a fence of a present country site samolichno planted two young oak trees. "I was about seven years old when we helped to build the house, carried straw that the horse trampled it in clay. Works always was much: it was necessary to graze cows, bags to drag, mow, cut oak firewood (from which heat was better, than from coal), to help the father. Mother got up at five o'clock in the morning, made for us a breakfast. I remember, I always liked hash browns, with an appetizing crisp. Children in the winter, having heard this magic smell, I climbed up from an oven. And in warm nights we liked to sleep on a mow. Happens, you wake up, and nearby on the sun it was attached".

Sashko (so the champion called in the childhood) at the head of a band of children participated in fisticuffs the street on the street. Thin, but the annoying guy often won against the rivals. At school too enjoyed authority, I drove the schoolmates smoking on the quiet in a toilet. After school I worked in the hometown at aircraft factory. When went to army, at first I got to Kazakhstan on a virgin soil where, by the way, noticed its fighting spirit and taught the main receptions of wrestling. From Kazakhstan sent to serve in military unit in Uruchye, to the capital of Belarus. Subsequently the homeless young athlete had to live in a barrack, together with bugs blood-suckers, then in a small room on a place of the former power plant...

Long road to the palace

Five years built the Palace of wrestling of a name of Alexander Medvedya on Kalinovskogo Street (the former movie theater "Vilnius"). "In the first years I tried to happen on all staffs, to listen to reports, to learn current plans. But building went hard: terms were tightened, contractors" changed — Alexander Vasilyevich remembers. Once nerves didn't sustain when he saw that builders are engaged in warming of walls while the building had no roof. Such "scope of work" didn't suit it. After all for the person who always went to the planned purpose and I reached result that it costed (after all there were heavy traumas, at young age heart troubles began), it wasn't quite clear why budgetary funds in time aren't mastered, work on object isn't organized properly. It was necessary to address to the mayor with a request personally to interfere with construction process. As a result the center last year, at last, opened.

— There very beautiful hall, twenty on twenty — with pride are told by the glorified athlete. — On three hundred spectator places. Plus a wrestling hall where two carpets and seats lie are moved apart. There we hold tournament for children "Bear cub". There is also a game, basketball hall. While there is a youth and health, it is necessary to go in for sports.

Not for the sake of meat

Since the childhood the athlete, the son of the forester, loves the nature, campaigns in the wood. Since twelve years it took on hunting as the beater. And now occasionally likes to resemble with a gun different wild beasts. But hunts not for the sake of meat. Is at the Bear and the principles of hunting. In India to the wrestler somehow suggested to hunt astride elephants on a lion. But wife Tatyana strictly forbade.

All roads conduct home

In general, with the wife, with children and all big family the Medved was lucky.  "My Tatyana — very wise woman.  Where I went, I always wanted to come back home where it is cozy and everything is arranged with the imagination and love"...  By the way, it is a share of all women which husbands are completely given to work — to resolve independently household issues.

With the future wife, Tatyana Stepanovna, the engineer by profession, Alexander got acquainted in the Palace of labor unions, but almost at once it had to leave for a while, and once again the destiny pushed off them in park Chelyuskintsev, on dances. "I love very much to dance — the interlocutor admitted to me — a waltz well I dance".

By the way, almost all native the Medved — people sports. Daughter Elena was the champion of Belarus in tennis. Son Alexey — the world champion in free-style wrestling. Grandsons are engaged gradually in different types of wrestling, basketball, swimming, play among themselves soccer, with the grandfather in billiards. Two great-granddaughters Maya and Katya grow up.

— I like now a lot of time to see off at a dacha — the interlocutor tells. — To put, cut. There are different grades of the apple-tree, one pear, "sweet" plum, it is a lot of raspberry, blackberry. With the wife we eat pumpkins much and to youth we give, try potato though two buckets to grow up. Grandsons I accustom to work. I communicate with friends whom at me much, I am engaged in education of young athletes.

Gennady — Jack of all trades

Is available for the wrestler and various private construction experience. One of crews, for example, at giving construction in Ratomka on Sportivnaya Street it was necessary to expel for theft (the neigbour noticed the bags hidden in bushes with cement). But subsequently it was lucky with Jack of all trades Gennady. "It one performed almost all construction works. Also I made all conducting, I put a tile. Coped for one season.  Nearby coped baths. Now with the wife we regret that when drew the house project, didn't guess to make it one-storeyed. Now, with age, it became difficult to rise often upward. Though the ladder at us beautiful, semicircular, from a pine" — tells the triple Olympic champion. Special gate from cast iron, with the Olympic rings, made to Alexander Vasilyevich at the Mogilyov foundry.

A who are you now?

In the memoirs under the name "All Life — Fight" the athlete writes: "With age you start appreciating every minute. Laws of life are simple: the youth comes, and it is necessary to move. Everything is good in its season. However it is impossible to live past. The Bear if sits down on a zavalinka would be good and became, bending fingers, to list: I was the champion, the trainer, made that da made it... "And who you are now? " — life raises a question rigidly, an edge and who with it isn't ready to such dialogue, it appears on a roadside. Life — it here, here it, this fall, and that was — passed. I never could reach longevity in sports if didn't aspire constantly forward, didn't try to prove every day anew, not to write history from a blank sheet, not to live clean, not to look for for myself new reference points, not to be improved..."

Very soon, on September 16, Alexander Medvedyu will be 76 years old. We wish it good luck, health and long years of life!

Svetlana DEVYATKOVA