Two-time world volleyball champion Svetlana Kryuchkova said that in her youth she was in love with the soloist of “Ivanushki” Kirill Andreev, and she still keeps a notebook with an autograph taken from the frontman of “The King and the Jester” Mikhail Gorshenev.

Kryuchkova ended her career as a volleyball player in 2021. As part of the Russian national team, she won the 2013 European Championship and the 2006 and 2010 World Championships.

– You once said that, having arrived in Tula with your team from the Lipetsk Indesit, you lived in the Moskva Hotel.

“Yes, that’s right,” Kryuchkova said in an interview on Tatyana Kosheleva’s Youtube channel.

– And I met one of my idols, the leader of the “King and the Jester” group – Gorshka. Tell me more, please.

Michael was still alive then. There was a meeting, we played in the major league B. The coach safely kicked me out of this meeting, I don’t remember why. I didn’t behave very badly, but I was restless, because I really wanted to get an autograph from Pot. I had a direct obsession after I realized that they live in the same hotel with us. They had their last concert, I think they gave two concerts in the city, they had such a practice. And they were already leaving, they had their own big bus, which had already pulled up to the entrance. I understood that my time was limited. When the coach kicked me out, I was even delighted, because the meeting was not very interesting. I immediately ran to my room, took a clean notebook, a pen and went down to the lobby. They said they haven’t come out yet. And then one by one they started showing up.

The drummer came out, I remember that he was just short – that’s what caught my eye. Collected autographs, Mikhail was not there. I began to worry, asked what room he was in, went up to his floor, and then he just left. He said that he did not feel very well, but signed. I remember he was so tall, in a long leather coat. Like out of a fairy tale. I was enchanted. At that time, I constantly listened to The King and the Jester. I have periods – I listen to one group, then another. I cannot say that I am a strong fan, but I am fond of creativity. I was incredibly happy, and I still have this notebook.

– Still?

— Yes, I have it.

— You always talk about music as something special. Why is it so important for you?

– It all started with pop music when I was a child. Then I was just a fan of Ivanushki, for me they were, perhaps, some kind of idols. Now I understand, of course, what is there, right? But then I was in love with Kirill Andreev. My first concert is just “Ivanushki”. But I went with my mother, they didn’t let me go, because they were worried that I wouldn’t come back, I would get lost. I was still a child. We went with my mother, I was so happy that I saw him, the whole wall in my bedroom was covered with posters. There was some kind of songbook, I recorded songs there, collected cassettes, listened. I had such a ritual: I always listened to “Ivanushki” before the games as a child, I had a player. It was in the mood for the game. I did not communicate with anyone, I sat separately and listened.