A monument will be erected to Belousova and Protopopov if they are buried in St. Petersburg, former skater Smirnov is sure

Former figure skater Alexander Smirnov is convinced that a monument will be erected to Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov if they are buried in St. Petersburg.

Earlier, Vyacheslav Fetisov, a two-time Olympic hockey champion and family friend, told that Protopopov’s will indicated that he should be buried with his wife Belousova in St. Petersburg. Chairman of the St. Petersburg Committee of Physical Culture and Sports Anton Shantyr also said that the organization was ready to help with the burial of Protopopov and Belousova.

“If being buried in St. Petersburg is the last wish of these famous athletes, then our sports committee will do everything possible to make it come true. Oleg Protopopov and Lyudmila Belousova will be reunited in heaven. I’m sure a monument will be erected to them if that happens. They certainly have more fans in Russia than abroad. Everyone here remembers, loves and appreciates this great couple,” Smirnov told .

Protopopov died on October 31 at the age of 91. During his sports career, the skater performed in tandem with his wife Lyudmila Belousova. The duo won the USSR championships six times, the world and European championships four times and won gold at the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games. Belousova and Protopopov were invited to Switzerland for demonstrations in 1979, where they stayed. In August 1995, they obtained Swiss nationality.

Belousova died in September 2017.