“I don’t know how I would behave in Kostomarov’s place; I probably couldn’t boast of such resilience” – Druzhinin

Figure skater Roman Kostomarov – this is a true example of courage for many, perhaps he himself does not fully realize it, Honored Artist of Russia Yegor Druzhinin told .

Early last year, Kostomarov was hospitalized due to complications from pneumonia. The athlete suffered several limb amputations following tissue necrosis. Kostomarov then underwent prosthetic surgery, and in December he returned to ice skating in Ilya Averbukh’s show. On Saturday, a tournament between figure skaters from the Russian Challenge show program took place in St. Petersburg. Kostomarov performed an exhibition-performance outside of the competition. Druzhinin was a member of the jury.

— Kostomarov is an example of courage. I don’t know how I would have behaved in Roma’s place; I probably couldn’t have boasted such endurance. I don’t understand what psychological impact this kind of drama had on me, let’s call a spade a spade. The instrument he used as an athlete was taken away from him. The fact that he finds the strength to go on the ice demonstrates a unique will. It is also a great educational and inspiring example. This is even more important. I think Roma doesn’t completely understand this. For us, he went from a great athlete and artist to an example of a person who overcame the situation. And this rarely happens and rarely ends in a positive way, because it concerns not only physical loss, but also psychological trauma. This is a great help and a good example for many,” Druzhinin told .