Kuragino family club for winter swimmers "Lydinka"

People say: "Health is the mightiest thing of all!" and it is a true statement. But it often happens that one thinks about his healthwhen he is about to loose it. Nowadays mass media tell a lot about healthy mode of life and different disease prevention. Modern society has already started learning this sound advice and has been taking care of children`s and adults` health more and more from year to year. There are many sports sections and clubs all over the country, everyone can choose something to his liking. But most of the clubs are created only by enthusiasts without the state support. The same way Kuragino family club for winter swimmers "Lydinka" appeared. It was headed by the USSR champion, the bronze winner of the Russian Federation and 5-fold champion of the Krasnoyarsk Territory in marathon winter swimming Bulygina Zinaida Ivanovna. Her personal record of 4 hours and 27 minutes in 8 digrees below 0 by Celsius water was inserted into the Russian book of records "Wonder".

Kuragino family club for winter swimmers "Lydinka" was founded in January of 1993 when the Bulygins family moved from Norilsk to Kuragino. They were simply looking for the place for swimming on the bank, when met two like-minded persons - Smelykh Anna Afanasievna and Adyshkina Aleksandra Panteleyevna. Local citizens didn`t approve the idea and predicted soon end of their club. But time passed and the number of walruses became greater. Their camp was built on the bank of the river. Once "Lydinka" was successful at the Territory competitions and got a coach from the Region Authority, another coach was given as a personal award to Bulygina from the Motorsky plant for one of her records. Nowadays the club has all necessary equipment, dressing room, sauna, a place for massage and leisure. There were built a volley-ball ground and a tennis court near it, not only club members come here, and all children can play on water hillock. After having been taken under the patronage of the Region Education Department, club members got the possibility to go to different competitions, and three rates appeared - the head, a doctor and a worker.

Different people with their different characters and professional activities are in a hurry to plunge into the icy Tuba water and warm-heartedness of club members. Little by little parents became to bring their children, but sometimes children bring the parents to the club. Children and their parents are united by the hobby; they spend more time together without generation gap. 27 families: mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, grandparents are united by their love to cold water. Zinaida Ivanovna has more than a ten year old experience how to harden children with different family background, in different psychical and physical state. She has an individual approach to each child. Zinaida Ivanovna gives much attention and heart to disabled children. She wrote a project on the basis of the programme "The tree of life" on rehabilitation of disabled children and their integration in society through hardening and taking part in club life. A child should want to be healthy and take responsibility for his health - the final goal of the whole programme. Mother of an invalid child Fadeyeva I.V. noticed that her daughter has a better sleep, a good appetite, active and cheerful after cold water swimming.

The child is eager to go to the club and communicate with its members with pleasure. For the twenty-year old existence there have been formed some traditions: mutual work for the club benefit, mutual rest, mutual holidays and birthdays, skiing in winter, rafting in summer. The club has become for its members not only the place for bringing into a healthy state, but recreation also. Orthodox Church holidays are celebrated in "Lydinka" too; on the 25th of December 1995 the orthodox priest Roman conducted the ceremony of christening for the club members for the first time. They were children from 4 years till adults far behind 50 years old. Adults were christened in the Tuba water when the atmosphere temperature was 25 degrees below 0.

It became a tradition to plunge into waters at night of Epiphany for the Kuragino walruses. According to religious beliefs, all waters become saint that day. The number of those who want to be cleaned from their sins in the ice-hole is great. We`d like to hope that our family has started a new tradition of wedding parties celebration in the club. The Nikulkins family owes to its birth to "Lydinka". My classmate brought me to the club in October 1994. We both were only 13 years old than. And in January 1995 my future husband Vladimir joined the club. We had a friendly youth company: attended "Lydinka" meetings, had walking tours, celebrated holidays and had a good time together. On the 14th of January 2000 we got married not only officially but were united by cold water also. All walruses joined to our wedding party in the tight rooms of the club. Our daughter Yulia was born on the 2nd of February 2003, and on the 23rd of November 2004 Vladimir the Younger was born. "Lydinka" is the second home for them now, and Zinaida Ivanovna turned from Mother Zina to Granny Zina. 

The club`s life continues in every season. When winter ends the time for walking tours begins, as the Region`s nature is very suitable for ecological tourism. Floating and walking tours with all their attributes, their traditions form unity in spite of the age and care of children-walruses. In time of summer holidays Zinaida Ivanovna is floating on boats with children along the Tuba, Sisim, Kazyr, Kizir. The rivers have very tough character. They are cold till the middle of summer, but it isn`t an obstacle for the walruses, but just a joy. Walking tours with caves visiting are unforgettable for children, leave a deep trace in their hearts and give admiration from the beauty of mountainous scenery. Children from 10 years are keen for tourism.

Summer period is a nice chance to learn swimming for children-walruses, as we haven`t got a swimming-pool in the Region. Zinaida Ivanovna isn`t aimed at swimming technique, the main thing for her is to teach how not to be afraid of water, keep on the surface and not to be afraid of depth. It may help in case of out of ordinary situation on water. In summer period children-walruses have an opportunity to rest with their mother in a sportive camp (for the children from distressed families). Children`s summer life is diverted: swimming, getting tanned, playing, competing, cooking on the fire. Zinaida Ivanovna sometimes plays herself, sometimes gives advice and sometimes is very strict to them, because she constantly brings children up. The beauty of autumn forest calls for walruses to invite them on tour. Contacts with nature make children love and respect it, not leave the garbage after touring.

From the very foundation of the club its members took an active part in competitions of all kinds. Our team has been taking part in annual Territory competitions. The distance from Divnogorsk to Krasnoyarsk of 35 km length was successfully passed by relay swimming in 2004 for the record time of 3 hours 58 minutes. In May 1995 the citizens of Kuragino took part in the forth International Competitions near peninsula Vrangel. Three-day swimming for 140 km in Sea of Japan along Nakhodka-Vladivostok route was devoted to the 50-ieth anniversary of victory in WWII. Our children took the prizes in their age group. In March 2000 we took part in 5-day swimming on the Ob river in Barnaul. Our walruses were also in competitions in Almetyevsk in Tatarstan. Zinaida Ivanovna took part in winter swimming in Finland, visited China competitions many times.

From December 2000 we have been spending marathon swimming on the regional level. "Lydinka" met teams from Krasnoyarsk, Zelenogorsk, Barnaul, Sayanogorsk, Novoaltaisk, Yelabuga, Almetyevsk (Tatarstan) and Perm. We regard confederate communication even of major importance than the competition victory. If our guests got pleasant mood from us and want to come again, we feel ourselves as if we had already won the victory.
We constantly keep in touch with winter swimming lovers from many cities in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Latvia.

Each club member could tell you his story: what made him come to the club over and over again, what he had got for the time of his club life. Every member acquired valuable experience of communication with people and nature!


Nikulkina Natalia. Kuragino Region.
Photos by Nikulkin Vladimir.
nikava@narod.ru

Kuragino family club for winter swimmers "Lydinka" english

Закаляйся, если хочешь быть здоров! В. Таточенко - профессор, доктор медицинских наук НИИ педиатрии МЦ ЗД РАМН