Celebrities obsessed with a healthy lifestyle. Polina Kitsenko: “The main thing is not the goal, but the path to it. Who is Polina Kitsenko’s husband
22.04.2016 11:00
Creative director of Podium Market Fashion Group Polina Kitsenko is not only one of the most influential people in the world of Russian fashion, but also an adherent of a healthy lifestyle. Finparty columnist Yulia Titel met with her in a cozy Christian restaurant and found out how to make the day “rubber,” where the next charity race will take place and why Polina does not hide her age.
- Polina, sport is not the last place in your life. Do you train on your own?
With a coach, I need motivation. I don’t have any pressing problems like being overweight, so I can safely skip workouts if no one organizes me.
- How often do you train?
Six times a week.
- Sunday is a day off?
In fact, my day off is variable; last week it was Saturday. Sometimes I train for seven days in a row. But this is not possible. Therefore, I have one forced day off.
- When did you start playing sports?
It was sports - ten years ago, and before that for ten years I was just doing fitness. I started training with Andrei Zhukov. It was then that he developed the theme of outdoor sports. I became the first person to go with him to a ski marathon. And then - the first of the girls to sign up for a triathlon. This was nine years ago.
- How long did it take you to prepare for the triathlon?
Since as a child I was exempt from physical education and I didn’t even know how to ride a bike or swim crawl, it took about a year to prepare.
- Did you measure your physical condition before and after?
Of course not. I didn't know about the existence of such tests. I did the first test only after about five years of regular training. If I had known about these things from the beginning, I would have approached the training process completely differently.
- How do you feel? Have you become stronger, more resilient, more organized than before switching to the training regime?
Like any hobby, there are different stages. The first is mad love, when you seem to dive off a cliff like a stone, immerse yourself in it all, and you even experience a certain shift in values. Then a period of awareness, assimilation, and stabilization begins. Now I am at the third stage - mature calm love. Yes, I continue to strive for new results, I want to break my personal records, but I talk much less about it.
This lifestyle has certainly helped me become more resilient and organized. By the way, he showed me that the day was “rubbery”. I began to get a lot more done. I always say that those who have it don’t have time. All busy people have time for family, work, travel and training; you just need to be able to properly organize your day.
- So you built your own system? What is her secret?
Whatever goal you choose, the path you take every day to achieve that goal is what matters most. Process! And the result is just a pleasant bonus. At every point along this path you must have fun.
- Besides sports, has anything else influenced your lifestyle? Maybe she decided that she no longer eats in the evenings...
By the way, I really don't eat in the evenings or eat little. But for me this is not a necessary measure. After my second pregnancy, I decided to quickly get in shape. I chose a certain strategy, agreed on it with the doctors and stopped eating dinner. Over time, I got so involved in it that today I don’t have any discomfort from not eating in the evening. Quite the contrary. If I eat dinner, I will feel bad, sleep bad and look bad in the morning.
I can have dinner a couple of times a week, but these are usually some exceptional cases. For example, when visiting, I consider it impolite to stick out my principles. Therefore, I will definitely find something to eat so as not to upset the hostess, who tried. At a meeting with friends, I also won’t sit with an empty plate so that they don’t feel uncomfortable.
- What about your husband?
He also recently decided to eat little in the evenings. I just noticed how good it was for me, and gradually I came to this myself.
- What about children?
My eldest son Egor, who is 14 years old, does not eat after seven in the evening.
- Is this also his personal decision?
It seems to me that when you grow up in a family, you somehow adopt its traditions and habits. There are situations when I forcefully try to feed him, but he refuses.
- Was there some kind of food cult in your parental family?
I come from a simple Soviet family. We lived modestly, like most of the population of our mighty country. Therefore there was no cult. On the contrary, it was a holiday when parents got some food. It seems to me that at that stage we lived more correctly. Because there was no such abundance. And now we overconsume, we eat with our eyes. We combine foods that are not very appropriate to combine with each other in one meal.
- Tell me, please, do you calmly talk about your age? How old are you?
Lately, I’ve even become proud that my biological age is so different from my actual age. I'm 39, and now I look even better than when I was 25. You can compare from photographs.
- And this is all thanks to a properly organized life?
Yes. I can confidently say that for the last two or three years this has definitely been the result of properly strung eating habits. In the gym, you can often meet people who exercise regularly, but still cannot get the desired results. And all because 80% of success depends on proper nutrition and only 20% on physical activity. What we could afford in our youth we often got away with due to lucky genetics, for example. I was also so lucky for a long time, but after my second pregnancy, which was also after 30 years, I have to control myself.
Did you turn to specialists to formulate the right eating habits for yourself, or was it your intuitive choice?
Firstly, I read a lot about it, plus I intuitively selected what was right for me. I determine how I feel after a product by sensation. For example, rolled oats don’t suit me very well, and neither does pasta. By the way, I get photographed quite a lot. And I began to notice that there is some connection between what I eat and how I look in photographs. It is much more visible in the photographs than in the mirror. You look - and it’s immediately clear where you went too far or ate something that doesn’t suit you. There is a direct connection.
Now, having come this way, I know for sure what exactly I shouldn’t eat or drink. For example, I haven’t drunk wine for almost ten years. I can occasionally drink half a glass in company, so as not to attract attention to myself. In principle, alcohol in my life is becoming less and less. And this is not some kind of conscious choice, I just feel that I don’t want to. It’s very dear to me when you wake up feeling cheerful and fresh, and alcohol doesn’t go with that.
I would just like to emphasize that correct eating habits are a lifelong story. Once you make a decision, you practice it over a long period until it finally becomes firmly established.
Agree. It is proper nutrition every day, balanced and accepted as the norm of life, that gives results. And not one-time, short-term attempts to lose weight. A strict diet will only make the situation worse. Firstly, it will be replaced by a psychological explosion, and secondly, the metabolism will slow down and a malfunction will occur.
Polina, you have become a real trendsetter of current trends. Many people read your posts on social networks and take their example from you. Tell our readers how you came to this?
It just seems to me that I am a real example of what many trainers and nutritionists talk about in their lectures. Because scientific stories are all wonderful, and people want to see a living person who was able to realize all this. I in no way claim to be a fitness guru, I’m just talking about my personal results. I'm not an expert, just an advanced user.
- How did you come to social projects such as adidas Running hearts"?
This is all thanks to Natalia Vodianova. I ran half marathons with her several times in Paris. Natalya attracted associates, each of whom shouted through their social networks and acquaintances that there would be a race, that we would run for a reason, but with meaning, dedicating our participation in this sporting event to the Naked Heart Foundation. This is how we raised money for the foundation.
At some point she said to me: “Polina, why are we running in Paris? Let's do something of our own in Moscow." Thus, we came up with our race, which we called “Running Hearts.” We held it for the first time a year ago in the Culture Park. We had a limit on the number of participants set by the park administration, because the capacity of the embankment is not very large - only one and a half thousand people. It took two and a half months to organize, and registration of runners closed in three days. We sold out all the running slots so quickly. The demand was huge; thousands of people had to be turned away. And then we realized that we needed to do something big to accommodate everyone.
This year we already have a half marathon. We spent three months coordinating the route. It wasn't easy. As a result, we will start in front of Moscow State University on the observation deck, blocking Kosygina Street, Universitetsky Avenue, Michurinsky and so on. There will be three distances in total: three, ten and 21 kilometers.
- Are all of you runners? Are you considering those who are interested in Nordic Walking?
We do not consider it for safety reasons, but we suggest that they walk the shortest distance or jog it slightly. Many of our Olympic champions will walk - those who were injured and do not run.
- Great, then I’ll join you too.
Sport is a very unifying thing. The peculiarity of our race is that it is completely charitable. All funds we receive from it go to the fund. Only a small part is spent on organizing and creating infrastructure. Last year we raised about 200,000 euros. This is a record amount for a Russian charity race.
I am very grateful to Natalia Vodianova. With this project, we are not only strengthening the trend of a healthy lifestyle in society, but also showing that charity is not the lot of rich people. You can help, even just by participating in the race. Charity is just an arm's length away, taken from a sneaker rack. Completely different people - stars, businessmen from the Forbes list, actors, Olympic champions, you and me and others - all unite under the auspices of a good cause. Well, to have a nice Sunday morning. We will have a big concert there for 10,000 people and a lot of interesting things.
- What restaurants do you like to visit in Moscow?
Lately I really like what Sasha Rappoport is doing! He just brought back my love for this type of leisure. There was a moment when we all had our fill of restaurants, got into cooking, bought books, and cooked ourselves. There's nothing better than getting together with friends at home and making dinner. It's perfect.
But if I go somewhere, I like “Dr. Zhivago”, some places on Patricks, for example Fresh. It's good that the city is changing. Such “spontaneous”, non-binding restaurants appear. I like to go to Uilliam's sometimes. But it's mostly for business lunches. Because I really rarely have dinner.
- What is your daily routine?
I get up at 8:00, then workout, then work until about 21:00-21:30.
- What do you prefer for breakfast? Or do you train on an empty stomach?
No, of course, if you're full. I prefer long carbohydrates. True, I don’t really like porridge. I more or less agreed with myself that I would eat quinoa and buckwheat. Sometimes I make flaxseed decoction, for example. Sometimes - chia with coconut milk, but chia is not a nutritious enough product for me.
- What time do you go to bed?
Late. Sometimes at two, and sometimes at three in the morning. Moreover, I get up at eight. My goal now is to rearrange my schedule to go to bed at 11:00 p.m. I need nine hours of sleep, then I will feel good.
In general, all anti-aging at our age consists of sleep. If we don’t get enough of it, nutrition correction and exercise won’t help. This is immediately a weakened immune system, a collapsed state, and so on.
- Do you do body checks? How often?
I do. I do a cardiogram, ECHO, stress test, lactate analysis and other basic things, gastroscopy once a year. Plus sports testing two to three times a year.
- Do your children play sports?
My daughter is only two years old and has not yet been trained. And my son is studying, yes. Runs ski marathons with me. Swims better than me. He is very strong. I took part in triathlon competitions for the first time when I was eight years old. I ran the first 30 kilometers on skis at nine. However, he trains only once or twice a week. He is now focusing on his studies, but he knows a lot in terms of sports.
- Do you cook anything at home?
Yes, and I cook very well. True, only on weekends. I'm lucky, my close friends are generally recognized culinary gurus of our country. This is Veronica Belotserkovskaya, Alena Doletskaya. There is someone to turn to for a recipe, if anything happens. The only thing is that I don’t like to clean and cut everything. I am a manager in life, and my kitchen management is structured in such a way that I say in advance what products should be peeled, boiled, cut, and so on. All this is laid out in containers, and then, as in a professional kitchen, I take these blanks and create a culinary masterpiece. Of course, I can do all this myself, but I try to spend as much time as possible on weekends with the children, because on weekdays I see them little.
- Do you have an active family?
Yes, nevertheless, my husband reads a lot, but for me, sitting down to books has always been a separate story. But this had no effect on either speech or writing.
- If we are talking about quiet leisure, then what is it?
We don't have quiet leisure time. Our motto is constant change of activity. We even take a consumerist approach to beach holidays. We arrive, swim some distance, dry off and leave. If we go somewhere, we are always on the move. We do sports for half a day, then lunch, then either this little story on the beach, or immediately on excursions.
- How do you feel about softer physical activities, such as Pilates, yoga, stretching?
I did Pilates for ten years, and one day I got really tired of it all. Although yes, this is a wonderful load. It perfectly develops internal stabilizers.
- What advice would you give to our readers?
The main thing is to do what brings you pleasure. Choose what suits you. You won't have to motivate yourself if you love what you do.
If you still can’t bring yourself to go for a run, start working out your abs, eat right and enjoy life every day, then our selection is for you. We have selected celebrities who lead a healthy lifestyle and inspire others!
Sati Casanova, 34 years old
Photo instagram.com/satikazanova/
For singer Sati Casanova, the path to a healthy and conscious lifestyle began more than 10 years ago. Then, out of curiosity, she decided to take up yoga. A few months later, the interest grew into something more: the girl unexpectedly stopped eating meat, began reading spiritual literature, and later received a certificate as a teacher of Simply Meditation practice. But it’s quite difficult to sign up for a lesson with a celebrity. Due to his busy tour schedule, Sati does not have the opportunity to study with everyone. But she regularly maintains social networks: she shares interesting articles on Facebook, and writes her thoughts and discoveries on Instagram.
Lifestyle of Sati Casanova
Nutrition. The singer starts the morning with one or two glasses of water, and after 2-3 hours she has breakfast with porridge with dried fruits, nuts or herbs. Her favorite dish is green buckwheat with quinoa.
Sati also adheres to the Ayurvedic diet, having determined her dosha type.
“I pepper everything that comes my way! Witnesses of this action are always shocked, they say, how can you pepper porridge, jam, honey and other dishes? And I’ll tell you: IT’S POSSIBLE! It's very tasty and spicy. And in general, according to Ayurveda, a person is fully satisfied with food when all types of tastes are present in it: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, spicy, astringent. And it is important to maintain a balance between tastes, since they give a certain state and mood to a person. For example, now I eat millet porridge, lightly salted, cross-cut, with slightly sour dried apricots and sweet dates. And the bitter taste comes from coffee with cardamom, brewed in a Turk.”
Yoga.“For ten years now, yoga has been a very important part of my life. Naturally, I’ve heard about yogis before, but it’s one thing to hear some magical stories about people sleeping on nails and walking on broken glass told on TV, and it’s quite another thing when you decide to try what yoga is. And then you fall in love with her forever.”
Sati practices atma kriya yoga, and more recently aerial yoga (or yoga in the air).
Victoria Bonya, 36 years old
Photo instagram.com/victoriabonya/
“I have long wanted to try a raw food diet. And so, today is the fifth day... It doesn’t sound like much, but it didn’t happen in one day... (By the way, there was more fear than difficulties.) At first I completely eliminated red meat, ate fish and chicken, and after two weeks I switched already on vegetarianism, and only then on a raw food diet. About a year has passed from the first thought about a raw food diet to today! My diet will be at least three to four months... By the way, many people think that raw food is very monotonous and boring, but that’s not true!”
After finishing the diet, Victoria admitted that she began to feel much better: her back pain went away, she began to sleep less and manage to do more things, and her skin also improved.
Sport. Victoria is sure that you need to fight laziness, work on yourself and force yourself to play sports.
“Do you think I really want to run in the morning? But no! How do I fight laziness? Only a kick in the ass helps!”
Victoria is also sure that headstand, or more precisely, shirshasana, helps her maintain her beauty and youth.
“Shirshasana is one of the central poses of hatha yoga. In ancient yogic texts, sirsasana is called “the king of all asanas.” This is the best of the inverted poses, it completely revitalizes both the mind and body. Shirshasana is one of the most strengthening of all asanas and varies in degree of difficulty (for example, a supported headstand is the simplest level, a headstand supported by forearms is a medium level of difficulty, etc.). Sirsasana awakens dormant abilities (potencies) of the mind and body. Inverted asanas are considered the most stimulating for mental activity, since physiologically they change the circulation of fluids in the body. Sirsasana increases the flow of nutrients to the head. A person’s mind begins to blossom, memory, vision, and speed of understanding improve. The rush of blood to the brain cells renews them, improves their functioning, sharpening the mind and clarifying thoughts. With daily practice of shirshasana, general rejuvenation of the body occurs. Blood supply to the vessels of the face and head improves; As a result, the skin and hair receive additional nutrition. To perform this asana, you must have a high degree of physical fitness, the ability to concentrate and control your body. At the initial stage of development, acrobatics are very helpful.”
Gisele Bündchen, 36 years old
Photo instagram.com/gisele/
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen stopped going to social parties several years ago, and in 2015 she completely left the catwalk. However, interest in her person did not decrease. On the contrary, the celebrity gained even more fans. All lovers of yoga and enlightenment began to subscribe to her microblog page.
The fact is that Gisele practices hatha yoga and meditation, and also travels to India and communicates with spiritual teachers. As a result, her Instagram resembles a book of wise thoughts about life with beautiful photographs of nature, animals, food and asanas.
Lifestyle of Gisele Bündchen
Nutrition. The model has long excluded meat, flour and sweets from her diet. She eats 5-6 times a day in small portions, drinks a lot of water and smoothies.
“Food is good, but when you eat unhealthy foods, you are just cheating yourself.”
Vera Brezhneva, 34 years old
Photo instagram.com/vbdiary/
Singer Vera Brezhneva often repeats that her beautiful appearance is not only a gift from nature, but also a huge amount of work on herself. And more internal. She is sure that only a positive attitude towards life and love for all people helps to look fresh and young.
But no one has canceled proper nutrition and exercise! On her Instagram page, Vera talks about how to overcome hunger, what to eat to lose weight, how to pump up your abs and buttocks, and much, much more.
Lifestyle of Vera Brezhneva
Nutrition. The singer eats small meals several times a day.
“You shouldn’t allow yourself to feel a strong feeling of hunger. You should always have a snack on hand. It is by feeling hungry often that the body begins the process of storing fat in case of the next hunger strike.”
She also does not eat sweets and bread (or only in the first half of the day) and does not drink during meals.
“The liquid dilutes the concentration of gastric juice, which then interferes with the proper absorption of food. Plus, the presence of liquid stretches the stomach exactly the same volume as you drink. You need to drink before meals, 15-20 minutes or 20-30 after! This applies to water, juices, fresh juices, and tea.”
And of course, no food at night!
“You can’t eat at night. There are people who say that I eat and nothing! First of all, this is an exception. If this is the case for you, great. For most, this is harmful and fraught. Ask any doctor, the stomach should rest at night and not digest food. Therefore, you need to eat several hours before bedtime so that he has time to digest the food. The heaviest food is digested in 4 to 6 hours. Therefore, we look at ourselves. I mostly eat light dinners, so I finish dinner 4 hours before bed. At night the body rests, and in the morning you are happy with a flat tummy. They say I can’t help but eat at night – it’s a habit. Any habit ceases to be one after 21 days. Try not to eat at night for 21 days – you won’t feel like it on the 22nd.”
“The most important thing is self-love. We don’t rape our body with nasty things. We love ourselves, feed tasty and healthy food, don’t overfeed, don’t kill. We must control our desires, not them control us!”
Sport.“Mom Vera works a lot and is very busy. But if she has an hour of time, she goes to exercise.”
“A few of the most important rules for keeping yourself in shape: a) exercise regularly! Only regularity gives the right result; b) exercise even when there is no time (option: three-minute plank); c) study at a time when it is convenient, when it is available, and do not put it off until later; d) engage in the sport that brings maximum pleasure. We need to find him. Exercise should not cause antagonism. Let it be fitness, gym, yoga, dancing, swimming, Pilates, cycling, whatever you like. Any sport is movement, and movement is life.”
The singer most often trains at home or on tour in a hotel. And she records her favorite sets of exercises on video and posts them on the microblog.
“We filmed another set for you, “Rezinochka”. You can buy it at any sporting goods store, inexpensively. Tie to the leg of a sofa/table/battery, etc. Each exercise 10-12 times. For each leg. If steps to the side, then 10-12 steps in each direction. I do this: one exercise on both legs, the second on both legs, the third on both sides. This is one approach. A minute break and the next approach, 3 approaches in total. Takes 15 minutes."
Gwyneth Paltrow, 44 years old
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow once said that she never worries about her age: “Why should I worry if every year I become wiser, and my body is in no way inferior to the figure of a 22-year-old striptease dancer.”
Gwyneth's ideal body is the result of an active lifestyle and proper nutrition. By the way, she received knowledge about all this from the best trainers and nutritionists in Hollywood. So you can trust her!
Lifestyle of Gwyneth Paltrow
Nutrition. Actria eats meat, bread, and chocolate. But in moderation.
“If I constantly limited myself in products, I would go crazy. If I really want to eat a hamburger, I will do it. But then I’ll definitely go to the gym.”
However, once a month Gwyneth detoxes her body. These days she eats light soups, drinks smoothies and water.
Sport. The celebrity works out several times a week with the famous Hollywood fitness trainer Tracy Anderson (by the way, her videos can be found online). The Tracy Method involves alternating aerobic and strength training in one session. She pays special attention to working out the abs and gluteal muscles,
In addition to fitness, Gwyneth skis and snowboards, runs, swims and loves tennis.
Photo instagram.com/gwynethpaltrow/
Cindy Crawford, 50 years old
Photo instagram.com/cindycrawford/
90s supermodel Cindy Crawford seems to have remained the same since the beginning of her career. At 50 years old, the celebrity’s figure is still as perfect as it was at 20. For this, she can thank sports training, which she does not miss to this day.
We can only follow Cindy’s life on the microblog, be inspired by her photographs and carefully read interviews with recommendations on proper nutrition and sports.
Lifestyle of Cindy Crawford
Nutrition. The model follows a Mediterranean diet, which includes fresh vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy products, and fish. Between breakfast, lunch and dinner, she snacks on nuts and dried fruits and tries to never feel hungry.
“I snack between breakfast and lunch and have an afternoon snack at 4pm, so I never gobble up food like a hungry wolf. I believe that if you are fasting, your body will try to retain all the bad fats from the food you eat and store them away in reserve.”
Sport. In a time before social media, Crawford released fitness training books: Cindy Crawford: The Secret to a Perfect Body in 1992, Cindy Crawford: How to Get Perfect in 1993, and Cindy Crawford in 2000. : New dimension".
Surprisingly, these fitness programs are still popular today. And no wonder. Each of them presents an optimal set of physical exercises for all muscle groups.
“As a rule, I try to do workouts twice a week - 30 minutes of walking on an incline treadmill, and then using dumbbells to work individual muscle groups: legs, buttocks, abs, chest, biceps and shoulders. The most important thing is regularity.”
Polina's microblog is a collection of tips for everyone who, like her, leads a healthy lifestyle or is planning to do so.
Lifestyle of Polina Kitsenko
Nutrition. Polina starts every morning with a glass of warm water with lemon, and only then does breakfast. Most often it consists of smoothies, porridge, and green tea.
“My breakfast: 1. Smoothie (banana, a cup of water, a cup of frozen strawberries, a stalk of celery, a sprig of parsley, a spoonful of flaxseeds (live omega-3-6). 2. A little buckwheat with a spoonful of manuka honey (in winter I try to eat it a teaspoon spoon in the morning, it has an antibacterial and antiviral effect) 3. Green tea with fresh mint and lemon.”
At the same time, Kitsenko does not go on diets and does not advise anyone. Instead, she suggests eating a balanced diet.
“People often ask me what I eat for lunch. Here's an example of a perfect lunch. Buckwheat noodles with shrimp and vegetables. First of all, I am categorically against diets. Protein diets are a terrible evil. There are lawsuits against Dukan in France. A protein imbalance in the body is poisoning; it is like poison and leads to chronic intoxication. Goodbye, healthy kidneys and liver. All nutrients should be in moderation! I'm for balance! Long, coarse carbohydrates are simply necessary to promote lipid metabolism and to feel good hormonally and comprehensively. To put it in simple terms, for example, you haven’t been eating enough for a long time, you’ve already lost weight, but not enough, but your weight has stopped dead in its tracks – and you’re not taking a step. You are tired of sadly chewing a dull breast with a lonely lettuce leaf, and steamed fish makes you feel sorry for it and sad for yourself. The weight stopped like an uncoupled carriage. What to do?! I'm sure there are many of you. You have driven your body into a zone where, out of fear, it has switched on the reserve survival mode and will no longer give you a drop of fat - you will see. To lose weight faster, you should immediately start eating long carbohydrates (unprocessed only: brown rice, gray pasta, buckwheat, quinoa) for lunch. You will immediately lose weight and remember me with a kind word!”
And one more useful tip from Polina: “If you want a flat stomach with cubes, it is important to remember that the rule, as I call it, 80/20, works here. 80% of the effort in achieving beautiful abs comes from proper nutrition, and only 20% from exercise. In a word, even if you stand in the plank for at least 10 minutes every day and do 500 repetitions for your abs, it will not show up. It will only appear if you don’t radically change your eating habits.”
Sport.“In order to play sports, you only need a desire... All you need is a street (blush and the effect of a hunchbacked horse after), a three-layer set of clothes, a bench (chair). “No excuses about not having a coach or a season ticket to an expensive club are accepted anymore.”
Polina Kitsenko's husband Eduard is not only her faithful life partner, but also a like-minded person - they have many common interests and hobbies, to which the spouses also involve their children. The couple is raising a son, Yegor, and a little daughter, Tonya, who is twelve years younger than her brother. Antonina was born in one of the maternity hospitals in Germany, and in order for the birth to be successful, Polina left there in advance.
In the photo - Polina with her daughter
This married couple is engaged in the same business - Eduard and Polina Kitsenko - they own a chain of fashion stores PODIUM market, where far from poor Russian citizens dress.
Polina is not only the creative director of the brand, but for some time now a real trendsetter who gives advice to the most famous socialites on how to create their own stylish image.
With son Egor
Another passion of Polina is sports and a healthy lifestyle, and she tries to involve as many people as possible in this.
Thus, Polina was among the organizers of the largest charity race in our country; she periodically posts training videos on Instagram, and also gives advice on proper nutrition.
And she manages to combine all this with hard work - Polina believes that success in business can only be achieved through hard work.
At one time, she graduated from a special school with in-depth study of the English language and was going to enter the Institute of Foreign Languages, but on the advice of her father she became a student at the Faculty of Law of the International University, opened by Mikhail Gorbachev and Gavriil Popov.
In the photo - Polina and Eduard Kitsenko
After university, Polina worked for some time in a bank, dealing with credit cards. She went to the USA as a student exchange student, and from that time on she developed an interest in fashionable things - she got the opportunity to dress beautifully and stylishly. In the future, this helped her start working in fashion.
Polina Kitsenko's future husband, when they met, was a co-owner of the Podium company and did not want Polina to work with him. She made every effort to join this business, and she succeeded.
In her boutique, Polina Kitsenko presented only luxury fashion brands Antonio Berardi, Balensiaga, Alexander McQueen, Chloe and others. She selected only the best models to sell in her store, and her business has grown rapidly since the mid-nineties of the last century.
Together with her husband, Polina opened stores in large Russian cities - Samara, St. Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk.
Later, Kitsenko’s company began to focus not only on clothing from luxury brands, but also on the mass market.
The fact that the business of the Kitsenko family is developing very successfully and brings Polina and her husband good income can be judged by the fact that every year they and their children often visit the fashionable ski resort of Courchevel and spend the New Year holidays there.
And for some time now, one of the PODIUM market stores, Podium Jewelery, has opened in this wonderful place, selling branded jewelry, the price of which varies from fifteen to twenty thousand euros.
To keep abreast of all the fashion news, Polina Kitsenko tries to attend important iconic fashion shows, where she selects the most interesting models not only for her stores, but also for herself - the owner of PODIUM market prefers to wear things from Chapurin Couture, Azzedine Alaia, Givenchy, Phillip Lim.
In her look, she tries to mix clothes from luxury brands and not yet very popular brands. Polina is very grateful to her husband for creating all the conditions for her to develop, supporting her and, if necessary, telling her what to do in a given situation. Their union can be called ideal - there are never scandals in the Kitsenko family, and they always know how to find a common language.
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The creative director of “Podium” Polina Kitsenko does not have a best friend, but she does have a best friend, who is also her husband Edik. It was he who came up with her legendary hairstyle, knows how to give useful advice on choosing clothes and simply supports her in everything. With such a man, no crisis is scary, although it’s still a little scary...
Polina Kitsenko is vulnerable and formidable at the same time. Mixing these two seemingly opposite colors gives an amazing effect. Read the interview with Ksenia Sobchak.
This is a “swing”. Managing them is not easy, but her husband Edik definitely succeeds. For me, the Fields are not only the Fields without Edik. Their union is an example of how people can make each other stronger and better, leveling out all the shortcomings and enhancing the strengths. It seems to me that in order to truly love Polina, you must always keep in mind this tenderness of hers, which is very difficult for an inattentive person to discern behind a thick layer of defense. Therefore, this interview turned out to be personal, not a word about sports - only work and family are on the agenda!
I want to say right away: I hope there won’t be a word about sports in this interview, because everyone has known everything about this part of your life for a long time. (Laughs.)
(Smiles.) Then I immediately warn everyone who is waiting for advice on how to do a hundred push-ups without outside help: you don’t have to read any further! (Laughs.) In fact, I am very grateful to you for this, because for several years now all journalists have been asking me the same questions.
But I always wanted to ask you about work. I know that before “Podiums”, no matter how hard it is to believe today, you worked in a bank in a serious position, dealing with credit cards. I also know that you have a very fast and very tenacious brain, you grasp everything instantly, among all my friends you are the only one who managed to learn Italian in just six months, you are very gifted and, of course, very smart. Tell me, aren’t you bored of doing business in an area that is considered frivolous?
Not at all, not boring at all. In me, this female gene of absolute and endless joy that arises at the sight of a beautiful thing is probably ineradicable. Despite many years of working in the fashion business, this can still give me a kind of vitamin boost - the degree of my mood can jump wildly because I saw something beautiful, and it could be a sweater for a thousand, or crazy outfit for tens of thousands or even some, I don’t know, shade of nail polish. I am very glad that beauty is part of my work.
What part of the job don't you like?
The hardest thing is working with staff, with employees. We work in the service sector, everything we do is based solely on the principle, relatively speaking, of providing services to the public, so I always tell my team: it’s pointless to put all your energy into purchasing, to work your ass off in showrooms for weeks without days off, because that our front line is where the buyer meets the hanger. No matter how awesome the collection is, no matter how temptingly it swings on the brackets, no matter how invitingly it asks to be in your closet, if there is an inept, uninspired salesperson standing next to you, nothing will work out, there will be no purchases.
What exactly separates a good salesperson from a bad one?
A person must love his job, must really be excited about the fact that he can be useful to a specific person, must feel how to communicate with this or that client, and adapt to him.
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Explain with an example. Let's say I walk into Podium and ask you to take that blue coat to the fitting room. What does an ideal salesperson do?
Ksyusha, it’s quite easy with you. Many people think that you have a difficult character, in part this is true, but in part it is not so, because you are a very specific person, you always clearly know what you want, you are very constructive in spending your time, and this makes you a good buyer. You just need to very quickly put everything in bags and take it to the car so you can try it on at home. (Laughs.)
It always infuriates me when salespeople answer questions with memorized phrases that do not provide the buyer with any practical information. The coolest thing is when you begin to feel that they are not trying to sell you something, they are not trying to persuade you to leave money, but they are making an effort to win your trust, for example, they honestly say that this length shortens your legs or that this color is not flattering.
When the seller can say at least something, this is already happiness. (Laughs.) The ideal seller should have colossal enthusiasm and one hundred percent competence, that is, the ability to tell what kind of thing it is and what it is made of, what kind of collection it is, is it available in a different color or in a different “Podium”, if not, then when will there be, and will there be at all, what to wear it with and what not to wear it with.
You know, you and I, among other things, have one thing in common: I think it’s no secret to you that behind your back your employees call you a tough, sometimes even excessively, leader. What can you answer them?
Nothing. My wealth of many years of experience shows that this is usually said by lazy people who are looking for an excuse for themselves. Few things irritate me more than trying to make excuses for a mistake. Apologize, offer options for solving the problem, whatever - just don’t make excuses, especially with the phrase “It’s just like that...”. I really don't like this! When I'm in a bad mood, I might even tell everyone that I don't want the word "just" used at all at work. The word “simply” is prohibited here! (Laughs.)
Because it’s just like that. (Laughs.) Has it ever happened that you brought a person to tears, but then apologized?
It happened before when I was not as experienced as I am now. The last time something like this happened was a few years ago, when I was sometimes, let's say, more emotional. I never get personal, but nevertheless, it used to be in some figurative form, but now it’s not. Literally a couple of times I apologized immediately after the incident if I saw that I had driven a person to hysterics, although it is impossible to pity me with tears. And then I’m not a tyrant, I know this for sure, I never give impossible tasks.
Can you talk about a specific case of instant dismissal when a person did something outrageous and unacceptable?
You know, the paradox is that, with all my supposed toughness, I have never fired anyone immediately in my life, I always gave a chance to improve, I never made the legal mistake of Maria Baibakova - in our country, according to the Labor Code, no one can be fired instantly . (Laughs.) But seriously, to be fired you need to get really hot. But there is also something good in any employee, otherwise he would not work with me, so at first I forgive, but even small mistakes have a cumulative effect, and therefore if a person let you down in a situation in which no one expected him to expected, this could be the last straw and the reason for separation. So, despite my increased reactivity at some points, in the long term I am very tolerant.
One of your great personal achievements is your contribution to the success of the Maison Bohemique brand. There is a joke going around the city that guys, like Lannisters, always pay off their debts: you helped them at the very beginning, but now they, refusing everyone, are sold on principle only at Podium and they send everyone there who wants to order an outfit from them directly in order to get a markup you took it for yourself, they don’t trim anyone according to individual standards, although for them from the point of view of profit it would be more correct, but it is impossible to get this right, only Anya Chipovskaya, Vika Isakova and you have it. How did you manage to build such relationships?
Ksyushenka, I want to say right away: I cannot pronounce the names of these designers. This is their philosophy and their condition.
Don't say it.
We had absolute synergy with them. I immediately realized that this was a hit story! I saw a dress on our friend Ulyana that I really liked, she introduced me to its authors, said that they were very talented artists, introduced us, gave them their contacts, and cooperation took place between us.
Did you immediately agree on exclusivity?
Yes. What is important is that the guys themselves understand that such a serious product as theirs - expensive, hand-made, truly couture - cannot be sold in several places, they do not have a production facility where they could stamp their outfits. Plus, they don’t want to communicate with unnecessary people, so it’s profitable for them to work for our clients.
Let's talk about the rules of successful procurement. I know for sure that in St. Petersburg, for example, for obvious climatic reasons, in the autumn-winter season, minimalist black coats break all sales records, but Chloe’s coral capes, which sold out in all the capitals of the world within a day and according to the waiting list, no one there even I noticed that they are still hanging in a couple of stores, although they were ordered in a single copy. Also, St. Petersburg buyers on an industrial scale buy high boots with stable heels and some kind of platform, because St. Petersburg women simply adore them, and also designer umbrellas. Can you announce the hit list of Muscovites? What consistently sells well?
I can say that khaki and brown colors sell very poorly in Moscow.
Nobody wants to dress like a turd? (Laughs.) And I love them so much!
You are an exception. Since fashion constantly rotates around its axis, designers return to military style from time to time. And so a dark blue or black “naval” jacket with gold buttons, as a rule, always becomes a super bestseller, while a brown jacket in the style of a modern military uniform has a rather low chance of being sold. Although the park has become popular over the past two winter seasons, people have moved into the parks! And now, as an exception, khaki color is selling well in the form of parkas. At the same time, it is simply impossible to sell khaki in the form of a jacket or sweater. It’s very difficult - at least in our stores - with leopard and other animal prints, although I really like them on those who know how to wear it and who it suits. The last two or three winters, when pastel colors came back into fashion and it became fashionable to wear light colors in winter, we began to carefully purchase white, including white shoes, although earlier in the winter season this was absolutely excluded. And now we have begun to sell well, as I call them, “snowy looks” - white skirts, dresses, coats. People have matured, plus today more and more people can afford to drive to the threshold, to the door, jump out of the car and immediately go somewhere.
By the way, Ulyana Tseytlina was the first to wear white coats.
She intuitively understood that she needed to stand out. (Smiles.)
What's always at its peak? Can you name your all-time hits?
Everything changes. Over the last couple of seasons, for example, boots have been selling very well, the kind with not very high heels, low or, let’s say, intermediate, without a vulgar note, moderately fisherman. (Laughs.) Biker jackets, motorcycle jackets, and motorcycle boots always sell very well.
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What sells better: skirts or dresses?
Depends on the age group. But in general, in recent years, the demand for dresses has been growing, because a dress gives you the opportunity not to rack your brains - you put it on, think of accessories in three minutes, and you’re ready.
You know, when you and I were just starting to communicate, you were for me the embodiment of correct Moscow secularism...
Was? (Laughs.)
But as we got closer, I realized that you are actually very homely. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you cook for your husband yourself [Eduard Kitsenko, co-owner of the Podium Market group of companies. – Approx. SNC] breakfasts, you always come home early in the evening to be with him!.. How does this craving for housework coexist with your steely will and leadership acumen?
breakfasts, you always come home early in the evening to be with him!.. How does this craving for housework get along with your steely will and leadership acumen?
Yes, I am such a Chekhov's Darling. (Laughs.) I really love being at home more than anything in the world, for me it’s a natural habitat, social life is a burden to me, unless going out involves communicating with the people I love.
Your couple can serve as a role model for many in Moscow - you both treat each other very respectfully, you don’t have loud conflicts, I always cite your story as an example of true great love. Tell me, has it always been like this?
It seems to me that this is largely his merit, because he is a very kind person, tolerant and patient. At the same time, he creates conditions for me in which I can grow and develop, supports me in many ways, teaches me a lot, still watches over me... I adopted a million things that I know and have in my life, certainly he has.
I know that you consult with him about what to wear, and that his assessment is very important to you.
Yes, I always listen to him, we can say that he contributed greatly to the development of my ability to dress. (Smiles.) For example, I had a long haircut for three or four years, and every few months he could casually say something like: “Listen, don’t you want to cut your hair? Somehow you’ve lost your style.” Not literally, of course, it was not offensive, but very apt, right to the point of trembling.
So he came up with your legendary hairstyle?
Certainly. But don’t get me wrong: he is not obsessed with my appearance and doesn’t endlessly reprimand me, no, with us everything goes in a very mild form, for example, when I sometimes start to be capricious, he can tell me completely calmly and soberingly: “Polechka, you it doesn’t look good, you yourself know that there are options that work much better for you,” after which he turns away and continues reading his own book. His comments are always casual, unobtrusive, but always hit the mark.
You know, from the outside it sometimes seems that you and your husband have some kind of unspoken agreement; in public, you both seem to be playing bad and good cop - he is soft, and you are tough, and you complement each other perfectly.
In fact, everything is simpler: he is wiser, and I am more emotional. (Smiles.)
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What qualities do you value most in people?
You know, I am convinced that friends are known not in grief, but in joy, in the ability to share your success, and especially in the ability to share your success. In friendship, it is very important to be able to share your success with those who were there from the very beginning, who lent you a shoulder when you climbed to the top. It often happens that while you were climbing and growing, the other person stood still and, accordingly, did not grow, which means that they must remain in the past. In the same way, we remain in the past of someone to whose level we were not able to grow in time.
You're both right and wrong, it's all quite subjective. Now I know for sure that a friend is someone who was able to retain humanity and adequacy in himself on the wave of success, who did not break away from his roots, if, of course, he had them. If one person “grows” out of another, then he no longer needs roots. For example, it may seem to you that one of your acquaintances has forgotten their roots, and your, so to speak, school friend may think that she is all so chic, some kind of chief accountant, but you have forgotten your roots, become a star and that's why I stopped calling her.
You gave as an example a situation where two people belong to different social worlds and there are no common interests between them. And I believe that, first of all, people are united by a commonality of interests, but in this situation it cannot exist. In fact, I have come up with the following axiom for myself: I want to be there, with those and spend my time so that I feel good and comfortable.
Are there any specific people who haven't done anything wrong to you, but with whom you just don't feel comfortable?
I work in the service industry, and for me, anyone is a potential client, so as a professional, I must be polite to everyone.
Who is your closest friend?
I don’t have and probably never even had a very close friend. I have the closest friend - my husband, I have the sphere closest to my heart - my family, my home, this is my kind of cocoon. In general, many years ago I decided to stop labeling people, because any step towards a person with a label on his neck is perceived by you as a micro-betrayal, and this is wrong, because all people are different, everyone has the right to make mistakes, so each person needs to leave little room for its shortcomings. You shouldn’t create an idol for yourself, you just need to appreciate those with whom you feel good and who feel good with you.
You know, I'm not just asking you this. You are a very private person and don’t let anyone get close to you. What is it connected with that makes you always keep your distance?
In fact, I am very amorous, I often fall in love with some characters, with my friends, and therefore I am partly vulnerable. But the older I get, the more clearly I understand that with no one person it can always be equally good everywhere.
Around whom, besides your husband, can you take off your armor and show yourself vulnerable? Sit down next to her and admit your weakness, figuratively, that you, for example, are afraid of getting old or feel ugly, I don’t know, it could be anything. Do you have such people?
Of course there are, and you know them, you are one of them. But I don’t want to publicly expose the personal, intimate part of myself, I’m afraid of jinxing it and therefore I don’t want this information to be in the public space.
Doesn't your closed nature bother you?
Yes, I don’t consider myself closed! (Laughs.)
Listen, I'm your friend, and I know for sure that in order for you to start talking about yourself, an earthquake must happen.
This is rather a life experience, rather than a closed nature. Previously, you could call me more open. And then, Ksyushenka, don’t you think that we are alike? We are both Scorpios...
Not on this specifically, although we do agree on many things.
You are multi-bottomed, even when you seem to be open, you still have twenty-two unexplored bottoms inside you. I don’t hide anything, but there are people with whom I’m not interested in sharing anything, and I don’t share. In general, I would even call myself overly open, I can blurt out too much in my heart, and this openness of mine always gives rise to some kind of gossip. It seems to me that my so-called closedness is a matter of my choice, and it is not difficult for me to make it; this issue is resolved at the level of my subconscious. This is my kind of safety cushion, which gives me the opportunity to feel comfortable, and leaves room for people to take a wrong step, gives them an exclusion zone where they can stomp around and think.
Don't you think that true friendship is manifested precisely in the ability to directly and promptly tell your friend that he is wrong?
I am always grateful to you for your comments, we have had situations when you were extremely honest with me, and I really appreciate it. But I myself, unless asked, will never make comments. If they ask, I'll tell you.
Can you call yourself a cautious person?
Yes, sure. I think it's character.
That is, these are not mental burns, but an innate quality?
And experience too, character is only half natural, the other half is life experience, strung on a genetic thread.
Do you worry when you are criticized?
Only when it’s done by people whose opinions I’m interested in. As you grow older, you begin to filter out important criticism from noise that is irrelevant to you. By the way, social networks also teach this, and you are a good example for me in this regard, because I know that you can read to yourself all the craziest bullshit in the world, and it won’t ruin your mood one bit, but it will can be ruined by one negative word from a person whose opinion is really important to you.
Only if it is a public word. I love and appreciate criticism and am always surprised that other people are not like me in this sense. I always feel terrible when my best intentions are misunderstood when people refuse to hear the truth about themselves.
And what always surprises me about our mutual acquaintances is the seriousness with which they sometimes discuss some critical comments addressed to them on Instagram or on Gossip. People are really incredibly upset by the opinions of anonymous people, let alone the cases when some of their ex-girlfriends or former employees speak out publicly! It pisses people off, and it absolutely amazes me. I do not have that. But the opinions of people whom I love and respect can even bring me to tears or make me think deeply.
Everyone knows that you are one of the few who continued close communication with Alena Doletskaya after she left Vogue, moreover, it seems to me that it has become even closer.
To be honest, the temperature has not changed.
Were you surprised by how impressive a number of people disappeared from her life?
No, absolutely. Firstly, her entire inner circle was with her and remains with her, but since there are no people from the gossip columns in it, no one knows and did not know who was included there. And secondly, unfortunately, the laws of life are such that most of the people who surround us are, let’s say, chorus boys who like to be in the rays of the image that we broadcast, and this must be understood and always remembered. Be that as it may, any relationship between people is always an exchange of energy, and energy can be different, and perhaps there were people around Alena who liked not the energy of her personality, but the energy of her influence. I appreciate her for something else, I’m incredibly glad that I met her in this life! She is an incredible, wildly talented woman, a bright character, a real gem! Agree.
I agree. I want to end the interview on a business note. How is your company going to adapt to the crisis? In today's coordinate system, fashion and the gloss that accompanies it are the most vulnerable points. Have you thought through a survival algorithm?
You know, I’ll probably disappoint you now, but I won’t be able to sincerely answer this question, primarily because I work as a creative director, that is, my position is more related to creativity than to finance. I understand that everything will be bad, but I don’t know how bad, and I think 99% of the people who will assure you that they know, in fact, don’t know it in the same way and cannot know. The only thing we all know for sure is that a very negative scenario is playing out.
In this situation, the strategy of developing democratic projects can work; an emphasis on “Podium Markets” can be life-saving for your business.
This store is something that I am truly proud of, more proud than our other achievements. We created this niche in Moscow, we saw in time that it was not filled, and we filled it. I’ll tell you this: at the moment we are following the general line that we have been adhering to for the last two years: we have stopped our expansion in the luxury segment and are no longer developing the luxury direction, but are developing within the segment of inexpensive fashionable clothing. And this plan was developed not in connection with the rising exchange rate, but rather a long time ago. In general, plans change every day, because every day something simply unimaginable happens, and the proverb “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans” is more relevant than ever in our time. I don't know what will happen even in a week.
Tell me honestly, are you horrified by what is happening? What feelings are you experiencing?
Of course I'm terrified. We did not expect another crisis. I often think about how difficult it is, although also good, to live in an era of change. This is the third serious economic crisis in our lifetime! You know, during the default, I was laid off in the thousands - out of 6,000 employees of the bank where I worked, 5,500 were laid off, and I, naturally, was one of them. I remember the terrible year 1998 very well, I remember 2008 very well.
When was it worse?
It's scary every time. But you know, I have a feeling that we will swim out in spite of everything, that everything will be fine. I believe in metaphysics, I love to visualize and I always believe that everything will happen exactly as I pictured for myself, I believe that everything happens the way we want in the depths of our souls, that we build our destiny with our own hands. I think that we will somehow drift, I don’t know how, but everything will be fine, because it simply cannot be otherwise.
Which of the two of you is in a more gloomy mood due to the current situation: you or your husband?
Of course, the husband has more worries, because he manages the finances.
Finally, I can’t help but ask you one not very pleasant question. I know that your husband’s breakup with his first Runway partner was painful, there were high-profile lawsuits...
It’s not true, the parting was quite calm and quiet. I would not like to comment on this story, I do not want to return to it. That person left the business with the amount that he himself announced, the rest is just emotions, probably caused by the fact that without him we not only did not drown, but stepped over and moved on.
Okay, last question then. Your dream?
I have many dreams, but there is only one global dream: for all my ideas to be realized at least 90%.
Do you manage to combine work and business?
Polina does not like to show off her life. In her social networks there are very few pages dedicated to family or everyday life, but there are so many sports recommendations, direct PR for a healthy lifestyle and beautiful photographs of celebrities themselves in expensive outfits and at social events.
It is known that Kitsenko was born in the Vladimir region into a family of officials. Her parents moved to Moscow when she was 11. There, the capable and diligent girl went to an English special school, and after graduating, to the International Institute. Kitsenko studied to become a lawyer, but the student paid a lot of attention to languages.
Edward
Developer Vadim Raskovalov and co-owner of Podium Fashion Group Eduard Kitsenko (from left to right) at the new annual project “Metamorphoses” of the Silver Rain radio station and SNC magazine at the Gogol Center.
It’s hard to say when Polina became a fan of a healthy lifestyle and became so passionate about sports that now she can easily attract millions of fans of morning jogging and healthy eating. However, it is known that her passion for an active lifestyle is fully shared by her husband, entrepreneur Eduard Kitsenko, whose last name she bears.
When the lovers got married, Edward owned the Podium company and one store and, according to rumors, was against his wife also doing business.
The young people met many years ago and soon created the very family that many only dream of throughout their lives. In one of her interviews, Polina calls herself Chekhov's Darling, and Ksenia Sobchak (her friend and author of that interview) reveals secrets: the star always personally prepares breakfast for her husband and comes home early to be with him.
Kitsenko has two children - a son and a daughter, the age difference between them is 12 years. As a family, they travel a lot, often having active holidays: skiing, biking, mountaineering... They, one might say, also work together. When the lovers got married, Edward owned the Podium company and one store and, according to rumors, was against his wife also doing business.
Fashionista
However, the girl was extremely interested in fashion. In an interview, she admits that she still feels delighted when she finds unusual and beautiful things - even a sweater for a thousand, even a priceless couture dress.
It was at her instigation that stores selling premium clothing brands first developed into a chain, and then some of them were modified into Podium Market, a more affordable boutique serving a wide audience.
Polina studied the special knowledge that the fashion industry required of her on her own. The businesswoman says that her husband helped her in many ways.
Most kind
She calls him the kindest and most patient man and talks about his subtle, unsurpassed taste, with the help of which his husband guides Polina herself. Well, what else can you expect from a man whose business is directly related to the fashion industry?
Kitsenko also talks about how a husband can give practical advice on his wife’s image. It was he who came up with the legendary blonde hairstyle. He can also casually note which outfit suits Paul better.
Maybe that's why Polina calls her husband her best friend, and her family - not sports or work - the closest sphere in which she is ready to realize herself endlessly.