a graduate of the children’s army hockey school in Moscow, he managed to get into the main part of the main team of the country, which was headed by a demanding and harsh Anatoly Vladimirovich Tarasov. Then it was akin to a sporting achievement: on the ice out only three defensive pairings and three of three attacks. Later Tarasov’s genius recognized the world. “We are taught to look the attacker in the eye and not back away” – once in his laconic style, said Alexander Vladimirovich Gusev.
In CSKA’s Gusev met and became friends with Valery Kharlamov, which later was sent in “exile” in the army club “Star” of the godforsaken in the Urals, Chebarkul. In fact, our meeting took place in 2014 during the preparation of the book about Valerie B. for the series “Life of remarkable people” published by “Young guard”. Our conversation in his house on the Leningrad highway near the metro station “Falcon” lasted more than two hours. Gusev fondly remembered Kharlamov, on the chebarkulsky “exile”, about the famous Dynamo Valeriy Vasilyev, with whom he played in the same pair in the team, Alexander Maltsev, the same truth-seeker as he was about the famous and grueling training Tarasova, due to which many army veterans and collections of, in his words, “lost his health” and left early from life. Gusev not only shared unique information, but also introduced many veterans of the team “Legends of USSR hockey”, played on the ice with him in a shopping center in Sochi.
the Only time I saw Guseva irritated when he responded to a question about famous movie about Kharlamov. “Can you believe we Valery and I climbed through the wires in Chebarkul and walked around the girls?” asked Gusev, after a pause and attentively looked in eyes. Then with the righteousness cut “Bullshit. What are naked girls, where we have a barracks regime was and didn’t have the weekend?!”. Then told that the first scenario is that the veterans of hockey handed out at Kuntsevo cemetery on the day of birth of Valeriy Borisovich was offensive to them and the memory of Kharlamov, following the newfangled Hollywood patterns, the writers did a man who allegedly “opposed to the system”. Said the young “writers”, brought up on American values and far from the Russian history, themselves admitted that when they were placed on the script, they didn’t know who Kharlamov. Gusev, Maltsev as, was so enraged by the film that broke the script when he got home. Then demanded that his name in the film was replaced by Guskov. And a CD of the film, which he brought home, even did not watch and broke it in two, throwing it in the bin. These people had their own rightness and their own truth, which they carried through life.
This really is not like a new coach of CSKA Viktor Tikhonov, who in the late 1970s began to get rid of reputable veterans. So Gusev, Olympic champion, two-time world and European champion, six-time winner of the USSR championship in ice hockey was in the team of SKA Leningrad, where he finished his brilliant career. After graduating from the Leningrad military Institute of physical culture and potrenirovat SKA MVO from Kalinin (now Tver), quietly gone with hockey’s orbit, getting a good military pension and Supplement for the title of Olympic champion.
– Valera I first met in 1962, when he came to CSKA and was accepted in the Junior school. I have already played before in hockey for three seasons. First practiced in Sokolniki in children’s sports school Boris Ivanovich Afanasyev. The following year we were transferred to CSKA. And just a year or two Valera came, a small, puny, but that caught my eye, then already very skillful he was. We all are from yards out, and “yard” training was then to be healthy. Skating the boys were very confident. Backyard battles – after all, serious business. Not hurt, but no you on the head not Pat. In General, since I first saw it. He was a year younger than me in their team was the main star Sasha Smolin. Team 1947-1948 years was born, went to Kyiv won the USSR championship on hockey among youth teams. So the first time we were in the same youth team. It was a 1965. Tarasov called it “the little humpbacked Horse”. Then came up with the nickname “Cleary”, “Horlick”. Don’t know where these nicknames came from, and who invented them. I was “Goose”, and it still is.
We, young, home was, from his native Moscow really had not gone anywhere. But it is necessary, then do it. We were soldiers for military service, where to go? Tarasov was terse, caused, said, guys, go help the team from Chebarkul. There was the palest hue hotel and, in my opinion, no normal restaurant. The daily routine was quite rigid as in the army. Morning rise, morning exercises, Breakfast, in town for a training ride. In the city katachek was wooden, outdoor. However, ice, we must pay tribute to the staff of the stadium, was normal. The people there were going Packed. In fact, the only sight in the city was. Bleachers could seat about four thousand spectators, but the fans here have gotten much more. Played at minus 45 outdoors. We were young, very cold and did not notice. Ears were cold, I shall warm them slightly, and again in the battle. The fans were easier, they were warmed by their own means. There battered military tents, they were offered port wine, hot belyashi. People rested well. Where else to go in this town? But the joy of the people was sincere and genuine. All the fans, despite the extremely harsh and unhappy life were all one happy sethe Mergui. The game and players are waiting for like waiting for family celebrations.
the Atmosphere in our army team was great. The guys in her classroom, were simple. From Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, from Tagil. Muscovites we Valera in her alone was. Valera once the leaders had escaped, so that when we are in a new city for the games came, his fame was already ahead of him. And this recognition happened in a matter of weeks. He scored in less than a season 34 goals, and we are after the championship has returned to CSKA.
– at the start of the season, we had one training session. Still young in the evening, sometimes collected. In the morning, with CSKA going to train, thinking, this night, finally rest. But Tarasov was right there, picking us up, the young, and with us goes to Otocec. Or when the ice in the summer training was not necessarily satisfied for us to cross. As the cross ran through the stadium, the young forward ran, Alexander Ragulin was older, who are ahead will run, so that he upsets, he says: “ale-Ale, young people, where they have gone? Everybody fell in behind me.” And he comes first to the finish line. In terms of physical endurance Valera Kharlamov, and we were all perfectly prepared. The only thing he didn’t like to jog. Short distance it to run, and crosses not. All fled, is no exception. Tried a bunch to keep, not to break, especially ahead why to engage in this nonsense? First cross was at the time smaller. Then with the filing of Tarasova started to run for an hour. Hour run. Or in a circle on the field, or on rough terrain. Reluctance. And what reluctance? Running and running the whole bunch. Told each other something on the way. Valery always the last crosses were used. He did not love them. Tarasov loved exercise “to kill a canadian”. We were dispersed on the base and hit the move in a huge oak tree so that its trunk was bare. Risked my health, but had the super series in 1972. The Canadians laughed at our form. We do a little bit miserable out. In the late 1960s – early 1970s, what were? Who will get it. We, the young, fall from the masters of some junk. And knee pads, and shoulder pads. Who in the team was playing, he get something, and in teams when they were young, twisted themselves. Sweater wool some was ridiculous. Well, the Canadians gave us pants, gloves “Cooper”, some form. And the t-shirts we played. They would let us and Mikey did good with the inscription “USSR”, but no, our leaders said, “In their play will be.” Sticks bent themselves. Three pieces nastrogat, so the game will break them all. Them we were given, and they constantly broke. Not complaining, not discouraged, and therefore defeated. The spirit we have been so. Winners.
