Allegra

Thank you for sending this <3

5 things that make me happy (currently):

pretty books

scrolling down "the pitt" tag and interacting with the fandom

singing in the car

watching asmr before falling asleep

In the ice dance lore episode 4, Adam explains (I’m paraphrasing because I won’t tear through an 2:40h-episode again to find the exact quote) that Russian coaches are quick to insult their students, but they’re also ready to defend them like a lioness her cubs when anyone else does. However, the moment you go to another coach, you’re dead to them.

Which immediately reminded me of this:

In the prime of his career—after accomplishing a Grand Slam and winning Worlds and the GPF the 5th time in a row—Viktor hangs up his skates to coach a skater he has fallen in love with. He doesn’t officially retire, which is something every coach can understand and support, but goes on “hiatus” to court Yuuri. As a result, Yakov has a fit and speaks harshly about Viktor when the press brings up the reason for Viktor’s hiatus, is quick to criticise his coaching skills because in Yakov’s mind Viktor’s place is on the other of the barrier, and he’s hell-bent to ignore Viktor when they meet at competitions. With Adam’s report in mind, this reminded me of a couple interviews with Russian coaches I’ve read in a skating magazine which showed me that this is actually pretty common.

There’s an underlying cultural mentality at work here. During the Soviet era, when Yakov grew up, competed, and started coaching students, someone’s contribution to the glory of their country counted more than the individual themselves. Successes were propagandised and failures were blamed on the individual and punished because they don’t support the image the country wants to show to the world (read: Russian athletes are the best). Given Adam’s words and everything I’ve heard about Russian figure skating, this mentality still exists in sports, and you can see it in how they portray their athletes as heroes in case you wonder why Viktor is the “Russian Hero”.

So, what does that mean for Viktor and Yakov?

In a system where sport is state-funded and used as a propaganda tool, his students’ failures reflect poorly on Yakov. To avoid such an outcome, Yakov would scold his students and blame them for their failures, basically passing the pressure that is on him to his students. At the same time, if someone else speaks ill about one of his students, it would make Yakov look bad and so he defends them. Leaving a coach, even if it’s only for going on hiatus, is like a personal insult and a blow to the coach’s pride. Or in other words: there’s no greater insult to Yakov than his champion student leaving him and not needing him anymore after everything he’s done for him. As if Viktor is ungrateful and thinks too much of himself, which we know is nonsense, but to Yakov who reacts like a scorned lover it’s a shield to hide behind.

This shows that some wounded pride is involved here that doesn’t allow Yakov to do some introspection to understand the reasons leading to his best student leaving him. But—and I really want to stress this beause fans seem so quick to put the blame on Viktor—that’s neither Viktor’s fault nor his problem. Viktor is not responsible for Yakov or the solution to his issues. It's the system that needs to change. Viktor is responsible for his own happiness, and so is Yakov.

Viktor’s later confusion with respect to Yakov’s hostility gives rise to the theory that he never expected things he undoubtedly heard of happen to himself, may it be because Yakov has been his coach from the start or because he cannot imagine that the father figure he obviously sees in Yakov would really dismiss him like that. (Note: that some Russian skaters maintain a closer relationship to their coaches than to their parents is not unheard of, some even live with them—and not because the parents don’t love their child or are neglectful.)

The same mentality is at work when Yakov welcomes Viktor with open arms at the first sign that he wants to come back:

… or rather that’s what Yakov's first thought. But: Viktor entrusting Yakov with his own student proves to Yakov that Viktor still holds him in high esteem and needs him.

Viktor will learn what it feels to be dismissed and not be needed anymore when Yuuri tells to retire to the point that he acts like a scorned lover, although Yuuri doesn’t break up their private relationship, showing that he isn't immune to these things himself.

For the longest time I thought Yakov’s treatment of Viktor was mainly caused by anger management issues and dealing with divorce, and while both certainly impact Yakov by making him more irritable and impair his emotional control, the impact of national mentality is hard to ignore once you become aware of it. It’s another detail that enriches the world of YOI and shows that the creators did their homework on the cultures and the ethnicities of their cast.

I've posted 62 fics for Yuri on Ice on my main writing account, adding up to 449,595 words over the last 8 years. That's a very big number for a very slow writer like me. YOI is the hyperfixation that keeps on giving <3

Disclaimer: Fandom is for everyone, and I'm not writing this as a way to present my perspective as the "correct" one. Everyone can engage in fandom in whatever way they enjoy. This is just a personal reflection of the considerations I have when writing. If you feel differently, that's totally cool and I respect that. Life would be boring if we all thought the same. 

And they were soulmates.