Nikolai Kolomenkin was born in 1872 in the village of Khrenovo, Voronezh region. His father was the director of agricultural equipment factory in Voronezh. His mother was 20 years younger then her husband. Nicolai has two elder sisters - Maria and Elena. …He began skating in the childhood using hand-made wooden skates with iron blades. Later his mother brought him a pair of real metal skates from Moscow. In 1882 his parents divorced and his mother took the children and left for St.Petersburg, where later on she married Sergei Silin. Nikolai Kolomenkin went in for his favorite skating. He has often seen at "Prudki" - a skating-rink in the garden on Grechesky Prospect. Due to his stepfather he got a recommendation letter from V.I.Sreznevsky (private-docent of the University), the director of St.Petersburg Skating Club, and it gave him access to Usupov Garden. The skating-rink of Usupov Garden belonged to St.Petersburg Skating Society, the founders of which were the private-docent of the University V.I.Sreznevsky (director), academician of architecture A.K.Bruni, lawyer A.P.Lebedev, painter Buchter, a general and tow industrialists. In Usupov Garden people practiced speed skating, ice-hokey and Finish sledge skating. Excellent equipment and maintenance of the skating-rink attached many amateurs to it. But to become a regular skater on this skating-rink (up to tow thousand subscriptions were usually described) was not easy because its owners wanted to limit the access saying that they should keep its "respectable character" unstained. That's why amateurs could appear there only with some recommendation letter and only under responsibility of one of its members. Having got the right to visit the skating-rink regularly, Nikolai began spending all his evenings and weekends on one of the ponds in the far end of the Garden. One day Vyacheslav Sreznevsky hailed Nikolai and introduced him to a tall slender man with reddish beard and aquiline nose: - Here is a pupil was telling you about. They shook hands. - I've heard a lot about you zeal in the skating. I rather appreciate it! That was the end of the conversation - Nikolai got excited when he recognized Alexei Lebedev in the man he just talked to, the best figure skater in Russia.
The victory of Alexei Lebedev - "grand father of Russian figure-skaters"
…In 1890 international competitions in figure skating in Usupov Garden. The strongest athletes arrived there, they were Villy Dinstle and Karl Kaiser from Austria, Rudolf Sundgrem from Sweden (the winner of different competitions in Stockholm), John Katani from Finland, Lui Rubinshtein (the champion of Canada and the USA). St.Petersburg Skating Society was represented by Alexei Lebedev (a lawyer from Vladikavkaz Railway Department) - then winner of international competition in Helsingfors (now Helsinki). It's quite remarkable that Lebedev (later called "grand father of Russian figure-skating") had never been given lesson of figure skating. He himself worked out a high technical performance in skating. …The fight for the first place flared up mainly between Alexei Lebedev and Lui Rubinshtein. The Canadian athlete showed the perfect "school pattern" and complexity in his free program. …Alexei Lebedev defeated the "school pattern" and also won in special figures. In free skating he demonstrated a thoroughly worked out program. The special figures were a part of figure skating (completely forgotten by now) when competitors were to carry out elements much more complicated than the ones of the "school part". Athletes presented to judge's drawings of the figures they intended to execute on ice before the beginning of the competition. …Alexei Lebedev from St. Petersburg showed a high technical skill in skating and won the gold.
How Kolomenkin became Panin
In 1893 Nicolai Kolomenkin entered St. Petersburg University - Natural Sciences department of - mathematics and physics faculty. …The real idol for Nicolai and other students was Petr Franzevich Lesgaft who gave them a course of anatomy in vivid and interesting manner. It was due to his initiative that The Society for Physical Development of Children and Youth was founded in 1893. …Apart from figure skating Nicolai Kolomenkin also liked cycling and had some practice as a coach. Nicolai Kolomenkin started training his university friend - Sergei Krupsky, whose father hated sport and didn't allow his son to participate in races. That was the reason why Sergei as many other athletes of that time had to participate in competitions using a pseudonym. In sport he was known under the name of Panin. …But once an accident happened - while riding a bike Sergei Krupsky got seriously injured at cycle track on Kamenny Island. This time the father forced Sergei to leave the sport forever. In a hospital, where Kolomenkin came to visit his friend, they had an important - as the future showed - talk: - Nicolai, were you satisfied with my results? - Yes, of course, Seregia. - Could you do me a favour? I've heard you are going to participate in figure-skating competitions. Take my pseudonym, please. Let it stay in sport forever. "Panin" is a lucky name: I've never lost. Thus the new name - Nicolai Panin - appeared in figure skating.
The first World Championship of Figure Skating takes place in St. Petersburg.
In 1896 The International Skating Union established world championship of figure skating. St. Petersburg Skating Society was given the honour to organise the first official competition of such high level. The skating-rink of Usupov Garden was chosen as the main arena. The World Championship was opened 9 February 1896. There were only four competitors Gustav Hugel - (Austria) - a silver-medal winner of European Champs in Vienna and Budapest, Gilbert Fuks (Germany) - a bronze-medal winner of European Champ in Budapest and Russians George Sanders and Nocolai Poduskov. Undoubtedly, the German athlete was considered to be the strongest among them. Gilbert Fucks impressed both spectators and judges by confident and clear skating while performing his "school" figures; his free program was also impressive. He showed an outer "board", other complicated pirouettes, a neatly performed one and a half spin jump with loading on one leg. Not a false movement. His program was the best regarding its difficulty and variety and the performance was excellent. All five judges awarded him with first place. Gustav Hugel was considered to be the future champion before the Championship, during the competition proved to be weak. The Austrian athlete performed "school" figures rather poorly. His free program was less difficult than the one of Hilbert Fucks. He performed perfectly only one figure: a complicated pirouette started on one leg into low twist and then back to pirouette ended by four quadruple toes. The judges unanimously gave him second place. George Sanders and Nicolai Poduskov both performed their "school" and free programs worse. But when the time for special figures came George Sanders was remarkable. His "cross and half-moon", "lyre", "flowers" and "snake" were most complicated, beautiful and clearly done. He won gold in this kind of skating. But this total result was third and Nicolai Poduskov was fourth.
And now my name is Panin.
The first championship of Russia for the title of "The Best figure skater" took place in 1897. Its only participant was Alexander Pashin. In the same year Alexander Morozov, Adolf Rimer and for the first time Nicolai Kolomenkin under the name of "Panin" (since then he always used this name in competitions) took part in the international competitions for amateur figure skaters which were held at the skating-rink in Usupov Garden. Nicolai Kolomenkin graduated from the University in 1899. As he was an excellent student he was offered a position at the faculty to continue his scientific researches. The young specialist declined to offer to family reasons and began working at the Financial Department of St.Petersburg. In 1901 Nicolai Panin applied for participation in the competitions for the title of "The Best Figure Skater" in Russia. The same winter world champion Gilbert Fuchs and the world champion Ulrich Salchow were invited to the open competitions at St.Petersburg. …The skating-rink at Usupov Garden was well prepared/ Ulrich Salchow performed his famous unprecedented jump, which is known as "salchow" in free program. The judges favoured Ulrich Salchow in spite of the fact that Gilbert Fuchs was better/ After free program Salchow was only 3 points ahead: 843 against 840. Nicolai Panin, Alexander Ross , Andrey Gopp and Nicolai Poduskov represented Russia. The best one was Nicolai Panin with 711 points. "There is one consolation for the Russian champion - after a while he will be as good as foreign skaters" - wrote Russian magazine "Sport". The world championship dedicated to the bicentennial of St/Petersburg (on ice of Usupov Garden). In 1903 St.Petersburg was celebrating its bicentennial and the international Skating Union asked the St.Petersburg Skating Club to organise the Championship. Four foreign skaters came to complete: Ulrich Salchow (Sweden) - twice World champion, his rival - ex-World champion Gilbert Fuchs (Germany), Austria's champion Max Bogacha and Germany's champion Ernst Lassann. The competition began on February 8 in Usupov Garden. Ulrich Salchow impressed spectators with his strength and confidence when doing all even the most difficult figures and placed first, Nicolai Panin won the silver, Max Bogacha came the third and Ernst Lassann was the fourth.
At the European Championship in Davoce, Switzerland, which was held in the beginning of January 1904 Nicolai Panin was the third with Salchow and Max Bogacha ahead of him. In 1906 the competitions for the Challenge Cup to commemorate Alexander Panshin (the four time Champion of Russia in figure skating died tragically in 1904) were held for the first time. The Cup was established by St.Petersburg Skating Club. It was the silver cup crowned with winged skates.
The first win.
The international Figure Skating Competitions in commemoration of Alexander Panshin was held in the February 1908 in St.Petersburg. Ulrich Salchow, a seven time World Champion, took part in the competition together with two German figure skaters - Henry Burger and Martin Gordan. Only at he last moment Nicolai Panin also decided to complete. A Panin's pupil Karl Ollo appeared on ice. He confidently drew a clear "school" figure. Salchow was the next to perform the figure. He did the same figure worse. This gave Panin a confidence in the victory over Salchow. When Panin's turn came, he left a long trace which perfectly repeated six times formed a clear white figure on the dark background of ice - the public burst out in applause. Salchow made his trace next, obviously being sure that he would do it better, but unfortunately his line was uneven: the public kept silent. Having performed the compulsory figures, Panin was the first. Salchow didn't manage to perform the figures correctly, so he had to repeat them. The Swedish athlete was defeated both by Panin and his pupil Karl Ollo. Ulrich Salchow was the best in the free program. But it was Panin who had the total victory with 344.4 points, Ulrich Salchow was second with 328.2 points. "Salchow is beaten, - "New daily Vienna newspaper" wrote - The winner is Nicolai Panin from the St.Petersburg Skating Club. Judging from his previous performances nobody could expect such a succsess. This time likings won't be with Ulrich Salchow". IV Olympic Games in London.
October 1908, London. Russia is represented by wrestlers A.Petrov, N.Orlov, G.Demin, E.Zamyatin and the only figure skater N.Panin. Among the participants in figure skating were seven time world champion and six time European champion Ulrich Salchow (Sweden), two time silver World medallist, silver and bronze European medallist Henry Burger (Germany), bronze World and European medallist Per Turen (Sweden), Irwin Brown (USA), Nicolai Panin, Arthur Cumming and John Hall-Say (Great Britain). Figure skating competition was included in the Olympic Games program for the first time. "Princess Hall", a covered London skating rink with artificial ice was chosen for its holding. Hardly could the Russian athlete, who recently defeated Salchow, perform the second compulsory figure - "the eight" -as the Swedish athlete shouted: - It's not "the eight"! It's curved! It was a lie. "The eight" was excellent. So, here is the psychological attack, - Panin thought. - Well, Mister Salchow, let's see if I swallow your bait. When Panin was performing his next figure Salchow shouted out: - He is not in a good shape! He can't do anything! And this time the judge still kept silence. Nicolai Panin protested. The Swedish athlete was reproved. One should see what followed then! The Swedish figure skater insulted and threatened Panin in reply. Finally Salchow was put into his proper place. This made him angry and he lost his control. As a result the Swedish athlete was not in his best form when performing some first figures. German judges Veldt and Sanders put Panin on the first place, Swedish judge Grenander put him on the second and Herle and Hugel, a Salchow's close friend, put the Russian athlete on the fourth place. The protest of the Russian team was left without attention. Panin declared then that he was not going to perform his free program: he didn't expect fair marks from Hugel and Herle. Then George Sanders, the Russian judge and a friend of Panin interfered. He managed to persuade Panin that the case with judges wouldn't repeat because Ulrich Salchow and Henri Brokau left the competition, as they understood how worthless it would be to continue. When Nicolai Panin was performing the last and the most difficult figure, "impracticable" according to the newspapers one could hear the stormy applause from the judges' box. His result was the best. Having gained 218 points Panin became the Olympic Games winner champion. That was his first Olympic gold.
The victory at the Olympic Games uncovered Panin's incognito. An unpleasant surprise awaited Panin "the triumph of Russian sport" (as journalists called him) in St. Petersburg. Up to that moment Nicolai Panin was safely protected from undesired talks about his pseudonym at his work place. But the secret was disclosed. The director of the department where Panin worked received a page from a newspaper. There was a big photo of a figure-skater performing some difficult pattern on the ice. The photo was encircled in red. The text below said that it was Nicolai Panin, many-time champion of Russia who had just became the gold medallist at the IV Olympics Games in London. The director was stricken by the resemblance of the champion with Nicolai Kolomenkin - an assistant of tax inspector. - You must stop skating right away, - demanded irritated director from Panin. - It is incredible - a department worker appearing in tights before public!.. - It is useful for health… body development… And of course the honor of the Russian State on international arena. Is it bad? But the director didn't want to hear anything at all. - Either the department or sport.
Nicolai Panin's merits in Russian sport, his numerous victories in competitions were marked in 1909 - this first Russian "olympionic", as people called Panin, became an honorable member of St. Petersburg Amateur Skating Society. In 1903 they asked Nicolai Panin to write a "Manuel of figure-skating training". The book "Figure skating" was published in 1910. It was the first complete and thorough direction in figure-skating training. In 1911 the first Russian Women Championship was held. Both competitors were Panin's pupils - Ksenia Tsezar and Lidia Popova. It was Ksenia Tsezar who won. She had an advantage in "school" and her free skating was impeccable.
Rittberger was only the third in St. Petersburg
Two Panin's pupils - Ivan Malinin and Karl Ollo - took part in European Champ, which was held in St. Petersburg on the ice of Usupov Garden. Among other participants there were Per Turen from Sweden, Verner Rittberger from Germany and Andor Chende from Hungary. Karl Ollo with his excellent skating and fine sense of music was second, Verger Rittbeger third, Ivan Malinin fourth. Russian newspapers wrote about Karl Ollo's success, who gained the second place, about Verner Rittberger who could have taken a higher place but failed because of firm ice and difficult figures. Ivan Malinin - from Moscow - was cheered by public. The first skating-rink under roof and artificial ice in Russia appeared in St. Petersburg in 1912 on Kamennoostrovsky Prospect and it also played an important role in development of figure-skating in Russia. Nicolai Panin's activity was continued by his pupils. Alexander Gandelsmann brought up twice USSR champions in pair skating - Maya Belenkaya and Igor Moskvin. Petr Orlov brought up four time USSR champions in pair skating - Nina and Stanislav Zhuk, who also gained the first (for the USSR) silver medals on the European Champs in 1958 in Bratislava (Czechoslovakia), in 1959 in Davoce (Switzerland) and in 1960 in Garmish-Partenkirchen (Germany).