若くして去ってしまったあなたを、まだいないと信じられない私がいます。
録画の中のずっとそのままのデニスが胸をしめつけます。
何年たってもただ悲しい。
会いたい。
もう一度、あなたのスケートを見たい。
生きててほしかった。

19th July 2020

In Denis's interpretation of music, lyrics and choreography, we found the sanctuary for our souls. However, the splendid outcome of his rather successful career came at a price. Before making a contribution to Denis Ten Foundation, first of all, let's remember not only his amazing performances on the ice, but also what he sacrificed for the sake of presenting the beautiful scenes to us.



During those years, in order to pursue success, Denis lost part of his health. What he received were cuts, bruises, sprained ankles, hurt knees, hips, back, and broken leg bones amomg others. Obviously, he had to endure endless physical pain.



He had to worry about the high expenditure that was needed to make ends meet, cover his expenses on the ice, and sustain himself throughout financial strains, so as to let himself stay the course in figure skating.



He could hardly relax. He had no time to sightsee despite his frequent business travel. He had to give up most of his leisure that he otherwise could have whiled away, reading his favourite books or discovering other interesting fields. He wasn't allowed enough time to unite with his beloved family, sitting next to them, enjoying meals, having interesting conversations with them, let alone to accompany them to movies, parties, go hiking with them, etc. He was deprived much of his time on fulfilling his duty as a son in terms of taking care of his father struggling with illness: Had been feeling unwell for a while, Mr. Ten still gave up a lot of his own convenience in his life and tried his best to support Denis's career on demand. It seems that it's just too hard for an elite athlete to strike a balance between work and life.



He was under constant pressure and stress. Fear for that he couldn't meet his sponsors and all other supporters' expectations and live up to his name, he sometimes was anxiety-ridden. Meanwhile, he couldn't help being tormented by the feeling of guilt over what he couldn't do and couldn't have done more for audiences due to his frequent injuries. The facts that he attracted media attention from around the globe and his compatriots pinned high hopes on him motivated him, but in the meantime, placed heavy responsibilities on him. Concerning all of above issues, I believe most of figure skaters and their parents and many of figure skating fans understand what I'm saying.



To Denis's relief, with his effort and our support, he found true happiness and fun in his dancing on the ice. He got a lot of opportunities to improve himself by learning from his experiences and from others. During training and competitions, through practices, reflection and tests, he gained wisdom and patience, and strengthened his character. Engaging in figure skating, he got closer to reaching his full potential. He won our admiration as well as appreciation, and made friends with people on and off ice rinks. Showered in our encouragement and gifts, he established himself as an elite figure skater, grew up into an true artist and an excellent athlete, and so gained world-wide popularity. He developed himself into a visionary and showed us his potential as a great leader in international sport management. He also became a national hero. As we know, throughout his career, our concern and support were of great importance to him.



If we wish to see more creative figure skaters like Denis, then we should work to make it happen. We can support emerging athletes as we supported Denis, and we can do more. If we donate to Denis Ten Foundation, then certain of talented younger versions of Denis and Elizabet from Kazakhstan and even from around the the world will gain some forms of support. To some extent, we will exempt the devout young figure skaters from physical, psychological, and financial struggles that Denis, his contemporary and older generations of figure skaters had gone through. This means if through the foundation, we give a hand to the promising young talents, they could suffer fewer injuries and less pain, and be under less stress and strain. Instead, they could work hard with less concerns, stay healthy in general, recover better after injuries, and gain confidence and poise, and so would be able to keep on being in-form skaters as long as possible. Our action will facilitate the realization of those budding elite figure skaters' dreams, and Denis and his parents' aspiritions as well. Without question, our contribution will also reward ourselves. It'll enable us to watch more fantastic innovative performances on the ice, and our engagement in the foundation activities will widen our horizons. Anyway, if we are enthusiastic about engaging with the foundation, Denis in heaven will be satisfied and proud of what we do. As a mature figure skater, Denis had articulately opined such an ideal in the interviews with him and the documentaries taking a look on his career and life: He would spare no effort in producing, presenting and promoting diverse performances; the performances must be enriched with soul put into them. I view this ideal as one of the Denis Ten Foundation's brand core values. Nevertheless, although it's said that hardships in real life are a source of artistic inspirition, it can't be denied that a figure skater overwhelmed by tumultuous difficulties in their life has hardly any chances to reach Denis's ideal. This is why we need to change the landscape. Many figure skaters do need our help.



Besides, I wish the foundation a success also because I speculate that when Denis's family have a clear life purpose, are kept occupied and working at full speed, they might well spend less time losing themselves in distress. I think Mrs. Ten chose to continue her career in figure skating mainly because she loves her son so much that she hates to see Denis's dreams come to nothing, and perhaps she is also working to oblige Denis who pleaded with her to fill in for him in case he wouldn't be able to work on those dreams. Of course, she wishes to contribute more to their country and reward the people who love Denis and have been kind to the family. On the one hand, as the foundation is set up for Denis, the position of Fund Director is the most important one, on which she should be proud to take; on the other hand, the job is a cross to bear. Yet with her son's unaccomplished mission in mind, probably she can barely concentrate on anything else at this stage. Now that she has set her mind on remaining in the field, we should by all means support her. I was propelled to proceed with the idea of supporting the foundation, when I imagined that whenever a project started or planned by Denis is completed, it will become a new consolation to the family. Most importantly, I guess instead of the cause of figure skating, his family's future had  been Denis's No.1 concern. Even though I believe the government and people of Kazakhstan are taking good care of the family, I still hope that we, as Denis's friends, make special contribution in helping the family lead a quality life and improve their standards of living as other people do. We all wish to see Denis's family happy, don't we? The family are independent and proud. I suppose as long as they can, they would prefer to survive on their own brains and hands. Hence, they would take comfort if they can make a living by working at the foundation and related organizations in which they can keep going and carry on Denis's legacy at the same time. Under these circumstances, it stands to reason to say that supporting the foundation is something worth our effort.



Why do I regard Denis Ten foundation run by Mrs. Oxana Ten and her colleagues as  credible and reliable? It's because I see that Denis's parents are determined to remember their son in this meaningful way, and Mrs. Ten and her colleagues are competent and knowledgeable enough to carry out the task.



Firstly, Mr. Yurii Ten and Mrs. Oxana Ten are sincere and courageous people. I trust their good will in helping prospective elite athletes, in improving and developing the sport, and in serving their own country. In addition, I trust their iron will to make things happen. Along with Denis, they built up their grit during those trying days. They have steeled themselves and are ready to face up to challenges and commit themselves to the projects initiated by Denis with their usual aplomb.



Secondly, Mrs. Ten had been working in the field of figure skating on a full-time basis for many years. She has formed her own style of management. For the foundation, she will make use of her experiences acquired and expertise developed throughout her career in figure skating. Few of us would doubt that she is in the top tier at least in the section of figure skating athlete management. I fully trust her capability to lead the foundation, not to mention that she is assisted by other professionals.



Thirdly, Denis's family all were the "winners". When we talk about Denis's medals and his popularity, we must awake to the contribution from his family. Specifically, his family, coaches, choreographers, music and song contributors, skate and costume desigers, equipment and ice rink providers, management team (in the late stages of his career) among others formed a bigger team. Their teamwork resulted in synergy that led to each success. Many journalists also made significant contributions by interviewing Denis and writing faithful articles about him and his family in languages rich with literary grace. Had the effort from any part of the team been missing, the team wouldn't have achieved the same. Therefore, while none of the names of Denis's rest family were written on any of the medal winners' lists, we should credit them and anyone else who played a key part in any of Denis's undertakings with producing the magnificent programmes. Their names ought not to be written off from our hearts and minds. As Denis has his flaws, his family have theirs, but we have reasons to believe it of them—the family are exceptional at least in the aspects of providing logistics, offering spiritual support, boosting morale and so forth. As stalwart champions of Denis's cause, they understand his philosophy and ambitions comprehensively and deeply, they know Denis would endorse the brand core values of the foundation chosen by them, they are perfectly qualified to use Denis's name as the brand of the foundation, and they are more suitable than anyone else to serve the foundation and launch fundraising appeals.



The ethos of the foundation reflects Mrs. Ten's personal values and distinctive views that are in accordance with Denis's wishes and visions. However, we all know that Denis's mother is not omnipotent. She and her staff can't carry the foundation through without our support. I'm not going to be modest here. I insist that in the past, we audience also contributed in helping Denis produce his best programmes and win medals. In one sense, Denis wished to please us; furthermore, he wished to inspire us. Without these motivations, there wouldn't have been much meaning for him to continue his career. In the same vein, without our support, the foundation named after him and led by his mother will go nowhere. What if the foundation won't work out? To say the least, even if in the end the projects of the foundation may result in nothing, Mrs. Ten and her staff won't be to blame, for the foundation itself is a big project of great complexity in nature; it involves a variety of parties, multiple factors and a lot of uncertainties. I'll believe the people operating the organization will have tried their best.



Life is short. Denis had gone too soon to complete what he was eager to do. Dear friends of Denis's, let's align ourselves with Denis and his family's cause by taking some of Denis's responsibilities over to bring about a brighter future for figure skating and Kazakhstan. Our joint effort will make the world a better place to live. To reach these aims, let's not to forget to help Denis Ten Foundation by providing our financial support to it when we can. I believe Denis will be able to rest in peace only if we substantially do something for his parents and for the foundation. I also hope Denis's parents feel fortunate for having our support, just as Denis felt when he was among us.

13th June 2020



Dear friends of Denis's,



I'm wondering how you have been remembering him. With respect to me, when I think of him, I play his video clip She Won't Be Mine on Youtube. I do it fairly often. Sometimes, I watch his performance and listen to his singing attentively. Sometimes, I listen to the song while I'm excising or doing house chores. Sometimes, I watch the clip that is playing without sound; this way, I'll be in a less emotional state of mind. More often than not, I simply look at the screen now and then, while the clip is playing silently. Once in a while I put the clip on with its sound muted before I start doing meditation, and then I end my meditation and open my eyes at around the point the play is about to finish. Whenever I play the clip this way, I feel as if I'm ringing Denis, an old friend of mine, to tell him I miss him. Out of respect for the people who have been involved in all aspects of the video-making and video-maintaining, I play the whole clip each time. Besides, instead of going straight onto the web page, I made it a ritual to type the title of the song in the search bar and then search for the clip every time I play it.



I know it for sure that some of you are also playing the clip, and I note that some probably play it as a matter of routine, doing it on a daily basis, at weekends or with some other regularity. I assume many of us who act in kind of a similar manner don't know each other. Whatever the case is, it's comforting to see that I'm not alone. And yet I was hoping more of you would join us, because I believe if we are in step, with our concerted effort that is embeded in the video view count, we can send Denis's family, his parents in particular, a strong message, letting them know we are still having Denis in mind, and thus to give them a lift when they need our spiritual support. I wasn't expecting that a high number of views would show up at any time, nevertheless, it's the sense of immediacy and the sense of warmth that we convey in our collaberation that really matters. The senses might be of significance to the family. As long as a few of us do it continually, we will be helpful. We can also give our regards to the family through the action. In addition, I hope, by means of the message, we pay tribute to Denis's parents. Frankly, I'm in awe of this great couple, who brought Denis into the world, and raised him with incredible effort. Many of us might not be aware that along with his teachers, coaches and choreographers, Denis's parents brought out the best on him, and that Mr. and Mrs. Ten had been in the making of Denis Ten, an outstanding human being, in many ways. To name but a few:



    They piqued Denis's curiosity and inspired him to explore in the world of art and sport so as to gain insight. They encouraged him to develop his own vision and build his ambition. They let him be himself and allowed him time to find his feet as a figure skater. As a result, Denis's dazzling artistry, which is imcomparable in a way, together with his passion for life and the sport, which was manifested in his performances, became his permanent signature.



    They fuelled Denis's determination. They taught him to be dedicated and persevering by being role models. They managed to give him the best possible start, and their endeavours enabled him to receive the best possible education and training all the way. Following the examples set by his parents, Denis was becoming resolute day by day. To my mind, among all of Denis's defining character traits, the fighting spirit demonstrated in his striving for life and career was the most inpiring one.



    They live their values of responsibility, patriotism and bravery, and imparted the values to Denis. Facing challenges, at first, they guided him through the hardships, and following that, they had been along with him, watching over every one of his steps, while he had been staggering up the ridge leading to his unprecedented achievements, for figure skating, for their country, as well as for our society.



     They also cultivated Denis's respectful and friendly mindset, otherwise, there wouldn't have been "Our Denis", who was pleased and felt he was honoured when he found that his works had a magical healing power upon us. It's proved that Denis could tell stories by moving across the ice in a unique way and so was able to enthral us, making us smile, laugh or cry, and he did bring much joy to our life, soothe our sorrows and reinvigorate us. However, he won our hearts not only because he worked hard and was charmingly gifted at expressing what we could feel but weren't capable of telling, but also because, as a person, he was so humble and sincere that it makes us feel he was one of us. We could effortlessly identify with him and then learn from his life experiences. I suppose he also learned from his fans, just as he learned from other atheletes so long as there was an opportunity. As far as I'm concerned, like many of you, I'm merely a spectator who never met Denis, and he didn't even known of me, but due to our shared values in life, shared taste in art, as well as his affability, I won't hesitate to call him a true friend of mine. Actually, I was wholeheartedly happy for him when I heard that, as an artist, he eventually learned to appreciate his own performances, and started to love himself more. In my eyes, he had been too hard on himself.



That's it. We can hardly imagine what if Denis hadn't had his parents behind him throughout those years of ups and downs. What's more, it's really touching that the couple have never given up devoting themselves to their son's beloved cause of figure skating which in essence probably has become the family's mutual cause since Denis turned professional. It's very likely that after years of self-study beside the rink, Mrs. Ten has become an expert in the field in her own right by now. After the tragedy, before long, while still in excruciating pain, they picked up the pieces and started to rebuilt their life. It must be that they know full well they have no choice, since escaping from harsh realities of life is not in keeping with the family's character. From the bottom of my heart, I admire them. I regard them as hidden heros, considering what they have gone through. Indeed, they deserve to be held in high esteme by all of us. In the meantime, we can't forget that Denis impacted upon us in a positive way. Some of his sparkling programs always brightened the day whenever we watched them; to some extent we can say he was one of those who made our life more wonderful and less miserable. As it happens, he is still influencing us; specifically, his spirit is still inspiring us to build our resilience and confidence to fight for a better tomorrow. More importantly, he was always ready to share his philosophy of life with us without reservation. In a sense, we are in his debt. In return, we should do something for him through helping his parents. We should attend to his parents' concerns and needs. Although we can't look after them in their daily life, we can at least do something else.



However, even if you will upvote my suggestion of playing the video clip, I suspect that for many of you, putting my idea into your action is actually a task fraught with difficulty, because it could still be an ordeal for you to even just look at Denis's photos, let alone to watch his skating and listen to his voice. You probably have already found that try as you might, your mind couldn't help sheering away from the topic about him, and all that remains for you to do is just to quietly bear him in mind. On this account, I think anyone having a traumatized heart because of his fate will more or less understand you and respect your choice.



In case you have already put your grief behind you, then you may be able to watch the clip from now on. To play it, you can go to Youtube and find the the clip She Won't Be Mine on the BossT Channel. Additionally, you can play the video clips of Denis's other performances, especially those on the channel Dimple Dimple and the channel Denis Ten Forever, as if the competitions and the shows are going on. Alternatively, you can choose to only play those clips other than the one I singled out, lest you should get bored with watching the same clip again and again. It will be a good thing if you choose to watch the ones with cheerful tunes, for in which case, during your watching, you may have less chance to experience many sad moments which could be too harsh for you to bear. If you feel it's a bit hard for you to watch the clip(s) frequently, or if you are busy, you might just as well do the job only at weekends or on the days you happen on Denis's name or his images in your thoughts. Regarding the channels, you can subscribe any of them if you need to or want to. More importantly, no matter which video(s) you are going to play, please be sure not to skip any advertisements that you see, regardless they are pre-stream ones or post-stream ones. Try to watch the whole video ads or interact with them. Having viewed Youtube channel monetization policies, I conclude that when we do our best, the advertiser would pay maximally, and after that, there is more chance that Youtube would recommend the clips to more prospective viewers. Also importantly, if we try hard, there is more chance that the current owners or managers of the BossT Channel and other channels relating to Denis could profit from our clicks; only by this means, can we contribute a little bit financially via YouTube to make Denis's vision of figure skating a reality, either directly or indirectly. As a matter of fact, it's not all about the income in our side, yet it's about letting Youtube make money; and more, in my opinion, viewing the video ads is also a way to show our appreciation towards Youtube, a social media platform that has been helping Denis introduce his works to a broad audience and is helping us out in keeping his legacy alive. I would also like to appreciate the advertisers who would like to advertise on those channels that are of concern to us all. On the other hand, the amount of money generated this way could be next to nothing, but it's the thought that counts. In respect of money, of course, if you are able and willing to donate, please remember to enter the name of Denis Ten Foundation onto your charity list, in which case you will play a more active role in Denis's cause. I surmise the foundation is one of the main concerns of Mr. and Mrs. Ten.



Furthermore, you can read Denis's biography and watch the feature film based on his script and directed by Timur Bekmambetov when they come out. Needless to say, up to the present, you can still view his profiles on some of his scial media accounts. Also, for now, you can watch the life and career documentaries of him, and read or listen to the interviews with this legend or about him online before they dissappear. If you want to and if it's legal, you can save the articles, videos and sound bites for the future. I bet you will learn a lot from those accounts like I do. As well, you can recommend all of the materials relating to Denis to whoever might be interested in him. Moreover, if you are available, you may want to participate or attend the activities concerning him, visit the exhibitions about him, or view his photographic works on display. You can visit his birthplace and memorial from time to time, or for just once, depending on where you are living. If I myself go to visit his memorial, I will bring him a flamingo plushy, my chosen plushy, and let it sit down at the foot of his statue for a while, for flamingo is graceful, elegant, and energetic, as was Denis, and even its temperament bears a similarity to Denis's. This bird of character always reminds me of him. I had imagined: Once I have gotten an opportunity to be present at Denis's live performances, for the first of his appearances in the ice rink in front of me, I will definitely toss a flamingo plushy onto the ice.



As for those who wish to actively do something for Denis one way or the other, I won't be surprised if you have better ideas. To you, I simply want to say, "Just do it!" I myself was taught an important lesson for my delay. I had been looking forward to watching Denis performing live, even if it would be for only once. I thought about attending his last show. I should have just seized the opportunity, snapping up a ticket online and got going on time, but I didn't. Had I been more sensible to human life, I could have made it to the show, and I would feel better off now. If only I had let him confidently know that he had one more friend who would like to travel overseas to see him, his figure skating friends, his country and the people on the land. In fact, somehow, I couldn't help regretting my miss immediately the show was over, and started to search for the videos of the show online since the second day after the show; meanwhile, I made up my mind: Next time, I will go given half the chance, but... For this reason, I fully understand Yulia Lipnitskaya's feeling occurred when she realized that she had missed out on "Denis and Friends" ice shows forever (I read it somewhere but can't find the report again). If I remember it correctly, Yulia went on saying something, like: If you really want to do something, do it soon. I have to say, her words that vested with emotion made the advice based on common sense immensely relatable. Well said, Yulia.



It's high time that we rewarded Denis and his parents. If we do something as soon as possible, then the day that some of Denis's ambitions are fulfilled may come sooner, and at the same time, his parents will receive our regards as early as possible and receive our tributes as many times as possible. I sincerely appreciate those who have been doing or have done meaningful things for Denis during the past two years. When all is said, let's take action together right now, shall we?



In the end, I hope and pray that with the combined effort from all who care deeply for Denis, his dreams become true. I especially hope Denis's home country of Kazakhstan keeps on being prosperous and hosts a Winter Olympic Games in the not too distant future. Surely, I also hope every one of us finds each one's best way to remember Denis while fulfilling one's own life. Last but not the least, on this special day, I would like someone to convey some of my thoughts and regards to Mr. and Mrs. Ten. I want to say to them, "We love Denis dearly. Thanks to you, we know him. It's fortunate that we are contemporaries of your whole family. I'm grateful to you for all you have done for Denis and for the world. I wish you good health and hapiness in life. We are with you and will be with you, as always."



Thanks for reading.



Denis Ten Forever.



Best wishes,



One of You