Irina Kononova

Irina Kononova passed away on 17 September 2026 at the age of 67. She founded the Tallinn Figure Skating School in 2001 and led it as director for 25 years, until the end of her life. She was a single skating master coach, president of IK Kristalluisk and a member of the Estonian Skating Union's figure skating technical committee.

Under her guidance, from the very start of their careers, grew the leading figures of Estonian figure skating: Olympian and European Championship silver medallist Aleksandr Selevko and multiple Estonian champion and World Championship competitor Mihhail Selevko. She was the first coach whose student brought Estonia a silver medal at the European Figure Skating Championships.

Irina devoted her whole life to figure skating. Her professionalism, her coaching methods, her kind heart and her remarkable ability to connect with each person live on in her students and in the school's everyday work. Watching them, we will always remember Irina — her work, her strength and the lasting mark she left on figure skating.

May her memory live on.