Speaking directly to Russian soldiers who might be listening, Schwarzenegger said, “I don’t want you to be broken like my father. Pain from a broken back, pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of those terrible years. And when he left Leningrad, he was broken, physically and mentally. “When my father arrived in Leningrad, he was all pumped up on the lies of his government. The third story was about Schwarzenegger’s father. The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me.” Schwarzenegger tied the stories together: “Now, the reason why I’m telling you all of those things is that ever since I was 14 years old, I’ve had nothing but affections and respect for the people of Russia. He was so thoughtful, so kind, and so smart.” On one of those trips, Schwarzenegger met Vlasov once again while he was filming Red Heat, the first American movie allowed to film in Red Square. “It actually deepened when I traveled there, with bodybuilding and for my movies and met all my Russian fans.” “My connections to Russia didn’t stop there,” Schwarzenegger continued. The second story was about his connection with Russia. “It didn’t matter to me what flag Yuri Vlasov carried.” “But I did not take the photograph down, no,” Schwarzenegger said defiantly. This simple act triggered the anger of Schwarzenegger’s father, a former Nazi soldier, who wanted his son to replace the picture with that of a German or Austrian hero. He returned home with the weightlifter’s poster and put it over his bed. Schwarzenegger got to meet Vlasov backstage after the event. I was in the audience when Yuri Petrovich Vlasov won the World Championship title, becoming the first human being to lift 200 kilograms over his head.” “In 1961, when I was 14 years old, a very good friend of mine invited me to come to Vienna to watch the World Weightlifting Championships. “Let me just talk about the Russian who became my hero,” Schwarzenegger began. The first story is about personal heroes.
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