Kaltsou's Ex-Wife: Most likely, He Was Very Drunk

Julia Mikhailova told the details of the tragedy.

Former Belarus national hockey player Kanstantsin Kaltsou died at the age of 42. The tragedy occurred at a hotel in Miami where the athlete was staying. He was going to a tennis game to support his girlfriend Aryna Sabalenka, who would play at the Miami Open, which started on March 19. Yesterday, a version circulated with a reference to the police that Kaltsou committed suicide. But perhaps this was a hasty conclusion. Zerkalo contacted Kanstantsin’s ex-wife Julia Mikhailova, who lives with children in the USA (and very close to the scene of the incident), and she told the details of the tragedy.

“Nothing foreshadowed the tragedy”

— I just talked to a medical expert, — notes Julia. — The investigation took the materials for toxicological tests. All results will be ready within a month. The police also kept Kanstantsin’s phone and laptop until the investigation is completed. Right now it is impossible to say for sure whether it was suicide or an accident.

— What is your opinion?

— It was an accident. We still have the old family computer with Kanstantsin's email. I knew the passwords and managed to open some emails. Kanstantsin had further apartments booked in another location. Purchases that have not yet arrived have been paid for. He rented a car for a long time. That is, he did not intend to die. Anything, of course, can go to your head, but there was no sign of tragedy.

— On what floor did Kanstantsin live?

— On the 23rd. This hotel in Miami where everything happened is about an hour from our house.

— Have you been there?

— No. We are planning to go on Thursday. Kanstantsin’s suitcase with clothes and things was still left at the hotel.

“Kanstantsin wanted to meet the children for dinner.”

— From whom did you learn the sad news?

— From a detective. It was March 18. At first they called me several times, asked if I was at home, and said that they wanted to tell me something about Kanstantsin. And then the detective arrived. He tried to present the news as gently as possible. But, of course, I was in a state of shock... Then he shared information, asked several questions correctly, explained various procedural aspects and told me to call him at any time.

— What is the emotional state of your children?

— It’s a complex issue. We try not to lose heart. I don't know how else to say it. It’s more difficult for the eldest sons, Daniil and Alexander, they understand everything well. They are 18 and 16 years old. The youngest, Stefan, is five years old. He thinks that dad is in heaven now. Stefan, however, asked how dad died, but I haven’t answered him yet. By the way, the heir here is considered the eldest child, and not the ex-wife or girlfriend. Therefore, you will need to take Daniil with you to sign all the documents related to the case.

— Were you going to see Kanstantsin?

— We have communicated very little lately. Everyone has their own life, and besides, he worked away from the children (for the last two years, Kaltsou was an assistant head coach at the Salavat Yulaev club from Ufa — edit.) Kanstantsin mainly communicated with them by phone. As far as I understand, this time he wanted to meet the children for dinner. But Stefan goes to bed early, something didn’t work out, and they were going to see each other later.

“Empty bottles were found in the room”

— Were you surprised by the message about suicide?

— I think it was your colleagues who misunderstood something. Or they passed off the police’s assumption of suicide as a fact — after all, people rarely fall on their own. The police immediately rejected the murder version: Kanstantsin was alone in the room. So they said it might have been suicide. But, I repeat, there was nothing to indicate that Kanstantsin was going to jump.

— What is the picture of what happened after reading all the details?

— Most likely, he was very drunk. Unfortunately, hockey players are sometimes guilty of this. Empty alcohol bottles were found in the room where Kanstantsin stayed. There was a balcony overlooking the ocean. Probably Kanstantsin did not keep track of his actions.

— Would you like it to be confirmed that it was an accident?

— Yes. It would be more peaceful for the children. Daniil and Alexander read about suicide on the Internet and, of course, they felt uneasy. There, other different versions were put forward while I was waiting to talk with the medical expert.

“I have a normal attitude towards Sabalenka”

— How do you cope with everything alone?

— I have no choice. You survive as best you can. There is no other way. I am doing by best.

— Have you received many messages with words of support?

— Very. They were written by people from the hockey world, athletes and just strangers. I am very grateful to everyone for their words and actions. For example, the Ambassador of Belarus in Washington helped, suggested some nuances, and advised.

— Have you ever communicated with Aryna Sabalenka?

— Yes, I have. She’s a nice girl. My post a few years ago was dictated by emotions, it was very painful. I loved Kanstantsin very much... But Sabalenka treated my children well, so I have a normal attitude towards her.

—Where will Kaltsou be buried?

— We are collecting all the documents to transport Kanstantsin’s remains to Belarus. Minsk is his homeland, his brother and relatives are there. I have many friends there, I am on good terms with Kanstantsin’s parents. And our children have Belarusian citizenship (Julia herself was born in Latvia — edit.) Let's see how everything turns out. Life in the USA is expensive, I don’t know where we’ll end up. While the children are at school here, we’ll see. We now have to solve a bunch of issues that, of course, we haven’t encountered before.