Russia's Maxim Shabalin, who grabbed the couples' silver medal in the European Championships of figure skating in Warsaw, has renewed his Bulgarian passport.

Shabalin, who is now skating for motherland Russia, had come to Bulgaria in 1996 together with world skating champion Maxim Staviski and the became citizens of the country, to skate under a Bulgarian flag. Shabalin, however didn't have such luck in finding a partner as Staviski did and went back to Russia.

Now, just days after he triumphed over Staviski and Albena Denkova in Warsaw, Shabalin has renewed his Bulgarian passport, Staviski shared for Gong Radio.

Shabalin apparently has very fond feelings of Bulgaria, as he keeps on spending his every summer holiday in Sozopol at the Black Sea.

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