Maxim Naumov, the art skater who lost his both parents earlier this year in the DC plane accident, has broken his silence in what happened with a heartbreaking statement on social media.
The parents of the 23-year-old, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were among the fatalities when a plane of an American Airlines crashed with an army helicopter in January.
Maxim participated in the Legacy on ICE event on 2 March, in honor of all 67 who died, and after the event went to Instagram to think about how his life has changed since that day.
Sharing photos of his emotional legacy on ice performance said Maxim: 'I really have no words to express the depth of my gratitude and love for all of you.
'Every embrace, message, call and prayer has touched me in ways that I cannot fully describe, and I am more than grateful for your kindness and support.
'Your love has filled my heart so deeply that it brings tears to my eyes. The generosity and compassion that you have shown have given me the strength to keep going ahead, one day at the same time.
Maxim Naumov has thanked people for the support he has received since his parents died
Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov died in the DC tragedy
'This means more for me than I can ever put into words. From the ground of my heart, thank you for keeping me up during the most difficult time of my life. '
Naumov carried out a solo to 'Ave Maria' in the night as a tribute to his parents, who were both former world champions in figure skating.
At the end of his performance Maxim fell on his knees and started sobbing, covering his face while he got a standing ovation from the crowd in enormously moving scenes.
The crash of January 29 in DC saw a plane that had flown from Witchita, Kansas City, clashes with a black hawk helicopter.
The plane and the helicopter crashed into the river Potomac.
An investigation into the tragedy is still underway, but the National Transportation Safety Board has said that the helicopter seemed to have flown higher than it should be.
In general, 28 American figure skaters died in the incident – they came back from an event in Witchita when a disaster struck.
According to a report in Moscow, Evgenia and Vadim told Maxim who were 'proud' of him after he had fourth place in the competition a few days prior to the crash.
Naumov said that the outpouring of support 'has touched me in ways that I cannot fully describe'
“We are proud of you, Maxim,” said the couple in a social media post shared by Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti, the oldest newspaper in Russia.
'He climbed to the stage on the Nationals after seventh place in the short program. This beautiful and emotional performance is the result of teamwork. Maxim has earned his place in the team of champions of four continents. '
Evgenia and Vadim were born in Leningrad and took part in couples skating for the national teams of the USSR and Russia, in which the world championship was won in 1994.
They moved to the US in 1998 and worked as coaches.
