In what month is International Circus Day celebrated? And on the walls of the Cathedral of St.

With the initiative of holding an annual world day circus performed by European circus association(European Circus Association) and the World Circus Federation (Federation Mondiale Du Cirque).

The World Circus Federation, headquartered in Monte Carlo, was founded in 2008 under the patronage of Princess Stephanie of Monaco. Federation is non-profit organization created to promote the development circus art and culture around the world, as well as to represent the interests of the circus on international level.

The first circus was opened in London in 1777 (according to other sources in 1768) by Philip Astley. It was the first theatrical performance in Europe in a building with a round arena and a dome-shaped roof. Initially, the round arena in the circus existed exclusively for horses. Astley's circus was dominated by equestrian acts: figure riding, training, acrobat jockeys, living pyramids of riders, which were built at full gallop. Astley was the first to show vaulting - a complex gymnastic exercises on a horse moving at a walk, trot and gallop in a circle. He is also responsible for determining the diameter of the circus arena - 13 meters, which was chosen in such a way that the optimal centrifugal force of a galloping horse was created for the rider. In addition to horse shows, Astley's circus staged story shows. musical performances, extravaganzas and melodramas on historical topics, which included fencing and equestrian battle scenes. Philip Astley became the founder of the first circus dynasty. In 1782, a branch of his theater opened in Paris. Astley's Amphitheater existed until 1895 and was one of the most popular entertainment venues in London during the first century. half of the 19th century century.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the structure of the circus performance was changing dramatically. In the stationary circus, carpet clowns and clown trainers appear. After the introduction of a safety net, it becomes possible to make tricks more difficult. aerial gymnastics, where a new role appeared - “catcher” (an artist who belays and catches flying partners), and the “cross flight” number is performed for the first time. In the art of tightrope walking, the hemp rope is replaced with a stronger metal cable, which makes it possible to perform complex acrobatic pyramids on the rope. With the technical revolution of the early 19th century, performances and attractions based on the use of technology multiplied - from racing along a vertical wall to “flying from a cannon to the moon,” from extravaganzas on the water to new possibilities of illusion.

The origins of the Russian circus were in the performances of traveling buffoon artists, known since the 11th century. In the 18th century, fairground booths became increasingly widespread. folk festivals, where acrobats, gymnasts, and jugglers perform. IN early XIX century, circus performances were held in the arena of Count Zavadovsky in St. Petersburg, a special building was built for equestrian performances on Krestovsky Island. In 1849, a state-owned imperial circus with a special department for training circus personnel. In 1853, a stationary circus was built in Moscow on Petrovka. There were traveling circuses in the provinces. In December 1877, a meeting took place in St. Petersburg Grand opening the first stone building in Russia, built taking into account circus specifics. The initiative to build the circus belonged to the Italian rider and trainer Gaetano Ciniselli, head big circus new family.

Currently, there are stationary circuses in almost all regional and large cities of Russia.

After October revolution The Main Directorate of Circuses (GUTs), a self-supporting organization that existed within the system of the Committee for Arts Affairs under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, was created. In addition to stationary ones, the State Center included traveling circuses and attractions under common name Circus association.

In 1957, the State Center was transformed into the All-Union Association of State Circuses - SoyuzGoscircus, which managed the circus business in the USSR. Soyuzgoscircus provided economic activity circuses; supervised the production work of stationary circuses and circus groups, conducted training and retraining of artists of various genres.

After the collapse of the USSR there was "Rosgostsirk", which became the successor to "Soyuzgostsirk". This is the largest circus company not only in Europe, but also in the world, uniting 42 stationary circuses in Russia. The Russian State Circus system, based on the so-called circus conveyor, presents almost 500 original circus acts and programs. Its artistic staff consists of almost three thousand people, which are replenished by graduates of the State School of Circus and Variety Arts named after M.N. Rumyantsev (Karandash), as well as members of amateur circus groups from 70 regions of the country. Almost two thousand animals take part in circus performances.

The program for celebrating World Circus Day over the years - on this day, circus troupes organize open days for spectators and charity events, hold street performances, exhibitions, carnivals and processions with the participation of clowns, gymnasts, acrobats, jugglers and others circus performers.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Perhaps not a single circus building in the area former USSR did not get more than the Lugansk circus. The building was built in 1971 according to a standard design by the architect Solomeya Maksimovna Gelfer - if anyone doesn’t know, similar circuses are located in Ufa, Samara, Donetsk, Perm, Krivoy Rog, Novosibirsk, Voronezh, Kharkov and Bryansk.

After the events of the summer of 2014, the Lugansk circus was an extremely sad sight - the Ukrainian Armed Forces hit it precisely, otherwise there is nothing to explain such destruction: almost all the glass was broken, the walls were cut by shrapnel, there was a direct hit in the dome. The restoration of the building was carried out by the LPR and the Russian State Circus, with the direct assistance of V. Medinsky and V. Gagloev.

You can see how damaged the Lugansk circus was after the fighting here:

Support for circuses in Lugansk and Donetsk remains one of priority tasks Russian State Circus, and therefore it was decided to hold the holiday in Lugansk. The trip was led by General Director Vadim Gagloev, who became the main object of media attention, confirming that the Russian State Circus will not leave colleagues and friends in trouble:

In the foyer you can see a selection of photographs showing the destruction and subsequent restoration of the building. It should be immediately noted that after the renovation, the Lugansk Circus looks even better than some of the circuses of this project in the actual Russian Federation.

The head of the LPR, I. Plotnitsky, also arrived, and he opened the show with congratulations and the presentation of diplomas.

Let us note right away that very, VERY many children from a wide variety of creative and amateur groups of the Lugansk region took part in the performance. Work in this regard is being carried out most thoughtfully and extensively at the state level. In Russia, alas, this can be seen less and less often.

And the director of the Lugansk circus, Dmitry Kasyan, receives the title of Honored Artist of the LPR - without his energy and perseverance, it is generally unknown when the circus would open again.

Vadim Gagloev talked to the youth and congratulated them on the holiday:

There are also foreign artists - a troupe of acrobats from Kenya. It would seem that they forgot in Lugansk? But it’s okay, they arrived and performed well.

Both adults and children come out to the arena with their original numbers:

We especially note the attendance - the hall is packed, all the seats are occupied, families with children. Those who did not have enough space stood in the aisles and on the stairs - here the mandatory safety rules are somewhat simpler than, for example, in Ciniselli. And the audience is completely different - much more spontaneous and friendly.

Let's be honest - the program is modest, based primarily on amateur groups, but everything is so heartfelt that it looks very touching. Of course, not Dusoleil even once. But Dusoleil will not come here for obvious reasons.

And again, let’s note a lot of children participating in the program - after all, the costumes are sewn, the children are happy to participate in the performance, there are no whims, everything is very calm, businesslike and at the same time completely joyful. Everyone works for their own pleasure. Moreover, there are very small children, 5-6 years old.

The oldest artists of the Lugansk circus with their students -

Well, a little protocol. Vadim Gagloev with the management of the Lugansk Circus and guests.

And armed escort awaits us to move to Donetsk through that same Debaltsevo.

Let's remember once again what the Lugansk circus looked like quite recently:

Remember - everything will be fine. If we restored the circus, we will restore everything that was destroyed. Wait for the report from Donetsk next time - everything simply won’t fit into one post.

On April 17, 2009, the European Circus Association and the World Circus Federation, operating under the patronage of Princess Stephanie of Monaco, initiated the annual celebration of International Circus Day.

The date was not chosen by chance - four years ago, on the third Saturday of April, European Circus Day was celebrated for the first time. And now the issue is being discussed with UNESCO regarding the inclusion of International Circus Day in the list of annually celebrated dates.
International Circus Day is a chance to show off and glorify the circus, said Urs Pils. We call on circus owners, circus performers and simply circus fans all over the world to solemnly celebrate International Circus Day so that the whole world remembers this day."

World Circus Day is another reason to laugh and have a good time with family and friends.
The European Circus Association currently includes 21 circuses, including the Ukrainian circus Kobzov, the French Bouglion, the German Krone and Roncalli, the Swiss Knie and others.

A BRIEF EXCURSION INTO HISTORY

Circus is called the youngest and most ancient art form.
Ancient, due to the fact that references to various performances of acrobats, jugglers, horsemen, clowns, tightrope walkers were found during excavations of the Knossos Palace

in drawings found in the tombs of the pharaohs in Egypt

And on the walls of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, among scenes on biblical themes, you can see an episode of the performance of buffoons at folk games.

In its modern form, the circus appeared at the end of the 18th century, and its founder is considered to be the English rider Philip Astley (in some materials on the history of the circus, his name is correctly called Astley).

It was Astley who experimentally established that it is most convenient for horses to run at full gallop in a circle with a diameter of 13 METERS. This arena diameter is observed today in all circuses in the world. In London, hanging on the building of Waterloo Central Station Memorial plaque, on which it is written: “Here in 1774 there was the first stationary circus, built by Philip Astley.” Initially, Astley showed various tricks on horses in the arena; later, acrobats, jugglers, tightrope walkers, clowns and other artists began performing performances for spectators. However, the name “circus” itself was not invented by Astley, but by his competitor John Hughes.
WITH mid-19th century, an increase in the number of circus genres and expansion technical capabilities went at an accelerated pace. And by the beginning of the 20th century, the structure of the circus performance was changing dramatically. In the stationary circus, carpet clowns and clown trainers appear. Tamers move from menageries to the circus.

A huge leap is taking place in the genre of aerial gymnastics: after the introduction of a safety net, it becomes possible to complicate tricks. The very first number “Aerial Flight” was released and shown to the viewer by the French gymnast Leotard.

The circus appeared in Russia much later than in Western Europe.
It is known that performances by Kunsbereitors and riders were given back during the reign of Alexander I. And even earlier, before that, there were also performances by visiting circus troupes.

Later, Tournier built his own stone circus building, which came under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters.

The oldest circus station is the Gaetano Ciniselli Circus in St. Petersburg on the banks of the Fontanka, which is still successfully used for its intended purpose. Three more old circus buildings have survived to this day (in Riga, Odessa and Kharkov), but they are of course much younger than the Ciniselli Circus

But the creators and founders of the Russian National Circus are the Nikitin brothers.

Their father Alexander Nikitin was a former serf. Wandering around with a barrel organ, he and his sons gave street performances or, as they were then called, “gazing” (from the word “lawn” or “performing on lawns”).
Later, Brothers Dmitry Akim and Peter opened their own business, giving the first performance of the Nikitin Brothers Russian Circus in Penza. And then they opened a whole network of high-quality, equipped last word technology of that time, circuses in Saratov, Samara, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, Odessa, Kharkov, Voronezh and finally at the beginning of the twentieth century a large circus was built on Triumfalnaya Square in Moscow.

THEIR GLORIOUS NAMES

Our domestic circus famous for its dynasties and is one of the best circuses in the world. Many of the arena masters can be considered the golden fund of our circus. That's far from it full list leading masters and entire dynasties of the Soviet and Russian circus: - Durovs, Zapashnye, Kio, Filatov, Kantemirov, Tuganov, Bagdasarov, Volzhansky, Doveiko. Children of circuses usually become performers. Please note (!) in the circus this is exactly what they call all those who give the audience joy, laughter and the sea positive emotions, - "CIRCUS". But this is something that is familiar to everyone and quite common, quite literary word, as “CIRCUS PERSON” for circuses is almost offensive, abusive.
There are a lot of dynasties in this profession on which the circus rests. It is in the families of artists that future stars of the arena are brought up. It is very important to get used to the specifics of the circus from childhood and master professional skills. Almost every circus genre has its own famous dynasties that have conquered worldwide fame.
The Durovs are one of the most famous dynasties of trainers in Russia. This family became famous back in the 19th century thanks to the cavalry maiden Nadezhda Durova, who served as the prototype for Shurochka from the “Hussar Ballad”. The brothers Anatoly (1865-1916) and Vladimir (1863-1934) Durov are considered the founders of the dynasty. Anatoly was more interested in clownery: animals played a supporting role in his performances. And Vladimir focused specifically on training.

In 1910, Vladimir Durov bought an estate in Moscow on Bozhedomka Street, in which he built Zoo museum and a zoopsychological laboratory. Two years later, he opened the “Kroshka” theater here, the predecessor of the famous “Durov’s Corner”. Grandfather Durov's Animal Theater still hosts performances with animals.

Kio is the most famous dynasty of illusionists in Russia. It was founded by Emil Teodorovich Girshfeld-Renard (1894-1965).

He abandoned the oriental paraphernalia and the aura of mystery that previously shrouded the profession of an illusionist. His own surname seemed unsuitable for the circus, so he took the pseudonym Kyo. Interesting fact from creative biography founder of the Kio dynasty of illusionists. Emil Teodorovich could not come up with his own stage name. But in those years, having your own pseudonym, although not officially, was a mandatory attribute of many artists. And then one day, driving past one of the Kharkov cinemas, he noticed that the letter “n” had burned out on the glowing neon sign “Cinema”. This is how the new name of this wonderful artist appeared - KIO. Later, the eldest son of Emil Teodorovich, Emil Emilievich, in order to be recognizable not only in the arena, but also in life, specially registered his white Volga in Kiev, then just purchased after a tour of Japan, with the license plate "KIO 0000"

Kyo's father always performed in a tailcoat.
Emil Teodorovich was recognized as the best magician in the world in 1960 in England. In addition, in 1961 he received the gold medal of the International Artistic Lodge.
The successors of the dynasty were the sons of the great artist - Emil and Igor, who also work as illusionists. Igor Kio received International Prize Oscar for Best Artist

One of the few genres of circus art that does not have dynastic traditions is clownery. This is largely due to the fact that each clown creates his own individual art world, radically different from everything created before. Clownery can be defined as the most complex and comprehensive genre of circus art.
Of course, the main representative of domestic clownery is Yuri Nikulin.

During his long life in the arena, Yuri Nikulin created many unique reprises, sketches and pantomimes, of which the most memorable and dear to the artist were “Little Pierre”, Pipo and the millionaire in the circus performances “Carnival in Cuba” and “Peace Pipe”, Barmaley in New Year's children's performance etc. One of the most famous genre scenes is the legendary “Log”.

Mikhail Rumyantsev achieved no less success in clownery. He made his debut at the Moscow Tent Circus as a carpet clown. At first he repeated the features of the image created by Charlie Chaplin. But most of all Rumyantsev is known for his image of Pencil. The artist made his debut in this image in 1934 at the arena of the Leningrad Circus. Pencil's costume and makeup were based on his appearance ordinary person, his contemporary, were only somewhat exaggerated. An ordinary black suit, but baggy; regular boots, but several sizes larger; almost an ordinary hat, but with a pointed crown.
One of the main colors of his creative palette was satire. The satirical direction of work began during the Great Patriotic War, when Karandash created a series of issues denouncing the leaders of Nazi Germany. After the end of the war, topical satirical reprises also remained in his repertoire.
Pencil became the first Soviet clown, whose popularity spread far beyond the country's borders. He was known and loved in Finland, France, East Germany, Italy, England, Brazil, Uruguay and other countries. Today the name of Mikhail Rumyantsev is in Moscow public school circus and pop art.
And a whole constellation of wonderful names of ringmasters who wrote their unique acts and attractions in golden letters into the History of Circus Art. Predator TamersTo Gare, Gunter Williams and the first female tamer Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist USSR Irina Bugrimova, Zavatta Clowns, Akram Yusupov, Leonid Engibarov, Oleg Popov, Rostelli brothers, Jugglers Chris Cremo, Sergei Ignatov, Alexander Kiss, unique tightrope walker Lev Osinsky, tightrope walkers the Koch sisters.

This list can be listed for a long time, the kaleidoscope of acts and genres is so diverse, where the highest skill of circus performers of domestic and foreign circuses is demonstrated

FAMOUS CIRCUSES OF THE WORLD

There are thousands of circuses around the world. One of the most famous among them is the Chinese acrobatic circus “Paradise Show from the Middle Kingdom”.

This is one of the oldest circus troupes in the world. It consists of 100 artists, most of of whom are renowned acrobat athletes who have won numerous prizes and awards in various competitions both within China and abroad. Among the troupe's about ten numbers, there is one unique trick that no one can repeat except the troupe's artists - this is the "Peacock's Tail". 14 people climb onto a bicycle racing around the arena

The Canadian Circus of the Sun (Cirque du Soleil), one of the best and largest circuses in the world, was founded in 1984 by French-Canadian circus artist Guy Laliberte. By the way, the first cosmonaut (or rather, a space tourist), a representative of the circus in space.

The main advantage of the Circus of the Sun is that it is not just a separate circus organization, but is a huge circus corporation that has representative offices in several countries around the world: London, New York, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Singapore and Hong Kong . Main center corporation is located in Montreal. Since its founding, Cirque du Soleil has toured more than 250 cities around the world. Today the company employs more than four thousand people. Cirque Du Soleil is more than 30 different genres of forms and contents circus shows, which are not a divertissement performance, as we are traditionally accustomed to perceiving the circus, but entire performances where the dramaturgy of the plot concentrated ballet, circus, and vocals. It should also be noted that the main composition of the artists of the “Circus of the Sun” are artists from the CIS republics and China

In the French "Circus Fratellini" the main characters- clowns. The brothers Kiko, Popol and Baba Fratellini began their stellar careers in Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. Then they went to France, where they founded an academy of circus skills and became legends in the circus business. The daughter of one of the brothers, Annie, became the most famous French clown, and founded the world-famous Fratellini school (one of whose graduates is Vincent Cassel).

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus (USA) appeared at the end of the 19th century thanks to the five Ringling Brothers, self-taught circus performers. They were so successful - both in their own performances and in circus management - that they bought out the largest circus of Barnum and Bailey, who were the most famous entrepreneurs at the time.

As a result of competition, all three circus enterprises were united and formed the famous “Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus,” which was at the head of the process of modernization of the circus business. This circus became famous for the fact that spectators can simultaneously watch seven attractions demonstrated on three arenas and four platforms. By arriving at the show early, they get the opportunity to watch how the performers apply makeup and how the trained animals prepare for their performances.

This circus is characterized by the same gigantomania that was present at the very beginning of its creation. but not only that. They still don’t leave the arenas of this greatest show in the world, as the Ringling Brothers Circus advertises itself - these are the numbers “Projectile Man” (flight from a cannon), “American Pendulum” (aka “Lapendula”, aka “Wheel of Death” ), access to the arena of a dozen elephants, which are bred specially at the circus salting farm in Florida, and other large-scale performances.
The circus travels on specially equipped trains throughout America. Because at one time this circus was also called “Railway”

But the oldest, most prestigious, highest and most significant is International festival in Monte Carlo, where the circus Oscars are played. After all, this is where the World Circus Federation is located. And even participation itself is without awards, but in Monte Carlo it is a kind of “ticket” to the most prestigious programs and circuses in the world.

EPILOGUE

Many books have been written about the circus. Classics and modern writers, artists, composers have always dedicated their works to the art of the cheerful, dexterous, strong and brave. Many films have been made about the circus. Moreover, both successful and not so successful, where the truth about the life of the ever-wandering circus people and their behind the scenes life. The circus is interesting to everyone. Perhaps this is where his phenomenon lies.

The circus is not the privilege of crowned heads. It is not for nothing that it is considered the most accessible form of art. So International Circus Day is a special event both for circuses and for fans of circus art. For artists, this is an opportunity to once again show themselves and glorify the circus. For viewers and fans to see again or simply remember their favorite artists, remember their childhood and not only tell, but also show their children, grandchildren, and perhaps great-grandchildren this kind, a little naive, but such a sincere and beautiful miracle, whose name is CIRCUS.

And if your friend
Or just a passerby,
He will declare frankly without embellishment,
That there are no miracles in the world,
What the circus can't stand.
Don't believe it! He is deceiving you.
If an elephant plays the trumpet
- This is a miracle!
If a clown is dancing on a pole
- This is a miracle!
If a bear gets on a motorcycle
- This is a miracle!
Do you want to know what a circus is?
Circus is a miracle!

Holidays are an integral part of our social life, many of which concern us personally, our loved ones and friends.

Almost every day in Russia some holiday is celebrated.

The human world is full of entertainment. The origins of many of them are in the distant past. These are, for example, theater, cinema, amusement parks. The same can be said about the circus. The latter was dedicated to a separate holiday: International Circus Day. It is celebrated on every third Saturday in April. In 2019, International Circus Day falls on April 20.

General information about the holiday

International Circus Day appeared in 2010 on the initiative of two organizations: the World Circus Federation (Federation Mondiale Du Cirque) and the European Circus Association. At first it was an exclusively European holiday. And, by the way, the solemn date itself was tied to that of the European Circus Day, which has existed since 2008. And in 2010, by and large, it simply acquired international status, which became possible thanks to the support that the idea received from dozens of European states, including Russia.

International Circus Day is a very emotional holiday. His goal is quite transparent: the development of circus art in all countries of the planet. This is very important because the latter is one of the oldest species world art and culture. The circus gives its spectators laughter, joy, in one word - positivity. Circus performances taking place in the arena make children experience incomparable pleasure, and adults - temporarily escape from their own problems and troubles. The circus is a place of rest from the hustle and bustle, it’s different, fairy world, located very close to us. And one of the tasks International Day The goal of the circus is to preserve this miracle, created by the hands and creative thought of mankind, as well as its improvement.

On every third Saturday in April on International Circus Day, anyone can go to the circus of their own or a nearby city, see the brightest, most colorful shows, and also take part in master classes held as part of the holiday by jugglers, acrobats and other employees of the institution, where atmosphere of lightness and fun. In many countries around the world, International Circus Day is a day of carnival processions and street celebrations. Another interesting opportunity provided to citizens within the framework of the announced solemn date is that, if desired, they can plunge into the world of the circus behind the scenes. What you see will make you fall even more in love with entertainment that has deep historical roots.

It should be noted that the world circus has its own headquarters. It is located in Monte Carlo - a small-sized kingdom. Princess Stephanie of Monaco herself monitors the development and activities of the Circus Federation, being the patron of the organization. She also became the initiator of the creation of this association, the main goal of which was to popularize circus art and attract public interest in it.

If we talk directly about our country, then in Russia a lot is also being done in this area. Solving organizational issues related to the International Circus Day, as well as the development and maintenance of domestic circus art as such, is the responsibility of representatives of the Russian State circus company. The latter is nothing more than a union of the largest circuses in the country. This organization established its own award, awarded for special merits in the circus arts. She is also the personification, a kind of emblem, of International Circus Day in Russia. This award is a figurine of a cheerful Harlequin standing on one hand on a circus ball.

Circus art

And why not on this wonderful April holiday - International Circus Day - talk about the history of the emergence of circus art.

When did circus art begin? This question is quite easy to answer if you remember antiquity. IN ancient Hellas Holidays dedicated to pagan gods were often organized. These celebrations were accompanied by brilliant performances by actors - is this not a prototype of the modern circus? IN Ancient Rome this trend was developed even more, because the great power had numerous circuses, in the arena of which real circus acts were demonstrated for the amusement of the audience. The well-known Colosseum is rightfully considered one of the famous ancient Roman circuses. Our country has also distinguished itself in this regard. Since ancient times, buffoon booths and fairs have existed here, charging people with enduring fun for a long time. Even the dark Middle Ages were marked by numerous scenes in which cheerful jesters took part.

A full-fledged circus with tightrope walkers, jugglers, acrobats and trained wild animals appeared in later Europe. However, at first the performances took place on the street or in specially designated places, and the circus, as a rule, was nomadic. And only in XVIII century Finally, a real stationary circus appeared, settling in a building with a round arena and a domed roof. It opened in London in 1777 (according to other sources in 1768). The author and owner of the circus was Philip Astley. Initially, the round arena was intended for theatrical performances involving mainly horses. Later, performances in other genres could be seen here: historical melodramas, story-driven musical performances, extravaganzas. By the way, it was Philip Astley who was credited with determining the diameter of the circus arena (13 m). He also became the founder of the first circus dynasty. In 1782, a branch of the Astley Amphitheater opened in the French capital. In general, the circus of the resourceful Briton existed until 1895 and was considered a very popular entertainment establishment in London.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the circus performance dramatically changed its structure. The stationary circus acquired clowns: carpet handlers and trainers. The tricks have become more complex trapeze artists due to the introduction of the safety net into circus practice. As a result, a number called “cross flight” was performed for the first time, and the role of “lovitor” also appeared.

The art of tightrope walkers has undergone some changes. In particular, the hemp rope was replaced with a metal cable, which had greater strength. This allowed the tightrope walkers to master complex acrobatic pyramids. The technical revolution of those years gave the go-ahead for the introduction of various mechanisms into circus art. As a result, absolutely incredible performances such as “extravaganza on the water” or “races along a vertical wall” began to be demonstrated in the arena. Subsequently, this trend was further improved, and today we have the opportunity to enjoy circus performances, developed taking into account all the latest technical innovations.

Each country has its own leaders in the field of circus art, but only a few of them managed to become famous throughout the world. Earth. What world circuses are included in the list of the best? This is, undoubtedly, Cirque du Soleil (Canadian “Circus of the Sun”), “Paradise Show from the Middle Kingdom”, Australian Circus “Oz”. It is worth including in this list the Great Moscow Circus on Vernadsky Avenue, famous for its incredible performances with trained animals. Go to the circus more often - and life will seem brighter!

We cordially congratulate all residents of our country on April 20, International Circus Day! We wish you more interesting and exciting performances.

The third Saturday in April is a holiday for those who have anything to do with the circus. Trainers and their charges, clowns and mimes, acrobats and tightrope walkers, and just those who love this unusual look art, celebrate International Circus Day. The holiday has international status, which means that it is celebrated all over the world.

history of the holiday

International Circus Day is a very young holiday. Its history dates back to the first years of the 21st century. In 2002, the European Circus Association was established, which declared its mission to protect cultural heritage Europe and the recognition of the circus as special type art. One of its main achievements is the creation of European Circus Day in 2008. It was celebrated on April 19, the third Saturday of the month. This holiday was supposed to unite all circus performers and pay tribute to their merits. One more task memorable date– to instill a love for this type of art not only in children, but also in adults.

The same 2008 became the year of the creation of the World Circus Federation. Its headquarters are located in the European state of Monte Carlo. The federation sees its goal as the development of both classical circus art and its innovative forms. According to the founders of the organization, this combination should take the circus to a new level and attract more spectators.

In 2010, the World Federation came to the conclusion that Circus Day should become larger and go beyond Europe. In the first International holiday More than 25 countries participated. The Russian circus community could not stand aside and supported the celebration. From then on, it began to be celebrated internationally. They decided not to break the tradition, so the date of the celebration was left the same as that chosen by the European Association.