The most famous clowns. Famous clowns Famous cinema clowns
A circus without a clown is not a circus. On December 10, the birthday of the legendary Pencil, let us remember the seven most prominent representatives of the sunny profession, who created emotions and mood with their skill.
Mikhail Rumyantsev
The famous Soviet clown, Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR was born in St. Petersburg back in 1901. At the age of 13, Misha entered the school of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, but studied without interest. But he showed talent in drawing and from 1922 to 1926 he wrote posters for the city theater, posters for cinemas, and then the circus. During the next tour, Mikhail met Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, who influenced the future fate of the artist - the future Pencil enters the school of circus arts, a class of eccentric acrobats. This is how the star's career began. Since 1928, Pencil began appearing in public in the image of Charlie Chaplin, and since 1936 he worked in the Moscow Circus. His speeches were distinguished by satire and dynamism, and the obligatory use of topics of current events. In total, Karandash worked in the circus for 55 years and entered the arena for the last time two weeks before his death.
Casimir Pluchs
A representative of the circus genre “White Clown”, who worked under the pseudonym Roland, was born on November 5, 1894 in the vicinity of the city of Dvinsk. Since 1910, Casimir became a member of the acrobatic troupe “Roman Gladiators”, and in 1922 he began performing in his favorite genre. Roland worked with such artists as Coco, Anatoly Dubino, Savely Krein, Evgeny Biryukov and together with comedian Eizhen. In 1955, he played his usual role of the “white clown” in the film “Behind the Store Window,” but was not listed in the credits. Two years after the release of the film, Kazimir Petrovich leaves the circus arena and devotes himself entirely to literary activities. The book "White Clown", written by Roland in 1963, became a manual for circus performers of the genre, in which Plutches was called the best of the best.
Rudolf Slavsky
Born on December 21, 1912 in Tsaritsyn (Stalingrad - Volgograd), the circus and stage performer, director and writer, according to circus historian Yu. Dmitriev, became the founder of plot acts in theatrical art. It all started with the circus act “Equilibre on a Free Wire” - a lyrical and comedic skit “Date at the Yacht Club”. Rudolf, a man with a holiday profession, was a participant in the Great Patriotic War from its very beginning, and in 1945 he returned to artistic activity, taking up, among other things, directing and staging children's performances. In 1961-80 he was a director-teacher at the All-Union Creative Workshop of Maslyukov Variety Art, and in 1950 he began writing. Slavsky is the author and compiler of the 2nd edition of the encyclopedia "Circus" (1979), one of the founders of the Academy of Circus Arts.
Leonid Engibarov
A sad jester, clown-philosopher and poet, Leonid Georgievich had a bright personality and created his own image. He graduated from the State School of Circus Arts and chose not the beaten path, but his own, very special one - a mixture of pantomime and poetic clowning. His reprises did not set as their main goal to squeeze as much laughter out of the viewer as possible, but forced him to think and reflect. Many spectators, accustomed to relaxing at the circus, were disappointed with what they saw, most colleagues advised him to change his phlegmatic role, the clown was adamant. Even Yuri Nikulin, who initially did not take the artist of the “new genre” seriously, admitted three years later: “... when I saw him in the arena of the Moscow Circus, I was delighted. He was amazing at pausing. Yengibarov, without uttering a word, spoke to the audience about love and hatred, about respect for a person, about the touching heart of a clown, about loneliness and vanity. And he did all this clearly, gently, unusually.”
Oleg Popov
“Sunny Clown” was born in 1930 and, like most of his comrades, graduated from the State School of Circus Arts, making his debut in the arena as a tightrope walker. Oleg Konstantinovich’s performances mixed different, but invariably positive genres: clowning, acrobatics, juggling, balancing act, buffoonery. Oleg Konstantinovich is a Knight of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, a laureate of the International Circus Festival in Warsaw, and winner of the Golden Clown prize at the International Festival in Monte Carlo. Many of Popov's reprises have become classics of the world circus ("Dream on a Wire", "Beam", etc.). They say that it was the constant search for the funny and touching in the surrounding reality that created Oleg Konstantinovich’s unique “sunny” role.
Leonid Kukso
One man band! Soviet, Russian circus artist, clown, playwright, director, poet, Honored Artist of Russia, author of five musical comedies, a significant number of songs, a collection of lyric poems! Little Lenya was brought to the circus for the first time by his father, and the boy was amazed by the performance of the clowns. "Hello, Le-e-enya!" - one of them said to the whole hall, and instead of a removable “hat”, the clown was left with a disk with a brim in his hand, and a sparkling bald spot on his head. The future artist will carry these memories through the years. In 1937, Leonid Georgievich’s father was shot, his mother ended up in the camps, and Lenya himself worked in three shifts making boxes for mines and shells - the war began. In 1946, Kukso entered the circus with Karandash, where he met Nikulin, and subsequently they performed in many joint numbers - songs with a guitar, clowning, acrobatics, juggling! Kukso found his own style and even came up with a “battle cry” to go out, and his performances, like the artist himself, were distinguished by mobility and eccentricity.
Yury Nikulin
The artist, who made his film debut at the age of 36 and was a devoted assistant to the birthday boy Karandash, was a fan of circus art. The favorite comedian of several generations of viewers, Yuri Vladimirovich, was born in 1921 in the city of Demidov, later the family moved to Moscow. After graduating from school, Nikulin was drafted into the Red Army, participated in the Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars, and was awarded the medals “For Courage,” “For the Defense of Leningrad,” and “For Victory over Germany.” It’s funny that when trying to enter famous theater institutes and schools, Nikulin received refusals with the justification “Lack of acting talent.” How wrong the admissions committees were! Yuri entered the clownery studio at the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, and later remained to work there. Nikulin worked with Karandash for two and a half years, after which in 1950 the creative tandem fell apart due to a work conflict, and Nikulin and Shuidin created their own clown duet. In 1981, 60-year-old Yuri Vladimirovich moved to the administrative position of director of the circus, to whom he devoted 50 years of his life.
4 chosen
Oddly enough, many of my friends claim that they have been afraid of clowns since childhood. However, if we are talking about brightly colored, exaggeratedly cheerful personalities like Ronald McDonald, I can understand them. But our domestic clowns are completely different. Each of them has their own unique image. They are sad and cheerful, kind and funny, ridiculous and touching. Today celebrates his birthday Vyacheslav Polunin. Let's remember him and other Soviet and Russian clowns.
Vyacheslav Polunin
A yellow baggy suit, a red scarf and boots, reminiscent of the image of Murzilka from the magazine of the same name. Stunning plasticity and facial expressions, allowing him to be funny and surprisingly eloquent without uttering a word.
Today he turns 64 years old, he is a famous clown, winner of prestigious awards, creator of world-famous shows and artistic director of the Great St. Petersburg State Circus on the Fontanka. And half a century ago, he was an ordinary schoolboy, a mischief maker, who delighted his classmates and annoyed his teachers with his constant jokes, antics and antics. For this, by the way, he was repeatedly kicked out of classes: who knew then that clowning for him was not hooliganism, but a calling. When schoolboy Slava first saw a film with Charlie Chaplin, he immediately fell in love with this image and began to imitate it: he got himself a cane, huge shoes and walked with the famous Chaplin gait.
But there were also those who appreciated the talent of the young merry fellow. First at city amateur competitions, then upon admission to the Institute of Culture and GITIS. And then - the whole Union, when in the early 1980s Polunin created his famous show "Actors". During perestroika, the clown left our country for Germany. There he created the world famous "snow show", showing that a real clown is cramped within the circus break between acts. He can create a full-fledged show that will make adults feel like children again.
Polunin has received many professional awards in different countries, and the Western press calls him, no less, the best clown in the world.
Clown Pencil
Charlie Chaplin inspired many clowns around the world, including Soviet ones. The famous one also performed in this image. Mikhail Rumyantsev, the founder of the clownery genre in our country. But truly talented people do not repeat, but create new things. Rumyantsev also followed this path when he created his Pencil- a small, slightly ridiculous man with a mustache in a baggy suit, huge boots and a pointed hat.
Since then he has forever become a Pencil. He even got angry if they called him by his last name. And he even entered the Great Soviet Encyclopedia under a pseudonym. His hero is good-natured, witty and childlike. Despite his deliberate clumsiness, the clown performed all the acrobatic stunts on his own. He laughs at himself, trying to repeat the tricks of magicians or reassemble a broken statue. Sometimes he performed with a four-legged partner - a Scottish terrier named Blot. Pencil was known and loved not only in the Soviet Union, but also in many European countries and even in Latin America. Among his students and assistants were famous Shuiding And Nikulin. The latter, by the way, can be seen, although it is difficult to recognize in this scene.
For some, making people laugh is not just a calling, but its own philosophy. Pencil said: "Every type of art, every artist has its own path to understanding the truth. I chose a funny path."
Oleg Popov
Famous Oleg Popov loved not only in Russia, but also in Europe. And it all started unexpectedly. He was an ordinary mechanic's apprentice when he began to study acrobatics. In the circle he met circus guys and decided to become one of them.
His image is Sunny Clown. A charming, cheerful guy with a shock of brown hair, wearing striped pants and a huge checkered cap. In his performances, he used a variety of circus skills: juggling, acrobatics, balancing act.
After perestroika, Oleg Popov left Russia for Germany. There the Sunny Clown became Happy Hans.
Leonid Engibarov
Paradoxically, the clown’s task is not always to amuse the audience. There are also those who make you think, putting philosophical overtones into their numbers. This was the mime, the sad clown Leonid Engibarov. Regular black clothes, no makeup. He doesn't look like his "colleagues" at all. And that makes it amazing and memorable.
His reprises are more like plastic poetry than traditional clowning. Some of them are funny.
And there are also very sad ones.
The fate of the sad clown turned out to be even more tragic than his image. He died of a heart attack when he was only 37 years old. He probably put too much heart into his performances. So it couldn’t stand it...
Yuri Kuklachev
Yuri Kuklachev- This is perhaps the most recognizable and parodied clown. They brought him to the circus... no, not cats. A childhood dream and incredible perseverance. He tried to enter the circus school for seven years in a row, and each time he was told that he had no talent. As a result, he entered a technical school, and at the same time began training in a folk circus. He performed with the same amateurs at amateur shows. There they paid attention to him... and invited him to study at a circus school! As they say, “If we don’t wash it, we just roll it.”
Cats appeared in his performances only ten years later. And they immediately made a sensation - after all, everyone knew that these animals could not be trained. But Kuklachev unraveled the secret of the cat's soul. They give in. Just don't force them to do what you want. Let the cat do what he wants. It will be even more interesting this way.
Yury Nikulin
But the most popular and beloved clown in our country was, of course, Yury Nikulin. Although we know him more from films in which he plays not only comic, but sometimes dramatic roles. But this was precisely his dream - to become an actor. But he couldn’t get into VGIK and GITIS, so out of despair he went to the conversation studio at the Moscow Circus.
Even before that, he managed to take part in two wars as a private: the Finnish and the Great Patriotic War.
He began performing in the circus as Pencil's assistant. Then the famous duet appeared Nikulin-Shuydin. Nikulin’s image is most often that of a dandy, a lazy person, and a drinker. And Shuidin is a funny guy and a smart guy. Their most famous joint scene is “The Log”. It was born out of life: in the film “Old Robbers,” according to the plot, Nikulin had to carry a heavy painting for a long time. So he came up with the idea of making a number with a similar plot. Only I replaced the picture with a log - it’s funnier.
Sometimes it seems that clowns - happy and sad, funny and touching - are a dying profession. That sooner or later they will inevitably be replaced by comedians of various kinds or stand-up comedians. And what do you think?
How do you feel about clowns and the genre in which they work?
Clowns have been present in our culture for quite some time. One can recall at least the related jesters who were at court and entertained the nobility. The word “clown” itself appeared at the beginning of the 16th century. This was originally the name given to a comic character from English medieval theater. This hero improvised a lot, and his jokes were simple and even rude.
Today, a clown is a circus or variety performer who uses slapstick and grotesquery. This profession is not as simple as it seems. In addition, clowns work in various genres; no self-respecting circus can do without such people. Who else will make the audience laugh between numbers?
It’s interesting that in America the image of a clown is surprisingly scary. This is due to numerous works where this image is presented as bloodthirsty and cruel (just remember the Joker). Even such a mental illness as clownphobia has appeared. When talking about modern clownery, one cannot fail to mention the name of Charlie Chaplin. This comedian served as an inspiration for actors in this genre, his image was copied and reused.
It must be said that the most outstanding clowns realized themselves far beyond the circus, in cinema and theater, while also performing tragic repertoire. The most famous people of this funny, not easy profession will be discussed below.
Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837). This English actor is considered the father of modern clowning. It is believed that it was he who became the first clown with a European face. Thanks to Grimaldi, the comic character became the central figure of the English harlequinade. Joseph's father, an Italian, was himself a pantonymist, artist and choreographer in the theater. And my mother performed in the corps de ballet. Since the age of two, the boy has been performing on the theater stage. Failures in his personal life turned the young Grimaldi’s attention to work. His fame was brought to him by the production of The Tales of Mother Goose at the Royal Theatre. The actor became a clear innovator, because his character, Joy the Clown, is similar to modern images. The clown was the central character in the performances; he came up with buffoonery and visual tricks, invariably making the audience laugh. The image of a simpleton and a fool dates back to the times of commedia dell'arte. Grimaldi brought female pantomime to the theater and established the tradition of audience participation in the performances. Playing on stage undermined the clown's health, effectively making him crippled. At 50, Grimaldi was broke and lived on a pension and assistance from charity performances in his honor. When he died, the newspapers wrote with bitterness that the spirit of pantomime was now lost, because there was simply no equal to the clown in terms of talent.
Jean-Baptiste Auriol (1806-1881). At the beginning of the 19th century, there was no such image of a clown. In the arena, comic equestrian acrobats joked, there was a mime rider and a clown. This state of affairs changed when the figure of Jean-Baptiste Auriol appeared in the French circus. As a child, he was sent to be trained by a family of rope dancers. Soon Jean-Baptiste became an independent artist in a run-of-the-mill traveling circus. The artist's career quickly took off; the acrobat rider with comic talents was noticed. In the early 1830s he was invited to join the Luasse troupe. With her, Oriol began traveling around Europe. The next step was the Paris Olympic Theater-Circus. The debut took place on July 1, 1834. Jean-Baptiste showed himself to be a versatile master - he is a tightrope walker, a juggler and a strongman. Moreover, he was also a grotesque actor. A strong and powerful body was crowned with a cheerful face, whose grimaces made the audience laugh. The clown wore a special costume, which was a modernized outfit of a medieval jester. But Oriol did not have makeup, he only used general primer. Essentially, the work of this clown can be considered carpet-bending. He filled the pauses between performances and parodied the main repertoire. It was Oriol who shaped the image of the clown, gave it light French humor and brought romanticism to the circus. In his old age, Oriol began to play in comic scenes, participating in pantomimes.
Grock (1880-1959). The real name of this Swiss is Charles Adrien Wettach. His family was an ordinary peasant family, but his father was able to instill in his son a love of the circus. Charles's talent was noticed by the clown Alfredo, who invited the young guy to join the traveling circus troupe. Having gained experience in it, Charles left his partners and went to France. By that time, the clown had learned to play several musical instruments, knew how to juggle, and was an acrobat and tightrope walker. Only at the Swiss National Circus in the city of Nimes, the young artist only achieved work as a cashier. Charles was able to make friends with the musical eccentric Brick, eventually replacing his partner Brock. The new clown chose the pseudonym Grok. The artist's debut at the Swiss National Circus took place on October 1, 1903. The troupe toured a lot. With her, Grok visited Spain, Belgium and even South America. In 1911, the clown suffered a fiasco in Berlin, but the tour in Austria-Hungary and Germany in 1913 was much more successful. Grok became known as the King of the Clowns. Touring Russia also turned out to be a triumph. After the end of the war, Grok resumed performing again, touring even in America. In the early 30s, the clown even made a film about himself, which was not successful. After the end of World War II, the artist released two more films with his best performances, and in 1951 he even opened his own circus “Grok”. The famous clown's last appearance in the arena took place in 1954. A mask is named after Grok, which is awarded as a prize at the European International Circus Clown Festival.
Mikhail Rumyantsev (1901-1983). Clown Pencil is a classic of the Soviet circus. Mikhail's introduction to art began in art schools, but the training did not arouse interest. The future artist’s working career began with drawing posters for the theater. In 1925, Rumyantsev moved to Moscow, where he began to draw movie posters. The year 1926 became fateful for the young artist, when he saw Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks next to him. Like them, Rumyantsev decided to become an actor. After the stage movement courses there was a school of circus arts. From 1928 to 1932, the clown appeared in public in the image of Charlie Chaplin. Since 1935, Rumyantsev began to use his new image of Caran d'Asha. In 1936, the clown worked in the Moscow circus; the final point in the formation of his new image was a small Scotch terrier. The clown's performances were dynamic, filled with satire on the most pressing problems in society. When coming on tour to a new city, the artist tried to insert the name of some local popular place into his speech. In the 40-50s, Karandash began to attract assistants to his performances, among whom Yuri Nikulin stood out. The clown was so popular that only his performances guaranteed financial success for the circus. The cheerful clown devoted himself conscientiously to his work, but even outside the arena he demanded complete dedication from his assistants. Pencil's career in the circus spans 55 years. He last appeared in the arena just 2 weeks before his death. The artist’s work has been awarded numerous awards; he was a Hero of Socialist Labor, People’s Artist of Russia and the USSR.
Nook (1908-1998). The German Georg Spillner became known to the whole world under this pseudonym. When he began his working career as a dentist in 1932, no one expected such a sharp turn in his fate. But Georg soon abandoned this work, becoming a musical clown. Already in 1937, the German Theater in Munich declared him as the most famous clown in Europe. The artist’s “trick” was his large suitcase and huge coat, which concealed a variety of musical instruments. Nuk performed at the most famous concert venues in Europe, but despite his fame he remained a rather modest person. The clown was very musical, playing the saxophone, mandolin, flute, clarinet, violin, and harmonica. In the 60s they wrote about him as the most gentle clown of all time. Nuk was often compared to another legend, Grok, but the German had his own unique image. They say that one day a certain clown wanted to buy one of his numbers for Nuka, but he refused. After all, his image is all of life, with its experience, feelings, success and slaps. For many years, his wife, who played the piano, appeared on stage with Georg. In 1991, Germany awarded him the Cross of Merit for his charitable work towards his former colleagues. Nuk himself said that there was a stereotype in society according to which a clown should be a sad person in life, but constantly joke on stage. But such an image has nothing in common with himself. The clown wrote that to obtain such a profession it is not necessary to study, but hard work is necessary. The artist's secret was simple - everything that was in his performance was experienced personally by Georg.
Konstantin Bergman (1914-2000). This Soviet carpet clown appeared in the family of a circus orchestra conductor. It is not surprising that the boy was constantly attracted to the arena. Since childhood, he participated in pantomimes, mastering other genres of circus art. His professional career as a clown began at the age of 14; with his brother Nikolai, he staged the act “Vaulting Acrobats.” Until 1936, the couple performed together, using the images of popular comedy film actors H. Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. During the war, Bergman performed as part of front-line brigades. The simple reprise “Dog Hitler” brought him fame. It told how the clown was embarrassed to call a dog barking at everyone Hitler, because it might be offended. In 1956, Bergman became an Honored Artist of the RSFSR. The clown was able to create the mask of an important dandy, wearing an absurdly smart suit. The circus performer switched to conversational reprises, talking not only about everyday topics, but even about politics. Bergman was quite a versatile clown, including other acts. He jumped over cars like an acrobat and took part in aerial flights. Bergman toured the country a lot, and Iran applauded him. The famous clown starred in two films; in “Girl on a Ball” he essentially played himself.
Leonid Engibarov (1935-1972). Despite his short life, this man managed to leave a bright mark on art. Mim managed to create a new role - a sad clown, and besides, Engibarov was also a talented writer. Since childhood, Leonid has loved fairy tales and puppet theater. At school, he began boxing and even entered the Institute of Physical Education, but quickly realized that this was not his calling. In 1955, Engibarov entered the Circus School, where he began to study clownery. While still a student, Leonid began performing on stage as a mime. A full-fledged debut took place in 1959 in Novosibirsk. By 1961, Engibarov had traveled to many Soviet cities and was a resounding success everywhere. At the same time, a trip abroad took place, to Poland, where the clown was also applauded by grateful spectators. In 1964, at the International Festival in Prague, Engibarov was recognized as the best clown in the world, and his short stories began to be published. Documentaries are being made about the talented artist; he himself is involved in cinema, collaborating with Parajanov and Shukshin. The famous clown at the peak of his fame leaves the circus and creates his own theater. Engibarov, together with his constant director Yuri Belov, is staging the play “The Whims of the Clown.” During its 240-day national tour in 1971-1972, this performance was shown 210 times. The great clown died in a hot summer from a broken heart. When he was buried, it suddenly began to rain in Moscow. It seemed that the sky itself was mourning the loss of the sad clown. Yengibarov went down in circus history as a representative of the philosophical clown pantomime.
Yuri Nikulin (1921-1997). Most people know Nikulin as a brilliant film actor. But his calling was the circus. The father and mother of the future clown were actors, which must have predetermined Nikulin’s fate. He went through the entire war, receiving military awards. After the end of hostilities, Nikulin tried to enter VGIK and other theater institutes. But he was not accepted anywhere, since the selection committees could not discern any acting talent in the young man. As a result, Nikulin entered the clownery studio at the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. The young actor began assisting Karandash together with Mikhail Shuidin. The couple went on tour a lot and quickly gained experience. Since 1950, Nikulin and Shuidin began to work independently. Their collaboration continued until 1981. If Shuidin had the image of a shirtless guy who knows everything, then Nikulin portrayed a lazy and melancholy person. In life, the partners in the arena practically did not maintain relationships. Since 1981, Nikulin became the main director of his native circus, and from the next year he became the director. One cannot ignore the participation of the famous clown in the movie. The debut on the big screen took place in 1958. The comedies of Gaidai (“Operation “Y” and other adventures of Shurik”, “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, “The Diamond Arm”) brought popular love to Nikulin the actor. However, he also has many serious films behind him - “Andrei Rublev”, “They Fought for the Motherland”, “Scarecrow”. The talented clone proved himself to be a serious and profound dramatic actor. Yuri Nikulin received the title of People's Artist of the USSR and Hero of Socialist Labor. Near the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard there is a monument to the famous clown and his partner.
Marcel Marceau (1923-2007). This French mime actor created a whole school of his art. He was born into a Jewish family in Strasbourg. Marcel developed an interest in acting after meeting Charlie Chaplin's films. Marceau studied at the School of Decorative Arts in Limoges, then at the Sarah Bernhardt Theater, where Etienne Decroux taught him the art of mimicry. During World War II, an aspiring clown fled the country. He took part in the Resistance, and most of his relatives, including his parents, died in Auschwitz. In 1947, Marceau created his most famous image. Beep the Clown, with a white face, a striped sweater and a tattered hat, became famous throughout the world. At the same time, the clown troupe “Commonwealth of Mimes” was created, which existed for 13 years. The productions of this unusual theater with one-man shows have seen the best stages in the country. In subsequent years, Marceau performed independently. He toured the Soviet Union several times, the first time this happened in 1961. In one of the scenes, sad Bip, sitting at the table, listened to his interlocutors. Turning to one, the clown made a cheerful expression on his face, and to the other, a sad one. The lines alternated and gradually became faster, forcing the clown to constantly change his mood. Only Marceau could do this. The miniatures featuring Bip are generally filled with sympathy for the poor fellow. In 1978, the clown created his own Paris School of Pantomime. New miniatures and new heroes appeared in his arsenal. They say that it was Marcel Marceau who taught him the famous moonwalk. For his contribution to art, the actor received France's highest award - the Legion of Honor.
Oleg Popov (born 1930). The famous artist is called the founding father of Soviet clownery. In 1944, while doing acrobatics, the young man met students of the circus school. Oleg was so fascinated by the circus that he immediately entered the school, receiving a specialty in eccentric on a wire in 1950. But already in 1951 Popov made his debut as a carpet clown. The artist was able to create the artistic image of the “Sunny Clown”. This cheerful man with a shock of light brown hair wore oversized trousers and a checkered cap. In his performances, the clown uses a variety of techniques - acrobatics, juggling, parody, balancing act. Particular attention is paid to entres, which are realized with the help of eccentricities and buffoonery. Among Popov’s most famous reprises one can recall “Whistle”, “Beam” and “Cook”. In his most famous act, the clown tries to catch a ray of sunlight in his bag. The artist’s creativity was not limited to the theater alone; he acted a lot on television and participated in the children’s television show “Alarm Clock.” Popov even acted in films (more than 10 films) and directed circus performances. The famous clown took part in the first tours of the Soviet circus in Western Europe. Performances there brought Popov truly worldwide fame. The clown became a laureate of the International Circus Festival in Warsaw, received an Oscar in Brussels, and received the Golden Clown prize at the festival in Monte Carlo. In 1991, Popov left Russia for personal reasons, and also unable to accept the collapse of the great Motherland. Now he lives and works in Germany, performing under the pseudonym Happy Hans.
Slava Polunin (born 1950). Polunin was educated at the Leningrad State Institute of Culture, and then at the variety department of GITIS. In the 1980s, Vyacheslav created the famous Lycedei Theater. He literally blew the audience away with the numbers “Asisyai”, “Nizzya” and “Blue Canary”. The theater became very popular. In 1982, Polunin organized the Mime Parade, which attracted more than 800 pantomime artists from all over the country. In 1985, as part of the World Meeting of Youth and Students, a festival was held, in which international clowns also took part. Since then, Polunin has organized many festivals, staged performances, numbers and reprises, trying on a variety of masks. Since 1988, the clown has moved abroad, where he gains worldwide fame. His “Snow Show” is now considered a theatrical classic. Spectators say that Polunin’s snow warms their hearts. The clown's works were awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in England, awards in Edinburgh, Liverpool, and Barcelona. Polunin is an honorary resident of London. The Western press calls him “the best clown in the world.” Despite the “frivolous” occupation, the clown approaches his work thoroughly. Even the craziest and most adventurous show performed by him is actually carefully thought out and balanced. Polunin works a lot and does not know how to rest at all, however, his life is a pleasure, on stage and off it. And most importantly, this person creates a holiday.
Soviet clowns were considered one of the best on the planet. Circus in the Soviet Union was a separate art form that was extremely popular. Many clowns are still remembered by those who personally saw them at their first performances. We will talk about the most famous of them in this article.
Among Soviet clowns, one of the most famous is People's Artist of the USSR, the idol of several generations of Soviet lovers of humor and laughter, Yuri Nikulin. He was born in the Smolensk province in 1921. His parents were artists, so Yuri’s fate turned out to be largely predetermined.
In 1939, immediately after graduating from school, he was drafted into the army. During the Great Patriotic War he fought near Leningrad. In 1943, he contracted pneumonia, spent a long time in the hospital, and after being discharged almost immediately received a shell shock during one of the air raids on Leningrad.
After the war, he tried to enter VGIK, but he was not accepted because they did not find his acting abilities. Therefore, Nikulin went to the clownery school-studio, which worked at the capital’s circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. This became his refuge for several decades.
In 1948, the famous Soviet clown made his debut paired with Boris Romanov in a number called “The Model and the Hack,” with which he immediately captivated the audience. For some time he worked as an assistant to Karandash. I met Mikhail Shuidin, with whom I went on tour throughout the country to gain experience working in the circus.
Nikulin worked with Karandash for two and a half years, after which he left with Shuidin due to a conflict. Having started performing independently, they formed a duet famous throughout the country, although they were completely different artists in type and character.
Among the clowns of the Soviet Union, Nikulin was one of the most popular. He worked in his native circus for half a century, becoming its symbol; now there is even a monument to the famous artist erected on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.
At the same time, he made a brilliant career in cinema, playing in the popular comedies “Operation “Y” and other adventures of Shurik”, “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, “The Diamond Arm”.
He stopped performing in the circus only when he turned 60 years old. In 1981, he officially left the stage, starting to work as the chief director of the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. In 1982 he took over as director of the circus. Under this famous Soviet clown, the circus flourished, a new building was built, which opened in 1989.
Yuri Nikulin was popular not only in big cinema, but also on domestic television. In the 90s, his program called “White Parrot” was broadcast. She brought together famous and honored artists who told their favorite jokes and funny stories from their own careers. The signature jokes have always been those told by Yuri Nikulin himself.
Nikulin died in 1997 at the age of 76 after complications arising from heart surgery.
Mikhail Shuidin
Mikhail Shuidin is a clown from a Soviet comedy trio. He performed with Nikulin and Karandash, without being at all lost against the background of his famous stage colleagues. Shuidin was born in the Tula province in 1922. He was an eccentric acrobat.
Like Nikulin, he went through the Great Patriotic War, they were practically the same age. Shuidin took part in the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, distinguished himself in battles in Ukraine, receiving the Order of the Red Star. He was even awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, which was then replaced by the command with the Order of the Red Banner.
Immediately after the war he entered the circus arts school. Together with Nikulin he worked as an assistant to Karandash. His debut was successful when the famous Soviet clown portrayed an important director, being himself plump and short in stature. His appearance invariably caused laughter in the hall.
Having left Karandash with Nikulin, they worked together until 1983, almost until the death of the Soviet clown after a long and serious illness at the age of 60. His is a guy who knows and can do everything, unlike Nikulin, who played a melancholic bum. These Soviet clowns based their joint work on the contradiction of characters.
It is interesting that in ordinary life Shuidin and Nikulin practically did not communicate with each other. They were very different in character and way of life, but as partners on stage they were inimitable. Spectators specially came to the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard to see this amazing couple of artists.
The famous Soviet clown Shuidin shone in satirical sketches and pantomimes "Little Pierre", "Pipe of Peace", "Carnival in Cuba", "Roses and Thorns".
Mikhail Rumyantsev
Most people know Mikhail Rumyantsev as Pencil. This is one of the most famous stage names of clowns in the USSR. He was born in St. Petersburg in 1901. Rumyantsev decided to become an artist when he met the legendary American silent film artists Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford in Moscow.
Rumyantsev goes to a stage performance course, and then to a circus arts school, studying with the chief director of the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Mark Mestechkin.
In 1928, he began to appear in public in the image of the then legendary Charlie Chaplin. After graduating from the school of circus arts, he works in Kazan, Smolensk and Stalingrad. In 1932, one of the most famous future Soviet clowns, the list of which he rightfully heads, decides to abandon the image of an overseas artist. In 1935, he began working in the Leningrad circus under the pseudonym Karan D'Ash. Gradually he forms his own unique stage image, decides on a costume and a performance program.
In 1936, he moved to Moscow, where he took on a small Scotch terrier named Klyaksa as a partner, and thus began the career of the Soviet clown Karandash. The capital's public was delighted with the new artist.
A unique feature of Pencil was political jokes. For example, during the Brezhnev stagnation, he went on stage with a large string bag filled with dummies of scarce products: red caviar, pineapples, raw smoked sausage. Once on stage, he froze in silence in front of the audience. The audience waited impatiently for what the clown would say. After some time, he loudly announced: “I am silent because I have everything. Why do you?!” At the same time, Rumyantsev himself noted that his stage character never allowed himself anything extra.
Throughout his career, he not only performed solo, but was also a clown in a Soviet comedy trio along with Nikulin and Shuidinov. His fame was such that it was believed that with his appearance on stage he could save any performance. The hall was guaranteed to be full. The Soviet clown, whose photo can be found in this article, was very conscientious about his work and always demanded complete dedication from all assistants, uniform technicians, and lighting technicians.
He worked in the circus for almost his entire adult life, for 55 years. He last appeared on stage just two weeks before his death. In March 1983 he passed away. Mikhail Rumyantsev was 81 years old.
Perhaps everyone knows him. Soviet clown Oleg Popov was born in 1930 in the Moscow region. He began his career as a tightrope walker, performing on the wire. In 1951, he first appeared on stage as a carpet clown in the Saratov circus, then moved to Riga. He finally established himself in this role, working under the leadership of the legendary Pencil in the early 50s.
The Soviet clown Popov created the famous image of the Solar Clown. He was a young guy with a bright head of straw hair, not despondent in any situation, who appeared on stage in a checkered cap and striped pants. In his performances, he often used a variety of circus techniques: juggling, acrobatics, tightrope walking, parodies, but the key place in his performances was occupied by entres, which he staged using classical buffoonery and eccentricities. Among his most famous numbers are “Whistle”, “Cook”, “Beam”.
Domestic viewers immediately remembered the name of the famous Soviet clown in a checkered cap. He performed not only on stage, but often appeared in television programs, for example, in the children's morning program "Alarm Clock", often acted in films, usually in cameos, and staged circus performances as a director.
The artist often went on tours to Western European countries, which as a result brought him worldwide fame. The Soviet clown in a checkered cap was known in all countries of the world.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Popov went to Germany. In 1991, he settled in the small town of Eglofstein and began performing in his own circus program under the new stage name Happy Hans.
He returned to Russia only in 2015, having spent 24 years in Germany. On June 30, his long-awaited performance took place at the Sochi circus as part of the “Master” circus festival.
In 2016, the now Russian clown Popov had a tour of Russia planned. His sold-out performances took place in Saratov. In October he arrived in Rostov-on-Don, where he planned to perform at least 15 times. After that, he was going to go on tour to Samara and Yekaterinburg.
His friends recall that on November 2 he was cheerful, went to the central market, and planned to go fishing to the local Manych river to catch perch. In the evening he watched TV in his hotel room. At about 11:20 p.m. he became ill, hotel staff called an ambulance, but they could not save the actor. As it became known, he fell asleep in his hotel room in a deep chair and never woke up.
By decision of his wife and daughter, he was buried in Eglofstein, Germany, where his family lives. Moreover, according to the artist’s will, he was placed in a coffin in a clown costume.
Asisyai
Remembering the famous Soviet clowns, photos of which can be found in this article, it is necessary to talk about Vyacheslav Polunin, better known by his stage name Asisyai.
This folk was born in the Oryol region in 1950. He received his higher education at the Institute of Culture in Leningrad, then graduated from the variety department at GITIS. This was the Soviet clown Asisyai, famous throughout the country, a mime actor, author and director of clown acts, masks, reprises and performances.
It was he who became the founders of the famous one that performed successfully throughout the country. "Litsedei" reached the peak of popularity in the 80s. Asisyai was the main character of this theater. The most popular numbers were “Asisyai”, “Sad Canary”, “Nizzya”.
Since 1989, Polunin initiated a caravan of traveling comedians in Moscow, which, starting from Moscow, performed throughout Europe, uniting many stage venues in different countries into a single theatrical space. Since 1989, the Caravan of Peace festival has been held annually.
It is noteworthy that since 1988, Polunin has lived and worked primarily abroad. In 1993, he assembled a new troupe, with which he staged a dozen premiere performances.
Talking about the principles of his work, Polunin always noted that for him clowning is a new way of seeing the world, it is a special perception of reality, within the framework of which the clown heals the souls of the audience.
Trainer and circus performer Vladimir Durov was born in Moscow in 1863. Even in his youth, he left the military gymnasium because he became interested in the circus. He began performing in 1879.
In 1883 he settled in the Winkler menagerie circus in Moscow. He began his artistic career as a strongman, then tried the roles of an illusionist, onomatopoeist, clown, and verse singer. Since 1887, he began to specialize exclusively as a satirist and clown-trainer.
Animal training was based entirely on the principle of feeding, developing conditioned reflexes in them with the help of rewards; for each successfully performed trick, the animal received a treat. Durov studied the works of Sechenov and Pavlov, basing his training method on scientific achievements.
In his own house in Moscow, he conducted psychological experiments on animals, attracting famous psychiatrists and psychologists, for example, Pavlov and Bekhterev. To start making money, he opened a living corner right in his house, which over time began to be called Durov’s Corner." In it, he gave paid performances with animals. For example, he came up with a unique, famous act called “The Mouse Railway.”
This work was suspended by the October Revolution and the devastation that followed. The doors of Durov's Corner opened again in 1919, but as a state theater rather than a private one. Durov himself was allowed to live in his former house, which by that time had been nationalized.
Already in the Soviet Union, Durov continued experiments on telepathy together with the famous Soviet biophysicist Bernard Kazhinsky. In 1927, already in the status of a Soviet clown, Durov published the book “My Animals,” which over time was reprinted several times and enjoyed great popularity.
In 1934, Vladimir Durov died at the age of 71. After his death, the business was continued by his daughter Anna; in 1977, “Durov’s Corner” passed to her nephew Yuri. Now it is run by the great-grandson of Vladimir Leonidovich, Yuri Yuryevich, continuing the tradition of Soviet and Russian clowns working with animals.
Remembering the names of the clowns of the USSR, whose photos are presented in this article, you must definitely remember Leonid Yengibarov. who spent almost his entire career acting as a “sad clown.”
He was born in Moscow in 1935. At the age of 20, he entered the circus school in the clownery department. In 1959 he began performing in the arena of the Novosibirsk Circus. Then he appeared on the stage of circuses in Tbilisi, Kharkov, Minsk, Voronezh. Gathering packed houses in the Soviet Union, he went on an overseas tour to Poland, where he also enjoyed success.
In 1962, Engibarov was awarded a medal in Leningrad for the best performance, where he met Rolan Bykov and Marcel Marceau. These meetings played an important role in his career; he and Bykov remained friends until the end of his life.
In 1963, Engibarov also became known as a film artist. He starred in the comedy film “The Way to the Arena” by Levon Isahakyan and Henrikh Malyan - in the title role of the clown Leni, who decides to work in the circus, despite the protests of his parents, who wish him a different future.
A year later, Engibarov appears in Sergei Parajanov’s classic historical melodrama “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.” He plays the role of a mute shepherd, proving that he is capable of not only humorous, but also tragic roles.
In 1964, the “sad clown” leaves for Prague, where he wins a professional competition. His short stories were published there for the first time; it turns out that Engibarov is also a talented writer. In Prague, his daughter Barbara is born, her mother is a Czech journalist and artist, whose name is Jarmila Galamkova.
In 1966, a documentary film dedicated to the artist, “Leonid Engibarov, meet me!” was released on Soviet screens.
By the end of the 70s, he toured the entire Soviet Union; audiences in Kyiv, Odessa, Leningrad and Yerevan appreciated him most. In 1971, Engibarov, in collaboration with his colleague Belov, produced a play called “Starry Rain”. It is shown in the capital's variety theater. Afterwards, Engibarov leaves the circus to found his own theater with one-man shows filled with clowning, reprises and various tricks. This is how the production of “The Folly of the Clown” appears.
A book of short stories by Engibarov, “The First Round,” is being published in Yerevan. At the same time, he starred in Tengiz Abuladze’s comedy-parable “A Necklace for My Beloved” in the image of the clown Suguri. In the early 70s, he toured with his theater throughout the country, performing 210 performances in 240 days.
Engibarov’s bright career ended suddenly and tragically. In the summer of 1972, he came to Moscow on vacation. Starts working on a new play. July that year was incredibly hot and dry. In addition, peat bogs are burning near Moscow, and on some days the smog in the capital is such that a person cannot be seen from a distance of several meters.
On July 24, Engibarov returns home after a concert in He feels unwell due to a sore throat that he suffers on his legs. His mother Antonina Andrianovna prepares dinner and goes to spend the night with a friend. The next morning she discovers that Leonid has not gotten up yet.
By the evening he feels bad, he asks to call an ambulance. When the doctors arrive, the artist feels better, he even begins to compliment the nurse. But after another two hours his condition worsens again. The mother calls an ambulance again. Engibarov asks for a glass of cold champagne, from which his blood vessels constrict, his condition only worsens. The doctors who arrived for the second time are unable to help him; the clown dies of chronic coronary heart disease.
According to doctors, the cause was a blood clot that formed due to the fact that the son returned sick from tour and was rehearsing performances with a sore throat. At the time of his death, Engibarov was only 37 years old. He was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery.
Many perceived his death as a personal tragedy.
People's Artist of the RSFSR gained fame as a cat trainer. He was born in the Moscow region in 1949. I dreamed of becoming a clown since childhood. But he was not accepted into the circus school for seven years in a row.
Finally, in 1963, he entered a vocational school to become a printer, but did not despair of his place. While working at the "Young Guard" printing house, in the evenings he spends his time at the folk circus at the "Red October" cultural center. In 1967 he became a laureate of an amateur art competition.
At the final concert of the competition, he is noticed by circus performers on Tsvetnoy Boulevard; Kuklachev is nevertheless invited to the circus school. In 1971 he became a certified artist of the Union State Circus, where he worked until 1990. His image is that of a simple-minded, but at the same time slightly crafty buffoon from the people in a stylized Russian shirt. Initially he works under the pseudonym Vasilek.
In search of his own zest, Kuklachev decided back in the mid-70s that a cat should appear in his performances. They are considered difficult to train, but Kuklachev manages to work successfully with them. Over time, the animal troupe began to be replenished with more and more tailed artists, this made it possible to create several performances with animals.
It was the numbers with cats that brought Kuklachev all-Union popularity; he was also successful on foreign tours.
In 1990, the circus artist took over the building of the former Prizyv theater, located on Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Soon, at his base, he opens one of the first private theaters in the country, which over time receives the name “Kuklachev’s Cat Theater.” It turns out that this is the first cat theater in the world; it immediately becomes famous far beyond Russia.
In 2005, the theater received state status, and in addition to cats, dogs appeared in reprises.
Now Kuklachev is 69 years old, he continues his work in the cat theater.
Evelina Bledans
The Russian actress of Latvian origin started out as a clown. She was born in Yalta in 1969. She graduated from the acting department of the Institute of Performing Arts in Leningrad.
Her first fame came in 1999, when she appeared as a member of the comedy troupe "Masks", which produced popular television shows based on clowning, pantomime and eccentricity. The artists stood out because they worked in the silent film genre. All projects were conceived and implemented by artistic director Georgy Deliev, who himself was one of the artists of the comedy troupe.
In the 90s, the famous television series “Mask Show” was released; in total, they managed to film five seasons, which totaled almost two hundred episodes.
After this, Evelina Bledans gained fame as a television and film actress.
The clown became such a popular image in the Soviet Union that it can often be found outside the circus arena. For example, the Soviet clown toy was in great demand in the USSR, which was considered a special gift for any holiday, and especially for a birthday.
In the humorous program of pop artist Yevgeny Petrosyan, which was popular in the 90s, the clown toy became a symbol; it can always be seen on the project's screensaver.
The Soviet cartoon about a clown, “The Cat and the Clown,” also demonstrates how popular these artists were. It was released in 1988, directed by Natalia Golovanova.
The cartoon was shot in the spirit of a classic slapstick comedy, which tells the story of an old clown who spent many years working in the circus. He has seen a lot in his time, it is already difficult to surprise him with anything. But this is achieved by a magical cat who is able to transform into all kinds of objects.
This 10-minute cartoon demonstrates the intense and irreconcilable struggle between the heroes, each of whom has a strong and unyielding character. On the one hand there is an elderly clown, and on the other - a cocky, naive and at times downright rude cat. This unusual work ends very unexpectedly: at the very end the cat turns into a boy.
