Yury Nikulin's Circus (Old Circus)

History of the Circus

The circus has always held a very special place in the artistic life of Moscow and has become one of Russia's most beloved national art forms. At the beginning of the 19th century the fashionable horse circus made its way from Europe to Russia and here it faced the challenge of the Russian balagan or tradition of clowning and tomfoolery.

The Russian balagan first appeared in the 17th century in fairs and outdoor festive gatherings in towns throughout Russia. In 1702 Emperor Peter the Great ordered a public theater, large enough to house 400 people, to be built on Red Square, and during the intervals of performances at this theater clowns used to entertain people and draw enormous crowds.

In 1880 a former circus horse rider and gymnast, Albert Salamonsky, came to Moscow and built a circus on the city's Tsvetnoy Boulevard. It housed 5 rows of armchairs, boxes, a dress circle, a second row of benches and a stand-up gallery. A stone building for the horses' stables was added to the circus in 1884 and a swimming-pool for water performances was constructed 5 years later.

The circus tradition developed quickly in Moscow and today the Russian capital boasts two main circuses, the Old and original Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, now renamed the Yury Nikulin Circus, and the New Moscow State Circus on Prospect Vernadskovo.

The Yuri Nikulin Circus or Old Circus, named after Russia's most famous clown and the former longtime director of the circus, is in some ways returning to its traditional roots today and is featuring more and more of the clown acts and tomfoolery that became popular during the 17th and 18th centuries in Russia. The circus also features an excellent range of acrobatic and gymnastic acts, and performances featuring bears, horses, monkeys and dogs.

Performances

Performances are held on weekdays at 7pm and on weekends at 2.30pm and 6pm.