Legends of the Russian Circus in unique archive PHOTOS
The circus is one of the most beloved art forms in Russia. We’ve put together a revealing photo collection of clowns, acrobats and fearless trainers, who all created unforgettable atmospheres under the big top.
Acrobats Dalya & Dragor, 1900s.
Wrestlers, 1900–1910s.
Trainer Palermo and a sea lion, 1928.
Tiger trainer Margarita Nazarova, 1961.
Maxi Niedermaier with trained bears Dagmar, Nico, and Berit on roller skates, 1965.
A sea lion act. Trainer Tamara Sidorkina-Bro, 1960s.
Clown Oleg Popov, 1980s.
Circus, 1980s.
Juggler, 1970–1980s.
Clown Mikhail Rumyantsev, nicknamed Karandash (literally ‘Pencil’), 1976.
Portrait of Yuri Nikulin as a clown, 1980s.
Yuri Nikulin, 1970s.
Ursula Prey with trained chimpanzees, 1950–1960s.
A head of the circus dynasty, Yuri Kuklachev, with his cats, 2000s.
Dmitry Kuklachev on stage, 2000s.
Circus gymnast, 2000s.
The Zapashny Brothers' show ‘Sadko’, 2009.
‘IDOL-2024’ Show, 2024.
‘IDOL-2024’ Show, 2024.
‘More Less’ Performance, 2023.
Prince of the Circus, 2024.
These and more than 200 other photos can be seen at the ‘The Circus You Remember’ exhibition, which will be held at the ROSPHOTO State Museum and Exhibition Center in St. Petersburg from March 6 to May 17, 2026.