Soviet clowns were considered among the best on the planet. The circus in the Soviet Union was a separate art form that was very popular. Many clowns are still remembered by those who personally caught them at their first performances. We will talk about the most famous of them in this article.

Among the Soviet clowns, one of the most famous is Yuri Nikulin, People's Artist of the USSR, the idol of several generations of Soviet lovers of humor and laughter. He was born back in the Smolensk province in 1921. His parents were artists, so the fate of Yuri was 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 caught pneumonia, spent a long time in the hospital, after being discharged, he 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, not having found acting abilities in him. Therefore, Nikulin went to the clowning studio school, which worked at the capital's circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. It became his home for several decades.

In 1948, the famous Soviet clown made his debut in a pair with Boris Romanov in a performance called "The Model and the Hackster", which immediately captivated the audience. For some time he worked as an assistant at the Pencil. He met Mikhail Shuidin, with whom he went on tour throughout the country to gain experience in the circus.

Nikulin worked with Pencil for two and a half years, after which he left with Shuydin due to a conflict. Having started performing on their own, they made up 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 on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.

At the same time, he made a brilliant career in the cinema in parallel, playing in the popular comedies "Operation" Y "and other adventures of Shurik", "Prisoner of the Caucasus", "Diamond Arm".

He stopped performing in the circus only when he was 60 years old. In 1981, he officially retired from 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, the opening of which took place in 1989.

Yuri Nikulin was popular not only in big cinema, but also on domestic television. In the 90s, his program was released under the name "White Parrot". She brought together famous and honored artists who told their favorite anecdotes and funny stories from their own careers. The signature jokes were always those that Yuri Nikulin himself poisoned.

Nikulin died in 1997 at the age of 76 after complications from heart surgery.

Mikhail Shuidin

Mikhail Shuidin is a clown from the Soviet comedy trio. He performed with Nikulin and Pencil, not at all lost against the background of famous stage colleagues. Shuydin 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 participated in the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, distinguished himself in battles in Ukraine, receiving the Order of the Red Star. He was even assigned to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, which was then replaced by command with the Order of the Red Banner.

Immediately after the war he entered the school of circus art. Together with Nikulin, he worked as an assistant at the Pencil. His debut was successful, when the famous Soviet clown portrayed an important director, being himself full and small in stature. His appearance invariably caused laughter in the hall.

After leaving Pencil 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 shirt-guy who knows and knows everything, unlike Nikulin, who played a melancholy clumsy. These Soviet clowns built their joint work on the contradiction of characters.

Interestingly, 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 acting classes, and then to the school of circus art, studying with Mark Mestechkin, the chief director of the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.

In 1928, he begins to appear in public in the image of the then legendary Charlie Chaplin. After graduating from the school of circus art, he works in Kazan, Smolensk and Stalingrad. In 1932, one of the most famous Soviet clowns in the future, 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, determines the costume and program of the performance.

In 1936, he moved to Moscow, where he took in his companions a small Scottish terrier named Klyaksa, so the career of the Soviet clown Pencil began. The metropolitan audience was delighted with the new artist.

A unique feature of the Pencil was political jokes. For example, during the Brezhnev stagnation, he went on stage with a large shopping bag stuffed with dummies of scarce products: red caviar, pineapples, raw smoked sausage. Once on stage, he froze in front of the audience in silence. The audience waited impatiently for what the clown would say. After some time, he loudly announced: "I am silent because I have everything. And why are you ?!" At the same time, Rumyantsev himself noted that his stage character never allowed himself anything extra.

Throughout his career, he performed not only solo, but was also a clown from the Soviet comedy trio, along with Nikulin and Shuydinov. His fame was such that it was believed that by his appearance on stage he was able to save any performance. A full house was guaranteed. The Soviet clown, whose photo can be found in this article, was very conscientious about his work, he always demanded full dedication from all assistants, uniformists, and illuminators.

He worked in the circus for almost his entire adult life, as much as 55 years. The last time he appeared on stage was just two weeks before his death. In March 1983 he died. 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 an equilibrist, speaking 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 guidance of the legendary Pencil in the early 50s.

The Soviet clown Popov created the famous image of the Solar Clown. It was a young guy with a bright mop of straw hair, who did not lose heart in any situations, who appeared on stage in a plaid 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 entre, which he staged by means of classical buffoonery and eccentricity. Among his most famous numbers are "Whistle", "Cook", "Ray".

Domestic viewers immediately remembered the name of the famous Soviet clown in a plaid cap. He performed not only on stage, he often appeared in television programs, for example, in the children's morning program "Alarm Clock", often acted in films, usually in cameos, staged circus performances as a director.

The artist often went on tour in Western Europe, as a result they 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, 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 in the Sochi circus as part of the circus festival "Master".

In 2016, the already Russian clown Popov was scheduled to tour Russia. His performances were sold out 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, planned to go fishing, to the local river Manych to catch perches. In the evening he watched TV in the hotel room. At about 23.20 he became ill, the hotel staff called an ambulance, but the actor could not be saved. As it became known, he fell asleep in his hotel room in a deep armchair and never woke up again.

By the decision of his wife and daughter, he was buried in the German Eglofstein, where his family lives. Moreover, according to the will of the artist, he was put in a coffin in a clown costume.

Asisyay

Remembering the famous Soviet clowns, photos of which can be found in this article, it is imperative to talk about Vyacheslav Polunin, better known by his stage name Asisyai.

This folk was born in the Orel region in 1950. He received his higher education at the Institute of Culture in Leningrad, then graduated from the pop department at GITIS. It was the Soviet clown Asisyai, famous throughout the country, an actor-mime, author and director of clown numbers, masks, reprises and performances.

It was he who became the founders of the famous who successfully performed throughout the country. At the peak of popularity, "Litsedei" came out in the 80s. Asisyai was the main character of this theatre. The most popular were the numbers "Asisyai", "Sad Canary", "Nizzya".

Since 1989, Polunin initiated a caravan of wandering comedians in Moscow, which, speaking from Moscow, traveled all over Europe with performances, uniting many stage venues in different countries into a single theatrical space. Since 1989, the Caravan of the World festival has been held annually.

It is noteworthy that since 1988 Polunin has been living and working mainly 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, this is a special perception of reality, within which the clown heals the souls of the audience.

The 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 circus-menagerie Winkler in Moscow. He began his artistic career as a strongman, then tried the role of an illusionist, onomatopoeia, clown, coupletist. From 1887 he began to specialize exclusively as a satirist and clown trainer.

The training of animals was entirely built on the principle of feeding, developing conditioned reflexes in them with the help of encouragement, for each successfully completed 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, involving famous psychiatrists and psychologists, such as Pavlov and Bekhterev. To start making money, he opened a living corner right in his house, which eventually became known as Durov's Corner. "In it, he gave paid performances along with animals. For example, he came up with a unique famous number called" Mouse Railway ".

This work was suspended by the October Revolution and the devastation that followed. Again the doors of "Durov's Corner" were opened in 1919, but not as a private, but as a state theater. 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 repeatedly reprinted 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 headed 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 should definitely remember about Leonid Yengibarov. who almost all his career acted as a "sad clown".

He was born in Moscow in 1935. At the age of 20, he entered the circus school at the clowning department. Since 1959, he began performing at the arena of the Novosibirsk Circus. Then he appeared on the stage of the circuses in Tbilisi, Kharkov, Minsk, Voronezh. Gathering full houses in the Soviet Union, he went on a tour abroad to Poland, where he was also waiting for success.

In 1962, Yengibarov was awarded a medal in Leningrad for the best number, where he met Roland Bykov and Marcel Marceau. These meetings played an important role in his career, with Bykov they remained friends until the end of their lives.

In 1963, Yengibarov also became known as a film actor. He starred in Levon Isahakyan and Henrikh Malyan's comedy "The Way to the Arena" - starring 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, Yengibarov appears in Sergei Parajanov's classic historical melodrama Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. He plays the role of a dumb 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 are also published there for the first time, it turns out that Yengibarov is also a talented writer. In Prague, his daughter Barbara is born, her mother is a Czech journalist and artist, whose name is Yarmila Galamkova.

In 1966, a documentary film dedicated to the artist, "Leonid Yengibarov, meet me!", was released on Soviet screens.

By the end of the 70s, he was touring the entire Soviet Union, most of all he was appreciated by the audience in Kyiv, Odessa, Leningrad and Yerevan. In 1971, Yengibarov, in collaboration with his colleague Belov, released a performance called "Star Rain". It is shown in the capital's variety theater. After Yengibarov leaves the circus to establish his own theater with solo performances filled with clowns, reprises and various tricks. This is how the production of "Clown's Whims" appears.

A book of short stories by Yengibarov "First Round" is being published in Yerevan. At the same time, he starred with Tengiz Abuladze in the 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, playing 210 performances in 240 days.

Yengibarov's bright career ended abruptly and tragically. In the summer of 1972 he comes to Moscow on vacation. Starts working on a new play. July was incredibly hot and dry that year. In addition, peat swamps are burning near Moscow, on some days in the capital the smog was such that a person cannot be seen from a distance of several meters.

On July 24, Yengibarov returns home after a concert in He feels unwell due to a sore throat that he carries 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 yet risen.

By evening, he becomes ill, he asks to call an ambulance for him. When the doctors arrive, the artist gets better, he even begins to compliment the nurse. But two hours later, his condition deteriorates again. Mother again calls an ambulance. Yengibarov asks for a glass of cold champagne, which constricts his blood vessels, and 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 the doctors, the cause was a blood clot, which was formed due to the fact that the son returned already sick from the tour and rehearsed performances with a sore throat. At the time of his death, Yengibarov was only 37 years old. He was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery.

Many took 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 taken to the circus school for seven years in a row.

Finally, in 1963, he entered a vocational school as a printer, but did not despair in his place. Working in the printing house "Young Guard", in the evenings he is engaged in the folk circus at the Palace of Culture "Red October". In 1967 he became a laureate of an amateur art competition.

At the final concert of the competition, circus performers on Tsvetnoy Boulevard notice him, 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 a simple-minded, but at the same time a little sly buffoon from the people in a stylized Russian shirt. Initially works under the pseudonym Vasilek.

In search of his own zest, Kuklachev decided in the mid-70s that a cat should appear in his performances. It is believed that they are difficult to train, but Kuklachev manages to work successfully with them. Over time, the troupe of animals began to replenish with new tailed artists, this made it possible to make several numbers 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 performer received at his disposal the building of the former theater "Call", located on Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Soon, at its base, he opens one of the first private theaters in the country, which eventually gets the name "Kuklachev's Cat Theater". It turns out that this is the first cat theater in the world, immediately it becomes known far beyond the borders of Russia.

In 2005, the theater received the status of a state theater, and in addition to cats, dogs appear in reprisals.

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.

The first fame came to her in 1999, when she appeared as part of the Masks comedy troupe, which produced popular television shows based on clowning, pantomime and eccentricity. The artists were distinguished by the fact that they worked in the silent film genre. All projects were conceived and implemented by the artistic director Georgy Deliev, who himself was one of the artists of the comedian troupe.

In the 90s, the famous television series "Masks Show" appeared on the screens; in total, five seasons were filmed, which number almost two hundred episodes.

After that, Evelina Bledans gained fame as a television and film actress.

The clown has become 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, you can always see it on the project's intro.

The Soviet cartoon about the clown "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 buffoonery, which tells the story of an old clown who devoted many years to work in the circus. In his lifetime, he has seen a lot, it is already difficult to surprise him with something. But this succeeds the magic cat, which is able to turn into all sorts of objects.

This 10-minute cartoon shows the tense and irreconcilable struggle between the characters, each of which has a strong and intractable character. On the one hand, there is an elderly clown, and on the other, a cocky, naive and at times frankly rude cat. This unusual work ends very unexpectedly: the cat at the very end turns into a boy.

There were two clowns in my childhood.
The last one died yesterday.

For me, Popov and Nikulin were perceived as one person: the Clown. And only many years later I learned that there was no talk of any friendship between them.
There was an open hostility.
Their relationship resembled a swing like "airplane - steamboat", when one soars up, then the other.

Photo taken from the site 1001.ru
First, Popov was at the top. He came to assist the clown Pencil, when Nikulin and Shuidin left the latter's team with a scandal.
Popov didn't stay long at the Pencil either. He created the original mask of a clown - red-haired, in a checkered cap, unusually kind and plastic. Popov was released abroad and it began! The Queen of England herself gave him the nickname "Sunny Clown". Popov became the face of the Soviet circus in Europe.
At the same time, he was ten years younger than Nikulin, who at the time of Popov's worldwide fame had not yet found his mask.
Then a conflict arose.
The clowns didn't "divide the property".

Here is what the son of Nikulin said:

“Father and Shuidin at the dawn of their career went on tour to Leningrad. The day after their performance, the newspaper wrote: “The young clowns Yuri Nikulin and Mikhail Shuidin showed themselves interestingly, it’s only a pity that they completely repeated the repertoire of Oleg Popov.” Oleg Konstantinovich toured in Leningrad the day before, and, of course, the audience had the opportunity to compare. Father and Shuidin, having arrived in Moscow, immediately went to the circus authorities: “How is it, we were the first to come up with reprises, and they write nasty things about us ?! what should we do?!”, and the authorities answered: “Well, beat Popov’s face!”

Popov made counter-accusations. Allegedly, it was Nikulin who used his reprises. Including, which has become the hallmark of Popov, "Ray of Light".

Nikulin's wife answered this accusation. Some kind of fucking family contract.

“When Popov says that “Nikulin used his reprises,” this is not true. There was such an author - Mikhail Tatarsky. He published a collection of reprises invented by him, I note, not intended for any of the clowns specifically, including the reprise “Ray of Light”, which later became famous, which was staged by Oleg, Yura and Shuydin. But if Oleg Popov in the end took this ray for himself and took it away, then Nikulin and Shuidin’s reprise ended with the words: “And this is for you!” A beam of light was thrown into the hall, and light flashed in the hall. So it took on a completely different sound."

The situation gradually changed. Nikulin opened the cinema. After the role of the Dunce, he became a fetish, a brand, the emblem of this country.
It was the image of the Dunce that made the final adjustments to Nikulin's clown mask.
The spectator went to the circus for him.

Now they were in an equal weight category. But each had a plus, which the other was deprived.
Popov could only dream of the roles that Nikulin got in the movies. Nikulin went beyond the circus, taking place as a dramatic artist. He starred in Tarkovsky, Herman, Rolan Bykov.
Popov tried to turn this “plus” into a “minus”.

“Nikulin gained popularity only thanks to the cinema. I'm not saying it's bad. Everything he has done in cinema is wonderful. But he's not as circus as I am. I didn’t walk on the wire, I didn’t juggle, I didn’t stand on my hands, I didn’t jump ... Only la-la-la and jokes ”

Popov did not leave the circus, but he had worldwide fame. Streets are named after him in Munich and Brussels. Popov is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular clown on the planet.
Nikulin performed abroad without much success.
He tried to turn this “plus” of Popov into a “minus”.

“Oleg Popov is a phenomenon in the circus of the West. There is a stagnation in clowning: elderly clowns in grandfather's costumes, and he showed a new clown "

As you wish, and the first phrase is the key here. Or prophetic.
"Oleg Popov is a phenomenon in the circus of the West"
What should the phenomenon of the West do in Russia?

Nikulin was at the top when he was appointed director of the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. Popov was at the disposal of a longtime ill-wisher. It didn't take long to show up.

According to Popov Nikulin "...did not let me near the Moscow circus for a cannon shot ... I say: "I definitely need to appear in public in Moscow." And they “exile” me for five years to Siberian circuses.

The final point in the relationship and the show of "who is who" was put by the anniversary of Popov. The anniversary fell at the time of "resetting" all achievements. Only money, an administrative resource, began to have value. The director of the circus had both. He did not allow the world famous colleague to celebrate in "his" premises.

“I wanted to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Nikulin did not allow it, referring to the collapsed ceiling. But the ceiling collapsed at the box office, what does the arena have to do with it! ”, - Popov said in his hearts.

In fairness, it should be noted that, among others, Nikulin also congratulated Popov on his anniversary. It happened in the Great Moscow Circus. Nikulin came out in the company of Vitsin and Morgunov with a slogan: “Be healthy, Oleg Popov!”.

Shortly after the anniversary, the clown emigrated.

Nikulin died in 1997, leaving the post of director of the circus to his son.
What offended Popov again:

“Couldn't I be the director of the circus on Tsvetnoy? Well, okay - there was Nikulin, but why is his son the director after him? He has nothing to do with the circus! Of those living today, I have the longest work experience at the arena - 57 years.

The final point of this dispute has been put.
All that was left was the memory of the holiday.
Nothing else matters.
I will revise, perhaps, today “The Sun in a String Bag”, the body is a firework representing Oleg Popov.
Haven't seen in over 30 years...

The kindest clown: Yuri Nikulin and others ... Fedor Razzakov

Solar clown (Oleg Popov)

Solar clown (Oleg Popov)

O. Popov was born on July 31, 1930 in the village of Vyrubovo, Moscow Region (now it is the urban settlement of Odintsovo in the Odintsovo district). Soon the family moved to Moscow, to a communal apartment near the Dynamo stadium. Here the father of the future clown got a job at the Second Watch Factory. According to O. Popov:

“My childhood was very difficult. I remember most of all how my mother and I met my father on the day of pay. You will meet, his mother will take away his salary, and he drank away the stash. I still remember how my father gave me a balloon, I walked with him along Leningradsky Prospekt and was the happiest person in the world ...

Then the war, they wanted to evacuate. Hungry, cold. All the time in my childhood I thought: “If only I didn’t die of hunger.” A neighbor made soap, and I sold it at Saltykovka. Then I had such a dream: the war will end, and my mother and I will drink tea with sugar, eat white mustard bread with butter ...

What do I remember the most? First of all, mom. She had such a difficult life, not to convey. I remember I eat porridge, and she looks at me and cries. I later found out why. Mom was also hungry, but she gave her porridge to me ... "

And what about the father of the future clown, the reader will ask? The fact is that at the very beginning of the war, Konstantin Popov was arrested and convicted of marriage (he died in prison). Oleg's mother immediately remarried and changed her last name. However, the family still lived poorly - there was barely enough money. However, if it were otherwise, the hero of our story would never have become a circus performer and, therefore, would not have become a great clown. And the following happened.

In 1943, Popov entered the Pravda printing plant as an apprentice locksmith and repaired flatbed printing machines. And in the evenings he did acrobatics in the Wings of the Soviets sports society. Students of the circus school, with whom Popov became friends, came to study there. They told him that they were given bread cards, according to which they were entitled to 650 grams of bread. And Popov at his school received a hundred less - 550 grams. It was this very weave that determined his fate - he left the locksmith (although they did not want to let him go) and entered the circus school. Moreover, he did not say anything to his mother, and she remained in the dark ... for a whole year.

Popov studied as an eccentric on a wire. He graduated from the school in 1950 and at the same time he came up with his first independent number. But its director was Sergei Dmitrievich Morozov, who was a prisoner during the war and has since been considered unreliable. As a result, at the exams, Popov was reminded of this and called his number ideologically harmful - cosmopolitan (at that time there was a struggle against cringing before the West). Popov really shone the prospect of being left without a diploma. But he found a way. He wrote a letter to Komsomolskaya Pravda, where he complained about the unfair treatment of himself by the teaching staff. And the newspaper took the young artist under its protection. In short, he was given a diploma, however, he had to redo the ill-fated number. After that, he was sent away from Moscow - to the Tbilisi Circus.

O. Popov recalls: “The director of the circus in Tbilisi was the People's Artist of the USSR Kavsadze, a former opera house singer, who was successfully rejected by this graduation number of mine. What to do? I had to show the old version - "cosmopolitan". “Here it is,” he says, “and you will work.” I told him: “So the commission at the school banned him.” - "Come on! Moscow is far away, maybe it will slip through!

Popov worked in Tbilisi for exactly a year, although he secretly dreamed of returning to Moscow and going to work in the main circus of the country - in the Old one, on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, 12. And his dream came true.

In 1951, the famous clown Mikhail Rumyantsev (Pencil) broke up with two of his young assistants: Yuri Nikulin and Mikhail Shuydin. He did not have a good relationship with the latter, and Nikulin left the master in solidarity with his colleague. As Nikulin himself writes in his memoirs:

“Leaving the Pencil, I experienced our breakup. In my heart I felt sorry for Pencil ... And we needed to feel sorry for ourselves, because Pencil quickly found new good partners for himself, began to work with them, and Misha and I found ourselves in an unenviable position ... "

One of these "good partners" was destined to become Oleg Popov. In his own words:

“The pencil liked my number - I acted as a tight-rope tight-rope equilibrist (at the Youth Festival), and he took me to his troupe. And then he invited me to participate in his reprises. When he got a vacation, I was sent on a tour to Saratov. It so happened that the clown of the Saratov circus, Brovkin, broke his rib, and the management, knowing that I worked with Pencil himself, offered me to replace him. And for twenty days I worked as a solo carpet clown…”

Note that clowns usually work under pseudonyms. Our hero also had it, and not one. At first he was Chizhik, then he became Zapozdalkin (in the rooms he was “late” all the time). Finally, from the second half of the 50s, he became just ... Oleg Popov. Under this name, the whole world recognized him. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Work with the Pencil lasted several months, after which Popov ended up in the Youth Team. In those same years, his personal life also changed - he got married.

His chosen one was called Alexandra, and although she had nothing to do with the circus, she belonged to the world of art - she graduated from a music school in the violin class. The most interesting thing is that at the time of her acquaintance with Popov, she was the bride of another circus artist. One day (it was in 1952) she came to the circus to her boyfriend and sat in his dressing room. Popov was also there. Seeing a beautiful girl, the clown turned to his colleague: “At least you bought her ice cream!” To which the guy replied: "Go and buy it yourself." Popov did just that - he ran out into the street and presented the girl with a popsicle. That struck her to the very heart. Since then, they started dating. Then they got married, and their daughter Olga was born.

Meanwhile, Stalin died in March 1953. This event caught Popov on tour in Tbilisi. According to the artist:

“The circus was immediately closed. We don't work for a week or two. Then they were allowed to show only sports numbers, without clowning. What laughter, when such mourning?! A month later, I received an order: to go to the Baku Circus. I arrive, the director says: "Oleg, sit down and don't chirp." I'm sitting for another month. Finally, the mourning is over, the director calls: “Let's take a chance today, but only, I ask you, quietly, without pressure. And without humor…” When I went out into the arena, there was such an ovation, which I had not heard for a long time, which I missed so much. And although I really tried to “not press”, it was my best performance! ..”

Popov's personality became known to the general public in the same 1953, when a film about the circus "Arena of the Bold" directed by Yuri Ozerov (the one who would later shoot the epic film "Liberation") was released on the screens of the country. In it, Popov played his first film role - himself. Note that he starred in a cap, which a little later will become famous throughout the world (black and white checkers will be drawn on it). He found her by chance in the dressing room of Mosfilm, and since then she has become his talisman.

Real fame came to Popov in 1956, and at first it happened abroad. I. Kio says:

“Toward the mid-fifties, the Iron Curtain parted - and the Moscow Circus gathered for a very important tour to England, France and Belgium. Konstantin Berman was supposed to ride carpeted. But Berman was going to go with his wife, but they didn’t want to take her abroad (then there was a rule according to which non-working family members of artists were not allowed to go abroad. - F. R.). If I don’t confuse anything, Konstantin Alexandrovich, as an exemplary husband, was too indignant at the injustice of the decision taken by the authorities ... And at the last moment they decided to send a young graduate of the circus school Oleg Popov instead of him, who, in general, was not false. True, I prepared a couple of reprises. And he graduated from college as a juggler-equilibrist on a free wire. More experienced clowns, Mozyl and Savich, were also sent with Popov (they had been performing together since 1954. – F. R.). But on their return from a three-month trip, no one remembered.

And Oleg returned as a world-famous star.

The world has recognized a completely new clown, unlike anyone else in the West.

The Belgian queen, who liked Oleg the most in the program, arranged a reception in the Royal Palace in honor of the Moscow circus troupe. Soviet artists had just begun to travel abroad, they were squeezed, they did not know how to behave at such a table. When, at the end of the evening, saucers of lemon water were served to wash hands after greasy food, Popov, not knowing the purpose of these saucers, drank water from his. This seemed to the Belgian queen the funniest joke in her life. And here she said: "No, this is something breathtaking - this is a solar clown." And the word-title stuck to Oleg Konstantinovich forever ... "

The glory of Popov, which fell upon him first in the West, and then in his homeland, was associated not only with personal reasons - his undoubted talent, but also with political reasons. Recall that the mid-1950s was the time of the so-called Khrushchev "thaw" - democratic reforms that began in the country after Stalin's death (although, in fairness, it should be noted that the late leader prepared them, but did not manage to implement them due to his death). The Soviet Union opened the "Iron Curtain", which caused a new surge of interest in itself abroad. The word "Russia" in those years became one of the most popular in the world. Against this background, the clown, who with his appearance carried the Russian beginning, simply could not help but attract the attention of the foreign public. By chance, Oleg Popov was destined to become this clown. As the same I. Kio wrote:

“Unlike Pencil and Musin, Oleg Popov did not take anything from Chaplin's appearance. It was first of all a Russian clown, a kind of Ivanushka with long white hair. By the way, the hair is real - he began to work in a wig later.

Anel Alekseevna Sudakevich (chief artist of the Moscow circus in 1950-1957. - F. R.) came up with a great suit for him: a velvet jacket, striped trousers - and a cap (the same one with black and white checkers. - F. R.), about which it is time to write a book ... I really liked Oleg Popov's advertising poster - just a fragment of his checkered cap. Passers-by from afar mistook the poster for a taxi rank indicator ... "

That is why it was Oleg Popov who became the brand of the Soviet circus abroad for a long time. For example, Yuri Nikulin did not become such a brand, and could not become: his image - a bully and a dunce - was rather for internal use. And Oleg Popov, with his checkered cap, mop of white hair and potato nose, came in handy in order to become a symbol of the Soviet circus outside his native Fatherland. A little later, the artist will be included in the Guinness Book of Records, where the following will be written: "For great popularity both in the West and in the East."

Throughout the second half of the 50s, Popov developed his fame, winning one award after another. So, in 1956, he became a laureate of the 1st International Festival of Circus Arts in Warsaw, and in the summer of the following year, during the World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow, he won the laureate title at an art show held as part of the festival. Finally, in 1958, Popov was awarded the Oscar of the Royal Circus of Belgium in Brussels. Let's take a look at the circus encyclopedia:

“The stage image of Popov is a cheerful, humorous young guy, modern, but bearing the features of the popular hero of Russian folk tales Ivanushka the Fool and a jack of all trades, a craftsman Lefty (from the work of the same name by N. S. Leskov). The artist solves this image mainly by means of buffoonery and eccentrics. Popov is a universal artist (introduces elements of various circus genres - acrobatics, tightrope walking, juggling, musical eccentrics, pantomime, parody, etc.), subordinating tricks to the figurative solution of a performance that is distinguished by integrity and vivid emotionality. Popov refuses clown cliches, looking for logic, the truth of character. He performs with almost no makeup; on a wig of blond hair, a wide cap in black and white checks, a black velvet jacket, tight striped trousers, a white shirt with a bow instead of a tie, narrow-toed boots, bright socks.

Popov's repertoire includes comic and satirical entres on topical everyday and socio-political topics, pantomimic scenes and scenes with text, parodies of the numbers performed in the program, lyrical miniatures, etc.

In the 60s, Oleg Popov was already a recognized world star, one of the symbols of Soviet art, which conquered the whole world in those years. The artist literally did not "get out" from abroad - world tours followed one after another. For example, in October 1962 (at the time of the "Caribbean Crisis") he was on tour in Cuba, and in November 1963 (when US President D. Kennedy was assassinated) in America.

In those very years (in 1961), one of his most famous reprises, “Ray”, was born. Her story was simple, but very poetic. On the darkened arena, on which there was a circle of light from a searchlight in the middle, Popov came out with a shopping bag. He sat down in the light circle, took out a bottle of milk from the string bag and began the meal. At this time, the beam moved in the other direction. The clown collected the tablecloth and sat down again in the circle of light. But the beam again ran away from him. Then Popov "caught" him and moved him to his tablecloth. As a result, he finished the meal and left the arena. But halfway he returned to the circle of light and "collected" it with his palms. After that, he moved it to his string bag (after that it began to glow) and carried away the beam from the arena. This subtle and lyrical reprise has become a classic of the genre.

In 1964, Popov toured Italy, where he was destined to meet Charlie Chaplin himself. In the words of the clown:

“We learned that Chaplin was vacationing in Venice and decided to invite him to the performance. Chaplin came out to us in a white suit. We did not know English, he is Russian, but we talked for half an hour. I don’t know what, but we (and there were four of us) just died with laughter! .. "

About another tour incident that happened to him in Japan in 1966, Popov tells the following:

“We were very friends with Volzhansky (Vladimir Volzhansky is a famous acrobat from the Volzhansky dynasty. - F. R.). The craftsman was rare, left-handed. To this day, the lifting and lowering equipment in the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, which he made, has been successfully used and will still be used for at least a hundred years ...

We walked the streets with him, we wanted to buy a fashionable jacket, in such now rockers on motorcycles are chasing, with a large zipper. We go into the store, we show with signs: we need a jacket, whack-whack, a large zipper! The Japanese seller has hatched, he does not understand a belmes. We again: on the stomach - whack-whack, up and down. Finally, it seemed to come, grabbed the scooter and drove off. In half an hour he arrives, a smile from ear to ear. He holds out a box. We, joyful, open, and there is a knife for ... hara-kiri ... "

But what memories did I. Kio leave about the same Japanese tour:

“Those of our tours are endless receptions, officialdom, at first glance, excessive. Banquets for five hundred, eight hundred or more people. The speeches of officials, what the hell ... The Japanese are extremely neat people, protocol punctual. The ritual is as follows: the floor is given to the director, then to the leading artists. I said something, then Popov speaks. He says some appropriate words. And one of the journalists asked Oleg: “Mr. Popov, did something funny happen to you in Japan? You are a “solar clown”, but something funny for the three days that you have been here ... ”-“ Funny? It was. Yesterday, can you imagine, I bought some chewing gum. He chewed his gum and suddenly swallowed it. Well, I guess nothing. But today I went ... sat on the toilet, and after this yesterday’s story, they couldn’t tear me off the toilet for three hours. ” Well, from European positions - a joke, albeit a dubious one. The Japanese, however, reacted to it in their own way: they regarded what was said as a huge nuisance that happened to Mr. Popov ... "

Since we have already remembered the memoirs of I. Kio, we will cite from them a few more memories of the hero of our story:

“Oleg Popov is an amazing person, in my opinion. On the one hand, he is wise, as only an intelligent man from the earth can be, on the other, he is a man, I venture to say, not of the highest culture. And truly wise and good thoughts overflow from him with anecdotal blunders ...

Oleg Popov was created for his profession - look at him without makeup: a large nose, huge blue expressive eyes ... True, he was recognized as a genius very early - and, perhaps, he believed it too much, which was dangerous for an artist. Since the sixties, he began to work somewhat “through the lip”, to give himself to the public, inevitably losing humor. Both charm and a radiant eye became on duty.

When Popov, during the filming of the film about Oleg, was introduced to Innokenty Smoktunovsky, the clown, with the ingenuously fearful smile of a child, asked: “Are you not important?” At the same time, Oleg Konstantinovich himself knows how to be very, very important. And, like no one else, he distanced himself from ordinary colleagues. For example, he considered it natural when he was addressed as “you”, and he himself, regardless of age and face, poked everyone.

But Oleg is a smart person. And if he wants, he can be self-critical ...

Oleg is a craftsman by nature. Everything is done by hand. You can’t say about Yura Nikulin that he is a fan - he always had a charming (like a lot in this popularly beloved artist) laziness. And Oleg Popov has nothing but a circus. He does not leave the circus all day - he makes something, invents. The people who work with him are tormented without rest, like workers at a factory: at nine they must come to work, pick up chisels and saw, plan, build with him. But together with Popov they traveled the whole world. Oleg Popov is the most famous Russian circus performer in the whole world…”

In 1969, O. Popov was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR (together with Pencil, with whom they were considered competitors in the clown business).

Personally, I well remember Oleg Popov in the 70s, which fell on my cloudless childhood. In those years, Popov continued to shine in the circus arena, and even actively acted in films and on television. It was on the latter that he created the image of a cheerful grandson, who gives a lot of trouble to his grandmother, in the popular children's program "Alarm Clock" (this was in the first half of the 70s). As far as cinema is concerned, in that decade Popov starred in eight films at once (more than in any other decade). These were: "Two Smiles", "Half an Hour for Miracles", "The Adventures of the Yellow Suitcase" (all - 1970), "Carnival" (1972), "Cheerful Dream, or Laughter and Tears" (1976), "Blue Bird" ( USSR - USA), "Mother" (USSR - Romania - France) (both - 1977), "The Sun in a String Bag" (1979).

In addition, in the 70s, Popov began to perform in the circus and as a director, putting on a number of programs. True, he did this not in his own circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, but in the New - on the Lenin Hills, on Vernadsky Avenue. The programs were called: “Today at the Circus Festival” (1973; international program), “The Tale of the Priest and His Worker Balda” by A. Pushkin (1975).

Popov's popularity was well paid for by the state. He lived in a beautiful separate apartment, received decent money by Soviet standards for his performances. He preferred to travel in foreign cars, and he preferred the German Volkswagen car (he only had two of them). Of the Soviet cars in his garage, there was a Moskvich, which, however, was stolen ... on the second day after the purchase.

In August 1981, Popov was awarded another prestigious award. At the Monte Carlo Circus Festival in 1981, he was awarded the Golden Clown Award. True, it was not without a “fly in the ointment”. Here is how the clown himself recalls it:

“On the day when we were awarded the award, martial law was introduced in Poland, and the Soviet troops were put on alert. But we didn't know anything! They took us to Nice, gave us some money for souvenirs, and promised to send us a bus. We wait an hour, two, three - there is no bus. And for us to perform ... How we got there is indescribable. And when we entered the hall, the organizers had balloons on their foreheads: where did they come from? Further - worse. I go out with my number: the phonogram is not turned on, the orchestra, in which almost only Poles worked, plays different music, the illuminator illuminates the walls instead of me. And then ... The public is the public, it feels everything; You should have seen how she supported me with her applause. In the evening I receive my "Golden Clown", and then how it rolls! I sobbed, sobbed, sobbed ... "

As the future will show, this will be Popov's last significant award during the existence of the USSR. Exactly ten years later, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the artist (like millions of his compatriots) began a different life. However, he felt its beginning a year before the collapse - in 1990. It was then that his first wife Alexandra died of cancer. Soon Popov went on tour to Germany, where fate sent him a meeting with a woman who would soon become his second wife. It was a German woman named Gaby Lehmann. Here is how she herself recalls it:

“I met Oleg at the circus. And it was like that. My sister visited Oleg's performance in Austria and advised me to go to see it. For this purpose, I specially went from Nuremberg to Austria. There was a full house at the performance, and there was not enough space for me. Oleg noticed me from the arena and ordered to bring a chair. After the performance, I went backstage to thank him and get an autograph. And he asked me for a phone number! .. "

The most interesting thing, but Popov soon lost this piece of paper with a phone number. I began to look for her everywhere, rummaged through all my things and eventually found her. Then he began to think: to call or not to call? Firstly, more than a month has passed since they met, and secondly, they were separated by an age difference of 30 years. But he called anyway. "Will you come to the play again sometime?" he asked her. And Gabi answered with enthusiasm in her voice: “Yes, yes, I want to come again!” This answer decided everything - Popov realized that she was interested in him.

It so happened that the then Argentinean impresario simply framed Popov and his troupe: during the tour in 1991, he did not pay money and disappeared in an unknown direction. And the troupe was already in Germany. What to do? And then Gabi arrived and took Popov to her place along with his props. A year later, Popov finally moved to Germany and married Gaby. According to her:

“It was not an easy decision for me. First, I married a man thirty years older than me. Secondly, he is a foreigner, Russian, and in addition, I myself became a circus performer. My family took all this, to put it mildly, with bewilderment. But then everything gradually settled down ... "

Note that the decision to leave his homeland and move to live in Germany was not too difficult for Popov. Why? For several reasons at once. Firstly, the country had already changed by that time and was a sad sight. Even on the eve of the collapse of the USSR (in the late 80s), the once great Soviet art began to disintegrate: cinema, stage, circus. The era of denigration of the Soviet past began, when millions of people succumbed to the confusion of foreigners and everything Soviet was written down. Such anti-patriotism, which arose in the USSR at the end of perestroika, has not been experienced by the Russian land for a long time. Under these conditions, it was especially difficult for artists such as Oleg Popov, who for many years were symbols not only of the USSR, but of all Russians. It seems that if, for example, another Soviet man-symbol, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, was alive at that time, then he would also be mixed with mud by perestroika liberal anti-patriots.

On the anti-patriotic wave of perestroika, a completely different spectator was formed, which was strikingly different from the one that existed in the USSR before that. If earlier it was a demanding and intelligent spectator, now it has been replaced by a rather primitive spectator, thoroughly spoiled by Americanism. Under these conditions, it was difficult for artists such as Oleg Popov to continue to carry the old ideals to people, which were trampled under the new conditions. However, this was not only with Popov: Arkady Raikin, for example, fell into exactly the same conditions - in humor; Iosif Kobzon, Valentina Tolkunova, Evgeny Martynov and others - on the song stage, etc.

Popov could have stayed in the USSR only in one case: if he had left the arena as an artist, but, for example, he would have received an administrative position - he headed the Old Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, where he worked for forty years. However, this did not happen. Moreover, in July 1990, when Popov turned 60, he was not even allowed to celebrate his anniversary in his native arena (he had to go to the circus on the Lenin Hills). Popov himself blames his colleague, Yuri Nikulin, for everything, with whom he had long-standing “misunderstandings” due to the dissimilarity of characters. Allegedly, it was Nikulin who did everything possible so that not Popov, but it was he who was appointed director of the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard in 1984. Although it was Popov who became famous before Nikulin, and not only in his homeland, but throughout the world. And he has more various awards than Yuri Vladimirovich.

By the way, Popov himself had no doubt that he would be appointed the director (or artistic director) of the Old Circus. Therefore, I even changed my apartment closer to the circus - I was preparing. But he was "rolled". Moreover, at worst, he was ready to lead not his own circus, but the one on the Lenin Hills (the people called him New), where, as we remember, he staged several programs as a director. But even this he was not allowed to do (although he was allowed to celebrate his 60th birthday). Such was the negative attitude towards Popov in the highest circus circles during the years of Gorbachev's perestroika. And then there's the Yeltsin government with its "shock therapy" destroyed all of Popov's money savings (however, not only him, but almost the entire people), which he had been saving for decades. All this in the end predetermined the desire of the artist to leave his homeland and move to live in Germany. In the small mountain village of Egloffstein near Nuremberg.

Since then, two decades have passed. Popov still lives in Germany with his wife, Gabi, and has never (!) visited his homeland. Moreover, his daughter Olga from her first marriage also moved to him there, who, together with her father, performed for some time in the same circus programs (then they began to do this separately).

The most interesting, but the post-Soviet authorities periodically rendered "signs of attention" to the great clown. So, in 1994, Russian President B. Yeltsin signed a decree on awarding O. Popov with the Order of Friendship of Peoples with the wording: "For services to the people." However, the people to whom the clown once honestly served - the Soviet - actually no longer remained in Russia, and largely thanks to the efforts of the signatory of the decree himself.

In July 2010, Yeltsin's successors drew attention to Popov: Russian President D. Medvedev and Prime Minister V. Putin, who congratulated the artist on his 80th birthday and even awarded him ... with a certificate of honor.

However, Popov is in no hurry to return to his homeland - he feels good in Germany, which, in terms of calmness and confidence in the future, resembles the USSR. Not like today's Russia, which sits like on a volcano. According to O. Popov himself (interview with the weekly Mir Novosti, issue dated August 3, 2010):

“Today's Russia through the eyes of a clown is laughter through tears. It's a shame to see all this! We're kind of cursed, aren't we? Forgotten by God? After all, talented people! .. "

Note that Popov still goes on stage (under the name of Merry Hans): for example, in December of the same 2010 (by the way, in the year of the 60th anniversary of the circus activity of our hero!) he and his wife gave a tour of Germany and Holland. As the journalist of the "World of News" A. Kolobaev wrote:

“Despite his venerable age, Oleg Popov continues to create: he invents reprises, invents props in his own locksmith, rehearses new scenes. Goes to bed after midnight, gets up at six in the morning. When asked if it’s time for the rest he really deserved, he flares up in earnest: “Retirement? To me? The Great Pencil at the age of 82 entered the arena and did such things that the ceiling in the circus almost fell from the laughter of the audience! And I’m only 80!”

In the summer of 2011, several misfortunes fell on Popov at once. First, a dog named Miracle died, with which he entered the arena for 12 years. And then the health of the clown himself failed - he landed in the hospital. On July 18, German doctors performed two operations on him at once, which lasted about four hours. Everything ended successfully. True, whether it will be possible for Popov to enter the arena after this is not yet clear. It is likely that no - they do not joke with age. After all, Oleg Popov is today one of the oldest acting clowns in the world.

This text is an introductory piece.

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Author Ivan Sokolov asked a question in Society, Politics, Media

Why did Oleg Popov leave for Germany? and got the best answer

Answer from Sour[guru]
Because they accepted him as their own! He must have Jewish roots!
Oleg Popov has been living in Germany for 18 years. He is perhaps the only one of the Russian émigré artists who could become a star on a European scale. Although, the 78-year-old artist no longer does his signature numbers: dizzying tricks on a wire, juggling a dinner set for 12 people, etc. . Of the old numbers, the unchanged "sun in a string bag" remained. But, in Germany, everyone knows Popov, the Germans consider him their national treasure. When Popov enters the arena, the auditorium invariably stands up.
Traditionally, in autumn, winter and spring, Popov's circus tours Europe, from April to October the artist rests. And for many, many years in a row, every December 31, on New Year's Eve, Popov performs in Amsterdam. And the inhabitants of the Dutch capital go to watch Popov's circus. This is a Dutch tradition.
In every German city, Oleg Popov is personally met by the burgomaster. In this photo report, Popov met with the burgomaster of the city of Velbert, Mr. Freitag.
In his speech, Freitag said: - We are happy to welcome the man whose photograph graced the cover of Der Spiegel magazine, the man about whom the former chancellor Schröder said: "In my life I met two great artists - Charlie Chaplin and Oleg Popov."
Popov is called "Happy Hans" in Germany. In Russia, they called the Solar Clown. He left in 1991 and since then has never been to Moscow, his homeland. He left when, according to Oleg Konstantinovich, all his savings burned down, and Nikulin survived him from the circus.
One way or another, but Nikulin has been gone for a long time, and Popov is remembered, they write and call him, he is one of the last two living circus performers, People's Artists of the USSR (the second is trainer Mstislav Zapashny).
When asked whether Popov would ever come to Russia, he replied:
- Nobody needs me in Russia, although ... never say "Never".
When talking to someone about Oleg Popov, you usually come across the question: “Is he still alive?” . Alive, today Oleg Popov, the Solar Clown, is 78 years old. He lives in Germany, in a small village, a little north of Nuremberg. He built his own house, is happily married to his wife Gabriella, and does not want to return to Russia at all.

Answer from secret[guru]
it was difficult in Russia, and there a woman helped him with performances, supported him morally. He now lives in a small "village," a little north of Nuremberg. He built his own house, is happily married to his wife Gabriella

... The circus plunges into twilight. The spotlight, like a ray of the sun, breaks through the darkness to the center of the arena and lies on the carpet in a bright circle of light. Oleg Popov approaches him. He warms his hands and face with the warmth of the sun. Smiling blissfully, clearly imagining that he was in a warm clearing, the clown sits down in the middle of a light circle and slowly takes out a loaf of white bread and a bottle of kefir from the basket he brought with him.

Suddenly, a ray of sunlight crawls away, leaving the clown in the dark. Popov follows him and forces him back to his original place. But the solar circle runs away again, not wanting to obey the clown. Then the clown kindly asks the ray to stay in place: he gently strokes the circle of the sun, and he, under the influence of affectionate treatment, allows the clown to return him to where he lay at the beginning. The clown, clasping the beam of light with both hands, gently carries it to the center of the arena and lowers it onto the carpet. And again the clown warms himself and basks in the warmth of a ray, but suddenly the idyllic picture explodes with a sharp trill of a policeman's whistle. Turns out you can't sit here. The clown obediently folds his belongings and heads for the exit, but, recollecting himself, returns and, carefully touching the bright circle, collects it into a small sunbeam, and then hides it in his wicker basket. A light flashed in the basket, and carefully carrying it, Popov slowly left the arena. In the semi-darkness that enveloped the circus, the silhouette of a clown's figure and the sun's glare shimmering in a basket were visible. This scene has always been very popular with the audience.

Nikulin met Oleg Popov at Pencil. They were friends, performed in the same performance: Nikulin and Shuydin led the first part of the carpet, Popov - the second. But suddenly a cold appeared in their relationship, like a cat ran between them. Oleg Popov, in his interviews over the past few decades, spoke rather sharply about Nikulin. He criticized him for the fact that Yuri Vladimirovich was a communist. For the fact that he allegedly undeservedly received the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. For not knowing how to juggle and walk on a wire. For promising to celebrate Popov's anniversary at the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard and not doing so. For the fact that ... all the claims of Oleg Konstantinovich, apparently, cannot be listed, he was very offended by something. Nikulin never spoke badly about Popov. But Yuri Vladimirovich had one trait in character: he was very trusting, trusting recklessly. This happens with people who themselves are extremely honest and who do not tend to plot anything bad against another person. If someone deceived Yuri Vladimirovich, taking advantage of his gullibility, he never raised a scandal, did not sort things out, did not express resentment publicly. He just cut this person out of his life. From an interview with Maxim Yuryevich Nikulin: “I remember I brought him one circus project. He looked and asked: "And what is this one doing here?" "He's involved too." "If he's involved, then I won't." - "Wait, you don't need to drink vodka with him, you don't even need to talk." - "No, no, if he is in this project, I will not be there."

Did Nikulin delete Oleg Popov from his life? Hard to say. In any case, it is known that when, at the dawn of their career, Nikulin and Shuidin went on tour to Leningrad, the day after their performance, the newspaper wrote: “The young clowns Yuri Nikulin and Mikhail Shuidin showed themselves interestingly, it’s only a pity that they completely repeated the repertoire of Oleg Popov. Oleg Konstantinovich toured in Leningrad a little earlier. Returning to Moscow, Nikulin and Shuidin immediately went to Popov: how could it be, we were the first to come up with reprises! Aren't you ashamed to steal? To which Popov replied: “But I don’t care, the main thing is that the public loves me.”

True, the relatives of Yuri Vladimirovich believe that this case was not the reason for the break in his relationship with Oleg Popov. There was a fundamental difference between these two people - in character, in relation to life, in relation to people.

In this sense, the ending of the scene "Ray of Light" is very characteristic. If Oleg Popov at the end of the pantomime collected a ray of the sun in his palm, hid it in his basket and took it somewhere, then Yuri Nikulin and Mikhail Shuydin, who collected the same ray in the same palm, ended the reprise with the words: “And this is for you! » And instantly the clowns threw a beam of light to the audience, and light flashed in the hall. Thus, the scene took on a completely different sound ...

…AND THE MOVIE CONTINUES

At one time (it was during perestroika), director Andrei Konchalovsky, in various interviews that he gave on television and in print, exploited his own maxim with might and main: “Happiness is when you are doing what you love and you are also paid for your work. It turns out that for the pleasure you get from work, you also get money!” For Yuri Nikulin in the 1960s (however, as before and later), everything went exactly like this. He worked in the circus, which he always considered his home, and in the cinema, which was his favorite thing. This combination of the work of a clown and a film artist gave an interesting result: Nikulin was able to achieve the interpenetration of the arts of cinema and circus into each other. Often in the circus, on the arena, he had ideas that he then embodied in the cinema. Conversely, ideas for future circus reprises appeared on the set. In addition, work in the cinema, as it were, revealed, unfolded in Nikulin those numerous facets of human nature, which in a “concise” form were laid down in his circus mask.

One work in the arena would be enough for the name of Yuri Nikulin to go down in the history of our art. But his talent was so multifaceted, he loved to create and had such a taste for life, that all this together constantly pushed the clown Nikulin to look for an outlet for his creative energy in other genres. He painted, he acted in films, he wrote books, he loved to sing - everything was interesting to him and everything was not enough! This rarely happens.

Nikulin especially liked acting in films. He has played in more than forty films, playing both vividly comedic and dramatic, and truly tragic roles. If you follow the line of his life, then in the 1960s he was often invited, but usually in small or even episodic roles: Alexander Mitta called him in 1961 in his thesis “My friend, Kolka!”, And a year later in the picture “ Without fear and reproach”, directed by Elena Skachko - in the film-play “Ivan Rybakov”. There were "Little Fugitive", and "New Girl", and "Seven Old Men and One Girl", but among this abundance of small works there were several that are interesting to talk about, because they were significant in the life of Yuri Vladimirovich. One of such important milestones for the "Nikulin" 1960s was the offer of Leonid Gaidai to work with him again in the picture.

This time Gaidai made a film based on the works of O. Henry. He chose three short stories, combining them into a film called "Business People". Nikulin was offered to play a crook in the novel Soul Mates. Rostislav Plyatt was approved for the role of the owner of the mansion that this crook is robbing. In one of the scenes, the robber and the owner, who have already become friends because of arthritis, sciatica and other diseases, are sitting on a bed in the house that the crook Nikulin had just robbed, and they recall some old joke. According to the role, they had to laugh heartily, but nothing worked. The operator was nervous, Gaidai was angry, threatened that the expenses for spoiled takes would be deducted from their acting fees. All the same, Nikulin and Plyatt couldn’t laugh at all. From the memoirs of Yuri Nikulin: “At this time, the director of the picture entered the pavilion and asked the director:

Well, did they laugh?