The exhibition “The Circus You Remember” is a large-scale retrospective bringing together 200 original prints from the collections of the Museum of Circus Arts and the ROSPHOTO State Museum and Exhibition Centre. The exhibition spans a century of history — from classic early 20th-century portraits to contemporary reportage photography. The photographs capture legendary figures of the circus ring, including wrestler Ivan Poddubny, the clown Karandash, Yuri Nikulin, and the Zapashny brothers.


From the ROSPHOTO collection, the exhibition features works by outstanding photographers who documented the circus across different periods of its history, including Arkady Shaikhet, Konstantin Zhdanovsky, Pavel Boyarov, Vladimir Sokolaev, Igor Stomakhin, Elena Blednykh, and other artists.


Неизвестный автор

Борец Иван Поддубный

1907

As early as the second half of the 19th century, photographic portraits of circus performers — acrobats, clowns, dancers, and strongmen, often served as substitutes for visiting cards or as valued souvenirs for audiences. The collection of the Museum of Circus Arts includes not only portraits of renowned Russian stars such as Ivan Poddubny and Georg Lurich, whose fame was truly exceptional, but also international legends, including the Indian animal trainer Togare and the Italian clown trio, the Fratellini brothers.

Photography makes it possible to trace the evolution of the circus genre over time, revealing changes in stage imagery and the increasing complexity of performances. Moreover, circus photography has provided a visual foundation for the design of circus posters and advertising — from avant-garde experiments to documentary approaches and contemporary artistic interpretations.

The exhibition “The Circus You Remember” is a kaleidoscope of emotions familiar to every viewer. Here, clowns bring boundless laughter, magicians ignite the imagination, acrobats inspire awe, and animal trainers captivate with their courage. The exhibition showcases the rich diversity of circus genres, introduces beloved performers of the past, and recalls those unique, unforgettable moments that can only happen under the circus dome.


С.Жиркевич

Портрет Юрия Никулина в образе клоуна

1980-е

Е. Бледных

Спектакль «Больше Меньше»

2023

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01IMG_7843-scr
Неизвестный автор

Клоунесса Ириска (Ирина Асмус) в представлении «С улыбкой доброй»

1981

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02Karandash_02-scr
П. Бояров

Карандаш (Михаил Румянцев)

1976

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01IMG_7912
И. Верницкая

Артур Минасов в иллюзионном аттракционе «Звериный бенефис» программы «Круг чудес»

1993–1994 гг

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_91A3459-scr
Е. Бледных

Шоу Б. «ИДОЛ-2024»

2024

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02_U7A4341-scr
Е. Бледных

Шоу А. «Принцесса цирка»<

2023

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021_U7A7236-scr
Е. Бледных

В созвездии льва

2017

Exhibition Partners: Federal State Enterprise Rosgoscirc and the Museum of Circus Arts, a branch of the Federal State Enterprise Rosgoscirc at the Bolshoi Saint Petersburg