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<div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατε!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!</div><br/>
 
<div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατε!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!</div><div style="font-size:165%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!</div><br/>
<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:110%;"> Circopedia was originally created with the support of [http://www.bigapplecircus.com/ Big Apple Circus],<br />and has been inspired and funded by the [http://www.sdrubin.org/ Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation].</div>
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<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:110%;"> Circopedia was originally created with the support of the [http://www.bigapplecircus.com/ Big Apple Circus],<br />and has been inspired and funded by the [http://www.sdrubin.org/ Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation].</div>
 
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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
===MAY WIRTH===[[File:May_Wirth_1920.jpeg|right|400px]]
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===THE KORNILOV DYNASTY===
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[[File:Kornilov_Attraction_(2016).jpeg|400px|right]]
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There never have been many elephant acts in the Soviet and Russian circus. Several members of the Durov family have included one pachyderm or two in their animal presentations and a small number of animal trainers, such as Boris Fedotov, Sarvat Begbudi and Msistlav Zapashny have trained elephants. The Kornilov Dynasty, however, is the exception that confirms the rule: Since 1929, they have not only been the great Russian elephant-training specialists, but they also have been among the world’s very best&mdash;and the productions of their magnificent acts remain unequaled.
  
One of the greatest female acrobats on horseback of all times, May Emmeline Wirth (1894-1978) was born on June 6, 1894 at Bundaberg, Queensland, in Australia, the daughter of John Edward Zinga, a circus artist from Mauritius (an island nation off the southwest coast of Africa) whose original name was Despoges, and his Australian-born wife Marie Dezeppo. In 1901, after her parents separated, May was adopted by Marizles ("Rill") Martin (1868-1948), an equestrienne and a sister of the Wirth brothers, proprietors of one of Australia’s largest circuses.
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Born November 22, 1903 in Russia, Aleksandr Nikolaievich Kornilov (1903-1977), the founder of the Dynasty, began his professional life as a sailor. At the end of the 1920s, he landed in Samara, the great port city on the Volga river, where he discovered the traveling menagerie of Ivan Lazarevich Filatov (1873-1956)&mdash;the father of the legendary Russian bear trainer Valentin Filatov, and scion of an old family of itinerant animal trainers.
  
Having already been taught by her father to turn "flip-flaps," May soon featured in Wirth Bros. Circus in balancing and tumbling acts, and as a tight wire performer and contortionist. From the Wirths, May also learned equestrian skills. At the age of ten, she was a "real trick rider." In Melbourne in 1906, aged twelve, she was billed as "May Ringling," the "American fearless hurricane hurdle rider." Like the most adroit of circus performers, bareback riders in particular, May was short but strong. She grew to be only 150 centimetres tall (about five feet)
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This unforeseen encounter changed Kornilov’s life: Although he was indeed fascinated by the Filatov Menagerie exhibitions, he was even more attracted to Masha, the pretty young girl who handled the box office. Masha (Maria Ivanovna Filatova, 1904-1975) was Ivan Lazarevich’s daughter: They quickly fell in love, and Aleksandr decided to stay on dry land and follow Masha, whom he eventually married.  
  
Contortion work and tumbling, the earliest and most basic performing skills she acquired, were the basis of the technical precision and artistry she brought to her career as a bareback rider. By 1910, May’s work on horseback was clearly the most outstanding of her versatile accomplishments. But for all her skill as an equestrienne by that time, she did not rank highly on the Wirth program.
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Now part of the family, Aleksandr had to bring his contribution to his father-in-law’s business. Working as a simple cage and stable boy, he did his apprenticeship on the job. After having acquired enough experience caring for the menagerie’s animals, he finally made his public debut as a trainer in 1929 with a group that included brown bears, polar bears and lions. He presented also the menagerie’s single elephant in a sketch titled ''The Elephant at the Restaurant''. ([[The Kornilov Dynasty|more...]])
 
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In 1911 the remarkable flying trapeze troupe, The Flying Jordans, and the wild animal acts claimed most of the attention of Australian audiences who came to see Wirth’s circus that year—and in Sydney, at the annual opening of the Circus, May was simply "a remarkably pretty girl who rode and drove eight ponies and turned somersaults on a cantering grey."... ([[May Wirth|more...]])
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==New Biographies==
 
==New Biographies==
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* [[Norman Crider]], Juggler
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* [[The Kornilov Dynasty]], Elephant Trainers
* [[Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe]], Chinese Acrobatics
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* [[Sergei Korolev]], Acrobat
* [[Gene Mendez]], High Wire Artist
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* [[Victor Fomine]], Acrobat, Circus Coach
* [[Franz Czeisler (Tihany)]], Magician, Circus Owner
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* [[Annie Fratellini]], Clown, Circus Director
* [[Cirque_Medrano_(Paris)|Circuses Fernando and Medrano]], History
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* [[Joel Baker]], Clown
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
* [[Irina_Shestua_Video_(1962)|Irina Shestua]], Russian Barre (1962)
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* [[Ritter_Video_(1995)|Emöke Ritter]], Contortionist (1995)
* [[May_Wirth_Video_Video_(1924)|May Wirth]], Bareback Rider (1924)
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* [[Markov_Duo_Video_2018|Duo Markov]], Aerial Perch (2018)
* [[Cristiani_Video_(1936)|The Cristianis]], Jockey Act (1936)
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* [[Kong_Haitao_Video_(2018)|Kong Haitao]], Hand Balancer (2018)
* [[Grigorov_and_Galavatskikh_Video_(2011)|Aleksei Grigorov & Marina Galavatskikh]], Aerial Lyra (2011)
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* [[Mstislav_Zapashny_Video_(1980)|Mstislav & Dolores Zapashny]], Tigers and Elephants Act (1980)
* [[Norman_Crider_Video_(1961)|Norman Crider]], Baton Twirler (1961)
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* [[Aragorn_Video_(2000)|Duo Aragorn]], Aerial Cradle (2000)
  
 
==Featured Oral Histories==
 
==Featured Oral Histories==
  
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* [[Circo_Price_Video_(2017)|A Short History of Madrid's Old Circo Price]], Circus History (1970)
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* [[Anastasia_Dementieva_Video_(2017)|Anastasia Dementieva-Kornilova]] – Vadim Vernik Interview (2017)
 
* [[Freres_Knie_Video_(1962)|''Les Frères Knie'']], Documentary (1962)
 
* [[Freres_Knie_Video_(1962)|''Les Frères Knie'']], Documentary (1962)
* [[Jean_Richard_Video_(1979)|Jean Richard and Jean-Pierre Richard]] at the Cirque jean Richard - Christian Boner Interview (1979)
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* [[Jean_Richard_Video_(1979)|Jean Richard and Jean-Pierre Richard]] at the Cirque Jean Richard Christian Boner Interview (1979)
 
* [[Buster_Keaton_Video_(1947)|Jérôme Medrano about Buster Keaton]] at the Cirque Medrano (1947)
 
* [[Buster_Keaton_Video_(1947)|Jérôme Medrano about Buster Keaton]] at the Cirque Medrano (1947)
* [[Moira_Orfei_Video_(2012)|Moira Orfei]], Circus Owner - Davide Maggio Interview (2012)
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* [[Oleg_Popov_Circus_Legends_Video_(2014)|Oleg Popov]], clown - Russian Television Feature (2014)
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==Featured Circopedia Book==
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* [[Circopedia Books|Philip Astley & The Horsemen who invented the Circus]], by Dominique Jando (2018)
  
 
==A Message from the Editor==
 
==A Message from the Editor==
  
''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding encyclopedia of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;basis. So keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to [[Special:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
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''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly&mdash;and sometimes daily&mdash;basis. Keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to [[Special:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
  
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
:Editor/Curator
+
:Founder and Curator

Revision as of 02:37, 25 June 2018

Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!
Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατε!
Üdvözöljük! ✫ Добре Дошли! ✫ Welkom! ✫ Ласкаво Просимо!
Velkommen! ✫ Tervetuloa! ✫ Дабро Запрашаем! ✫ Välkommen!

Circopedia was originally created with the support of the Big Apple Circus,
and has been inspired and funded by the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.

In The Spotlight

THE KORNILOV DYNASTY

There never have been many elephant acts in the Soviet and Russian circus. Several members of the Durov family have included one pachyderm or two in their animal presentations and a small number of animal trainers, such as Boris Fedotov, Sarvat Begbudi and Msistlav Zapashny have trained elephants. The Kornilov Dynasty, however, is the exception that confirms the rule: Since 1929, they have not only been the great Russian elephant-training specialists, but they also have been among the world’s very best—and the productions of their magnificent acts remain unequaled.

Born November 22, 1903 in Russia, Aleksandr Nikolaievich Kornilov (1903-1977), the founder of the Dynasty, began his professional life as a sailor. At the end of the 1920s, he landed in Samara, the great port city on the Volga river, where he discovered the traveling menagerie of Ivan Lazarevich Filatov (1873-1956)—the father of the legendary Russian bear trainer Valentin Filatov, and scion of an old family of itinerant animal trainers.

This unforeseen encounter changed Kornilov’s life: Although he was indeed fascinated by the Filatov Menagerie exhibitions, he was even more attracted to Masha, the pretty young girl who handled the box office. Masha (Maria Ivanovna Filatova, 1904-1975) was Ivan Lazarevich’s daughter: They quickly fell in love, and Aleksandr decided to stay on dry land and follow Masha, whom he eventually married.

Now part of the family, Aleksandr had to bring his contribution to his father-in-law’s business. Working as a simple cage and stable boy, he did his apprenticeship on the job. After having acquired enough experience caring for the menagerie’s animals, he finally made his public debut as a trainer in 1929 with a group that included brown bears, polar bears and lions. He presented also the menagerie’s single elephant in a sketch titled The Elephant at the Restaurant. (more...)

New Biographies

New Videos

Featured Oral Histories

Featured Circopedia Book

A Message from the Editor

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. Keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to contact us: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.

Dominique Jando
Founder and Curator