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<div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ
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<br><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Welcome! ✫ Bienvenue! ✫ Willkommen! ✫ Добро Пожаловать!</div><div style="font-size:175%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#996666;">Bienvenida! ✫ Benvenuto! ✫ 歡迎 ! ✫ Vítejte! ✫ Καλώς ήρθατ
 
ε!</div><div style="font-size:175%; 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/>
 
ε!</div><div style="font-size:175%; 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:98%;"> ''Circopedia was originally created with the support of the Big Apple Circus Ltd.''</div><div style=font-size:98%;">''and inspired and funded by the [http://www.sdrubin.org/ Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation]''.</div><br/>
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<div style="top:+0.2em; font-size:98%;"> ''Circopedia is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit [[Big Apple Circus]]''.</div><br/>
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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
===YURY NIKULIN===
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===VIRGINIE KENEBEL===
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[[File:Virginie_Kenebel_-_Bordeaux.jpg|right|300px]]
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Virginie Kenebel (1819-1884)—whose name is sometimes spelled Kennebel—was one of the brightest stars of the equestrian circus in its "Romantic" period (roughly from 1820 to 1880). She was one of the first écuyères de panneau, who danced various movements of classical ballet on a large flat saddle (the panneau). More than the equestriennes who practiced haute-école dressage, like their male counterparts, it was these ballerinas on horseback who truly defined the equestrian circus's Romantic period.
 +
 
 +
Marie Virginie Kenebel was born into a circus family on April 23, 1819, in La Guillotière, a neighborhood of Lyon, in France. Her father, Ludwig (Louis) Daniel Knebel (or Knoebel, according to his signature—1794-1878), whose name was francized to Kenebel (or Kénébel), has been said to be a Sinti (a subgroup of the Romani people), but there is no clear documentation to support this assertion. If ever the Knebels had been seen as "outsiders" in Germany, it could also be because they were Jewish, as were many dynasties of German traveling entertainers: Ludwig's parents, Michel Knebel (or Knoebel) and Leonore, née Östermann, bore names with strong Jewish connections.
  
[[File:Yury_Nikulin_Moscow.jpg|right|400px]]Yury Nikulin (1921-1997) was the Soviet Union’s (and later, Russia’s) greatest and most beloved clown, as well as a remarkable and equally beloved screen actor; his performing career covered more than three decades, from 1948 to 1981. Upon his retirement from the ring, he became Director of Moscow's "Old Circus" on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, which he had entirely rebuilt (from 1985-1989) into a modern facility by a Finnish company, thus bringing that cherished Moscow institution into the modern age, and restoring its prominence on the Russian and European circus scenes at a critical moment in Russian history.
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According to Signor Saltarino (Valdemar Otto) in his ''Artisten Lexikon'' (1895), the Knebels were a "second-rate [circus] family," but they were capable and polyvalent. Principally a rope dancer but also an equestrian trick-rider, Ludwig was born in Mannheim, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on February 22, 1874. As for Virginie's mother, Françoise Sophie Avrillon (known as Sophie, 1799-1862), she was an equestrienne, also born into a circus family in Tuscany, Italy—in Prato, according to her marriage certificate, or in Florence, according to her death and other French certificates; Prato, which is very close to Florence, seems to be the right location.
  
Yury Vladimirovich Nikulin (Юрий Владимирович Никулин) was born in a theatrical family on December 18, 1921, in Demidov, a small town in the province of Smolensk, in northwest Russia, near the Belarussian border. His father was Moscow-born Vladimir Andreyevich Nikulin (1898-1964); his mother, Lidiya Ivanovna Nikulina (1902-1979), was born Lidia Germanova in Lievenhof (today's Līvāni) in Latvia, which was then part of the of the Russian Empire; she had moved to Demidov with relatives during the First World War to stay away from the combat zone. There, she met and married Vladimir Andreyevich.
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Louis and Sophie had married on March1, 1819 in Colmar, France, just in time to welcome their daughter into an established family. With three brothers and two sisters, Virginie was the first born of a large brood: she was followed by André (1820-1876), François Amédée (known as Amédée, 1825-1877), Etienne Stephan Antoine (known as Stephan, 1830-18091), Clémentine (1831-1833), and Marie-Honorine (1835-1878).
  
When Yury was born, Vladimir Nikulin had just been discharged from the Red Army and got a job at the Drama Theater in Demidov, where Lidia also worked as an actress. Then, he organized a traveling propaganda-theater group that promoted the brand-new Soviet regime through "revolutionary humor," and acted in plays which he also directed. In 1925, the Nikulin family moved to Moscow, where Vladimir wrote sketches for circus and variety shows&mdash;which were still intensely politicized then. He also organized the theater group at the school his son, Yury, attended. Later, he became a journalist.
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Except for Clémentine, who died in infancy, all followed in their parents' footsteps and embraced a circus career. Amédée created his own company and moved to England from where, in 1846, he sailed to Mauritius, along with his brother André, and then to India, where he eventually settled (he died in Calcutta). André returned to France and worked in Paris for the Franconis. Stephan married his cousin, the equestrienne Émilie Lambert (1824-1890—her mother, Anna, was an Avrillon), but it doesn't seem that his career was particularly brilliant. Marie Honorine married in 1855 the equestrian Jean-Baptiste Auriol, Jr. (1834-1857), son of the illustrious clown Jean-Baptiste Auriol (1806-1881)&mdash;a union that, sadly, was short-lived.
  
On November 18, 1939, after graduating from high school, young Yury Nikulin was drafted into the Red Army for his three-year mandatory military service. This would have a long-lasting impact on Yury Nikulin as a man: In June 1941, the USSR declared war on Germany and the Axis powers, and what will be known in Russia as "The Great Patriotic War" started. Yury Nikulin was then serving in the 115th anti-aircraft artillery regiment. During the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940), his anti-aircraft battery had guarded the air approaches to Leningrad. ([[Yury Nikulin|more...]])
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The Avrillons were a French circus family. Claude Avrillon (1766-1819), Sophie's father, was an equestrian, as was her brother, François (1801-1845), who managed his own circus company; after having tried, unsuccessfully, to establish a permanent circus in Marseille, he had moved to Spain and opened there the first Madrilene circus in 1834, becoming in effect a pioneer of Spanish circus history. (Louis Kenebel and Sophie Avrillon would also create their own circus company with which they traveled intermittently in southern Europe: In 1831, they would find themselves in competition with François Avrillon in Barcelona!)... ([[Virginie Kenebel|more...]])
  
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
  
* [[Yury Nikulin]], Clown, Actor, Circus Director
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* [[Virginie Kenebel]], equestrienne
* [[Serge]], Circus Chronicler and Illustrator
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* [[Chongqing_Acrobatic_Troupe|Chongqing Acrobatic Troupe]], History
* [[Alexandre Palisse]], Clown, Circus Owner
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* [[Cirkus_Verdensteater_(Oslo)|Cirkus Verdensteater]], Oslo Circus Building
* [[Rico y Alex]], Clowns
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* [[Eddie Murillo]], Circus Agent and Producer
* [[Barbette]], Trapeze and Tightwire Artist
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* [[The Biasini Family]], Circus Owners, Artists
  
 
==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
* [[Schumann_Rhapsody_Video_(1965)|Albert Schumann]], ''Rhapsody In Blue'', Liberty Act (1965)
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* [[The_Royals_Video_(1993)|The Royals]], jugglers (1993)
* [[Valla-Bertini_Video_(2022)|Pavel Valla-Bertini]], Unicycle Act (2022)
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* [[Didier_et_Jade_Video_(1995)|Didier & Jade]], high wire (1995)
* [[Sheshukova_Video_(2022)|Valeriya Sheshukova]], Swinging Trapeze (2022)
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* [[Mateo_et_Aelia_Video_(2025)|Matéo & Amélia]], diabolo act (2025)
* [[Eftode_Video_(2022)|Trio Eftode]], Perch-Pole Balancing (2022)
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* [[Golyshev_Video_(1984)|Golyshev Troupe]], comedy acrobatics (1984)
* [[Schumann_High_School_Video_(1964)|The Schumann Family]], High-School Act (1964)
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* [[Nazarova_Video_(1960)|Margarita Nazarova]], tiger act (excerpts) (1960)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==
  
 +
* [[Dominique_Jando_Video_(2025)|Dominique Jando interview]] by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
 +
* [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André Interview]] on Blikk TV (2015)
 
* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
 
* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
 
* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
 
* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
 
* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
 
* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
* [[Pinito_del_Oro_RTE_Video_(1970)|Pinito del Oro's Interview]] on Spanish Television (1970)
 
* [[Eradze_Video_(2015)|Gia Eradze]]'s Interview on SSU TV (2015)
 
  
 
==Circopedia Books==
 
==Circopedia Books==
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==A Message from the Founder==
 
==A Message from the Founder==
  
''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 [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
+
''CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. 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 [[Circopedia:Contact|contact us]]: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.''  
  
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:'''Dominique Jando'''
 
:Founder and Curator
 
:Founder and Curator

Latest revision as of 19:27, 1 September 2025


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

Circopedia is an independent educational website, initially created as a project of the original, non-profit Big Apple Circus.

In The Spotlight

VIRGINIE KENEBEL

Virginie Kenebel - Bordeaux.jpg

Virginie Kenebel (1819-1884)—whose name is sometimes spelled Kennebel—was one of the brightest stars of the equestrian circus in its "Romantic" period (roughly from 1820 to 1880). She was one of the first écuyères de panneau(French) A flat, padded saddle used by ballerinas on horseback., who danced various movements of classical ballet on a large flat saddle (the panneau(French) A flat, padded saddle used by ballerinas on horseback.). More than the equestriennes who practiced haute-école(French) A display of equestrian dressage by a rider mounting a horse and leading it into classic moves and steps. (See also: High School) dressage, like their male counterparts, it was these ballerinas on horseback who truly defined the equestrian circus's Romantic period.

Marie Virginie Kenebel was born into a circus family on April 23, 1819, in La Guillotière, a neighborhood of Lyon, in France. Her father, Ludwig (Louis) Daniel Knebel (or Knoebel, according to his signature—1794-1878), whose name was francized to Kenebel (or Kénébel), has been said to be a Sinti (a subgroup of the Romani people), but there is no clear documentation to support this assertion. If ever the Knebels had been seen as "outsiders" in Germany, it could also be because they were Jewish, as were many dynasties of German traveling entertainers: Ludwig's parents, Michel Knebel (or Knoebel) and Leonore, née Östermann, bore names with strong Jewish connections.

According to Signor Saltarino (Valdemar Otto) in his Artisten Lexikon (1895), the Knebels were a "second-rate [circus] family," but they were capable and polyvalent. Principally a rope dancer but also an equestrian trickAny specific exercise in a circus act.-rider, Ludwig was born in Mannheim, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on February 22, 1874. As for Virginie's mother, Françoise Sophie Avrillon (known as Sophie, 1799-1862), she was an equestrienneA female equestrian, or horse trainer, horse presenter, or acrobat on horseback., also born into a circus family in Tuscany, Italy—in Prato, according to her marriage certificate, or in Florence, according to her death and other French certificates; Prato, which is very close to Florence, seems to be the right location.

Louis and Sophie had married on March1, 1819 in Colmar, France, just in time to welcome their daughter into an established family. With three brothers and two sisters, Virginie was the first born of a large brood: she was followed by André (1820-1876), François Amédée (known as Amédée, 1825-1877), Etienne Stephan Antoine (known as Stephan, 1830-18091), Clémentine (1831-1833), and Marie-Honorine (1835-1878).

Except for Clémentine, who died in infancy, all followed in their parents' footsteps and embraced a circus career. Amédée created his own company and moved to England from where, in 1846, he sailed to Mauritius, along with his brother André, and then to India, where he eventually settled (he died in Calcutta). André returned to France and worked in Paris for the Franconis. Stephan married his cousin, the equestrienneA female equestrian, or horse trainer, horse presenter, or acrobat on horseback. Émilie Lambert (1824-1890—her mother, Anna, was an Avrillon), but it doesn't seem that his career was particularly brilliant. Marie Honorine married in 1855 the equestrian Jean-Baptiste Auriol, Jr. (1834-1857), son of the illustrious clown Jean-Baptiste Auriol (1806-1881)—a union that, sadly, was short-lived.

The Avrillons were a French circus family. Claude Avrillon (1766-1819), Sophie's father, was an equestrian, as was her brother, François (1801-1845), who managed his own circus company; after having tried, unsuccessfully, to establish a permanent circus in Marseille, he had moved to Spain and opened there the first Madrilene circus in 1834, becoming in effect a pioneer of Spanish circus history. (Louis Kenebel and Sophie Avrillon would also create their own circus company with which they traveled intermittently in southern Europe: In 1831, they would find themselves in competition with François Avrillon in Barcelona!)... (more...)

New Essays and Biographies

New Videos

New Oral Histories

Circopedia Books

A Message from the Founder

CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding archive of the international circus, maintained by reliable circus historians and specialists. 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