Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

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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/>
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<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==
  
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===IRINA BUGRIMOVA===
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===THE FARRELL BROTHERS===
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[[File:Farrell_Brothers.jpeg|right|300px]]
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The Farrell Brothers were, from 1971 to 1983, a very successful American high wire duo that followed in the footsteps of the 1960s' Mendez and Seitz (Gene Mendez and Joe Seitz), former members of the legendary the Wallenda troupe. The Farrell Brothers quickly became circus headliners in the United States and in Europe and enjoyed a brilliant, albeit relatively short, international career.
  
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[[File:Bugrimova_Poster.jpeg|right|300px]]A former competitive track and field champion with a taste for dangerous stunts, Irina Bugrimova (1910-2001) was a true legend of the Soviet circus. She had performed as a circus daredevil and a high-school rider before finding her true calling as a very successful lion trainer. She became a major star of the Soviet circus in an era where female cat trainers were unheard of in the USSR: For a time, Bugrimova's only competition in that domain was Margarita Nazarova (1926-2005), another Soviet circus legend, who began performing in the cage fourteen years after her!
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Farrell Hettig didn't come from a circus family. Born in St Petersburg, Florida, on September 25,1955 to Nila and Farrell Hettig Sr., he joined a blended family of three siblings:  Beth and Woodie, his older sister and brother from Nila’s previous marriage, and Mary, who was roughly one year older than Farrell. Farrell senior was working in radio advertising and Nila was a homemaker.
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Nila and Farrell divorced in 1961, when Farrell was six years old. Then, Nila and the children moved to Sarasota, Florida, known as America’s "Circus City:" John Ringling had made Sarasota his winter home in 1926, and then brought his large circus operation to the city in 1927. Over the years, many circus artists and families settled in Sarasota, establishing a circus community that has remained an important part of the city's fabric up to this day (2026).
  
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Irina Nikolaevna Bugrimova (Ирина Николаевна Бугримова) was born March 13, 1910, in Kharkov in Ukraine, which was then part of the Russian Empire. Her father, Nikolai Bugrimov, was a professor of veterinary medicine. Her mother, Aleksandra, came from an aristocratic family; her father, Iosif Fedorovich, had been Admiral of the Russian Fleet. Alksandra had a strong artistic bent; she was an accomplished pianist, an artist, and showed a great interest in the art of photography. Irina was the fourth child of Nikolai and Aleksandra Bugrimovi, who, coincidentally, bore the first names of the Russian ill-fated Tsar and Tsarina; it is just as the Bolshevik revolution started that Irina, who was seven years old, began studying music and ballet at the Kharkov Opera studio.  
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Farrell got his introduction to the circus arts in his teen years, when he joined Sarasota’s famous youth circus, Sailor Circus (today part of the Circus Arts Conservatory). Over the years he performed many acts in Sailor Circus's shows, but high wire soon became his focus: He was coached by no less than Gunther Wallenda. (Gunther was the one performer of the Wallenda troupe who remained standing on the wire during their tragic fall of 1969.)
  
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A restive child, Irina became interested in competitive sports; she played hockey, did speed skating, and competed in track and field, from long and high jumps to discus, spear, and weight throwing. She won many competitions and, in 1927, became the weight throw Ukrainian champion, and in 1928, she won the same title for discus. Meanwhile, as a teenager, young Irina often helped her father when he treated horses and wild animals at the state circus of Kharkov, and she thus became familiar with animals of all sorts&mdash;as well as with the circus world, for which she developed a keen interest. ([[Irina Bugrimova|more...]])
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At the time, Gunther was a teacher in Sarasota County Schools. A gifted circus student, Farrell eventually went on the road with the Wallendas as a rigger during the summer of 1971. He was sixteen years old. Later in the early 1970’s, he began traveling with them as a performing member of the troupe. During that time Farrell and the legendary head of the troupe, Karl Wallenda, formed a strong bond that would bolster Farrell throughout his life.
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In the 1978 television movie The Great Wallendas, Farrell’s skills were prominently featured. Although none of the original Wallendas performed in the movie, they had been impersonated by talented high-wire walkers: Terry Troffer and his wife Delilah Wallenda, Luis Murrillo, David Klukow, Tino and Ricky Wallenda, and a 22-year-old Farrell Hettig. In the re-creation of the dangerous seven-person pyramid, Farrell stood in the crucial position of second tier of the three-tiered pyramid. Less than a year after the completion of the movie, on March 22, 1978, Farrell was present in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the great Karl Wallenda tragically performed his last walk on the high wire and fell to his death.... ([[Farrell Brothers|more...]])
  
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
 
==New Essays and Biographies==
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* [[The Charlivels]], acrobats
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* [[Irina Bugrimova]], Lion Trainer
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* [[Guangxi_Acrobatic_Troupe|The Guangxi Acrobatic Troupe]], Chinese acrobatics
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* [[Mikhail Shuydin]], Clown
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* [[Farrell_Brothers|The Farrell Brothers]], high wire
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* [[Yury Nikulin]], Clown, Actor, Circus Director
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* [[The Blumenfeld Family]], circus owners, artists
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* [[Serge]], Circus Chronicler and Illustrator
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* [[Émilien Bouglione/fr|Émilien Bouglione]], equestrian, circus owner (French version)
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* [[Alexandre Palisse]], Clown, Circus Owner
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==New Videos==
 
==New Videos==
  
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* [[Red_Sails_Video_(2020)|Red Sails]], double tissu (2020)
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* [[Podlyatsky_Video_(2026)|Roman Podlyatsky & Kristina Kisileva]], monkey act (2026)
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* [[Shandong_Plates_Video_(2020)|Shandong Acrobatic Troupe]], plate spinning (2020)
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* [[Charlivels_Video_(1951)|The Charlivels]], flying and floor acts (1951)
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* [[High_Five_Video_(2019)|High Five]], trampoline (2019)
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* [[Charlivels_Video_(1955)|The Charlivels]], novelty acrobatics (1955)
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* [[Poselskiy_Video_(2020)|Trio Poselskiy]], Russian barre (2020)
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* [[Twin_Lotus_Video_(2026)|Twin Lotus Silhouettes]], hand balancing/contortion act (2026)
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* [[Ruzhilo_Video_(2011)|Pavel Ruzhilo]], Juggler (2011)
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* [[Ursula_Bottcher_Video_(1979)|Ursula Böttcher]], polar bear act (1979)
  
 
==New Oral Histories==
 
==New Oral Histories==
  
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* [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'']], The First Season of The Big Apple Circus (1977)
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* [[Evelyn_and_André_Interview_(2025)|Evelyn & André]] Interview by the Fővárosi Nagycirkusz (2025)
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* [[Durov_Documentary_Video_(c.2000)|Vladimir Durov Documentary]] on Russian Television (c.2000)
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* [[Bouglione_Video_(2013)|The Bouglione Family]] France 3 TV documentary (2013)
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* [[Dolly_Jacobs_Interview_Video_(2018)|Dolly Jacobs Interview]] at The Ringling (2018)
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* [[Gneushev_Video_(c.1990)|Valentin Gneushev interview]] on Russian Television (c.1990)
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* [[Pinito_del_Oro_RTE_Video_(1970)|Pinito del Oro's Interview]] on Spanish Television (1970)
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* [[Dominique_Jando_Video_(2025)|Dominique Jando interview]] by the Circus Historical Society (2025)
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* [[Eradze_Video_(2015)|Gia Eradze]]'s Interview on SSU TV (2015)
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* [[Evelyn_and_Andre_Video_(2015)|Evelyn & André Interview]] on Blikk TV (2015)
  
 
==Circopedia Books==
 
==Circopedia Books==
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==A Message from the Founder==
 
==A Message from the Founder==
  
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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 [[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 21:12, 3 November 2026


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

THE FARRELL BROTHERS

Farrell Brothers.jpeg

The Farrell Brothers were, from 1971 to 1983, a very successful American high wireA tight, heavy metallic cable placed high above the ground, on which wire walkers do crossings and various acrobatic exercises. Not to be confused with a tight wire. duo that followed in the footsteps of the 1960s' Mendez and Seitz (Gene Mendez and Joe Seitz), former members of the legendary the Wallenda troupe. The Farrell Brothers quickly became circus headliners in the United States and in Europe and enjoyed a brilliant, albeit relatively short, international career.

Farrell Hettig didn't come from a circus family. Born in St Petersburg, Florida, on September 25,1955 to Nila and Farrell Hettig Sr., he joined a blended family of three siblings: Beth and Woodie, his older sister and brother from Nila’s previous marriage, and Mary, who was roughly one year older than Farrell. Farrell senior was working in radio advertising and Nila was a homemaker.

Nila and Farrell divorced in 1961, when Farrell was six years old. Then, Nila and the children moved to Sarasota, Florida, known as America’s "Circus City:" John Ringling had made Sarasota his winter home in 1926, and then brought his large circus operation to the city in 1927. Over the years, many circus artists and families settled in Sarasota, establishing a circus community that has remained an important part of the city's fabric(See: Tissu) up to this day (2026).

Farrell got his introduction to the circus arts in his teen years, when he joined Sarasota’s famous youth circus, Sailor Circus (today part of the Circus Arts Conservatory). Over the years he performed many acts in Sailor Circus's shows, but high wireA tight, heavy metallic cable placed high above the ground, on which wire walkers do crossings and various acrobatic exercises. Not to be confused with a tight wire. soon became his focus: He was coached by no less than Gunther Wallenda. (Gunther was the one performer of the Wallenda troupe who remained standing on the wire during their tragic fall of 1969.)

At the time, Gunther was a teacher in Sarasota County Schools. A gifted circus student, Farrell eventually went on the road with the Wallendas as a rigger during the summer of 1971. He was sixteen years old. Later in the early 1970’s, he began traveling with them as a performing member of the troupe. During that time Farrell and the legendary head of the troupe, Karl Wallenda, formed a strong bond that would bolster Farrell throughout his life.

In the 1978 television movie The Great Wallendas, Farrell’s skills were prominently featured. Although none of the original Wallendas performed in the movie, they had been impersonated by talented high-wire walkers: Terry Troffer and his wife Delilah Wallenda, Luis Murrillo, David Klukow, Tino and Ricky Wallenda, and a 22-year-old Farrell Hettig. In the re-creation of the dangerous seven-person pyramid, Farrell stood in the crucial position of second tier of the three-tiered pyramid. Less than a year after the completion of the movie, on March 22, 1978, Farrell was present in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the great Karl Wallenda tragically performed his last walk on the high wireA tight, heavy metallic cable placed high above the ground, on which wire walkers do crossings and various acrobatic exercises. Not to be confused with a tight wire. and fell to his death.... (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
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