Yuri Kuklachev: "I'm not a trainer, I'm a clown"

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:42

According to the majority of viewers, Yuri Kuklachev is no longer an ordinary clown who knows how to find a common language with cats, but a whole philosophy of kindness and humor. His intricate performances make everyone applaud, and all because he knows how to work with pets in a way that no one from the training representatives can. Often Kuklachev is positioned as a trainer, but he proudly calls himself a clown. His path to fame and recognition was thorny.

Biography Facts

Yuri Kuklachev comes from Moscow, and he was born on April 12, 1949. The father and mother of the future trainer were simple workers. From a young age, the boy dreamed of becoming a clown. For several years in a row, he made persistent attempts to get into the circus school and each time he was refused, they say: "You have no talent." However, Yuri Kuklachev did not perceive these words as a sentence: he decided to prove to everyone that he would perform at the arena.

Having received a school certificate, the future training star became a printer in one of the capital's printing houses.

On the road to glory

Almost every evening after work, he watched the performances organized by the folk circus in the Red October Palace of Culture. There, the future "tamer of cats" for the first time began to comprehend the basicscircus art from famous masters: I. S. Fridman and M. M. Singer. To become recognized, Yuri Kuklachev worked long and hard: he created new numbers, unusual reprises. Naturally, his perseverance in striving to become a clown was noted by his mentors: he was offered to participate in one of the concert programs at the arena of the capital's circus. Success awaited him: after this debut performance, seventeen-year-old Yury Dmitrievich Kuklachev became the laureate of the All-Union Amateur Art Review - the road to the circus school was open.

Through thorns to the stars

But soon the star of circus art suffered a severe test: a few months before studying, a student seriously injures his leg. The reaction of the leadership of the circus school was harsh: "What kind of disabled person can be a clown!" But Kuklachev did not give up so easily. While on crutches, he invents and performs a humorous performance where he juggles rings, balls and a hat.

Another bright and memorable number, the author of which was Kulachev, is a tightrope walker on reels, where household items are used as the latter. Such a unique work of a circus school student, of course, could not be overlooked by teachers. As a result, he nevertheless became a graduate of the above educational institution.

Juggler and eccentric clown

It was in these genres that Yuri Kuklachev worked for five years after graduating from college. Gradually, he had the realization that the role in which he performs is not the pathabout which he dreamed, going out to the arena to the viewer. As for the humorous genre, its numbers lacked that "peppercorn" that could be traced in the performances of the clown Oleg Popov, whom Yuri Dmitrievich so wanted to imitate. And then fate itself determined the future profession of Kuklachev. One day, a small kitten ran out into the arena, which was picked up by a circus performer not far from the house. Playing with a striped pet, Yuri Dmitrievich noticed that he could well carry out simple commands for a trivial reward - sausage.

Kuklachev's debut with an animal

In 1976, Kuklachev's first performance with Matroskin took place. Nobody had done anything like this before, so both the trainer and his ward were waiting for unprecedented success, not only on the scale of a huge country, but also beyond its borders.

The next fifteen years he focused on professional training of cats and traveled all over the USSR with numbers in which pets were sure to take part. The pinnacle of his career as a trainer is the Yuri Kuklachev Theater, on the stage of which the director has been staging full-fledged performances for more than a year. This unusual temple of Melpomene was opened in 1990: the city administration allocated a separate room for this in the "Prizyv" cinema. It is noteworthy that not only Kuklachev's cats, but also dogs are involved in the productions.

Achievements and awards

Yuri Dmitrievich has received many regalia and awards for many years of work with pets.

Back in 1976, he was awarded a diploma "For the humane treatment of animals and the promotion of humanism" and the Golden Crown of clowns. After some time, he receives the status of a goodwill ambassador. In 1980, the “cat tamer” was already a laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize and Honored Artist of the Soviet Union. His production of "The Circus in My Luggage" earns him the title of People's Artist. Yuri Dmitrievich is proud of the Order of Friendship of Peoples, which he was awarded for the creation of a cat theater.

Kuklachev as a talented trainer is well known abroad. He regularly tours in France, Germany, Argentina, USA, Japan.

Working methods

Kuklachev's Circus is a stunning world of cat extravaganza, which is densely saturated with any act created by the maestro. Until now, for many it remains a mystery how Yuri Dmitrievich manages to tame a mystical animal. Journalists regularly try to find out this secret from him. In response, the trainer states: “My method of communicating with cats is as simple as two and two. The main thing is to be gentle with pets and not be rude towards them. First, I play with Barsik and notice all his habits and traits, I develop his skills through encouragement. Only kindness and attention to animals help me in training.”

This year the Kuklachev Theater turned 25 years old. The anniversary was marked by the premiere of the play "Dynasty", in which almost all members of Yuri Dmitrievich's family took part.