The circus is always a colorful and unforgettable sight in which the viewer feels himself a participant in this extravaganza of grandiose scale. Therefore, his language does not require translation, it is a form of art that is close and understandable to both children and adults.
From the history of the circus
The history of the Gomel Circus begins from the end of the 19th century. It was a wooden unheated building, where between the partitions made of plywood, there were artists between performances. Spectators with pleasure came to representations of visiting circus troupes.
During the 1917 revolution, the circus building burned down. New was built in nine years. It, like the previous one, had neither heating nor a wardrobe. They built the circus building again from wood. The audience hall was designed for 2000 seats. The war did not spare the building, it burned down, like many other buildings of the city. In the post-war years, only visiting circus chapitos toured here, and formed circus groups performed at various venues.
New circus building
The decision to build a stationary Gomel circus was made only in 1964. The modern glass and concrete building was commissioned on December 2, 1972. The circus building consists of several volumes. The bowl of the auditorium, the arena and the orchestra stage, covered with a spherical dome, are the central and main part. In the lower rectangular floor there are: a cash register, wardrobes, bathrooms, cafes. Huge windows serve as permanent original painted advertising.
The construction of the building is so unique that it allows you to work with the most complex programs of the Gomel Circus. These include a circus on water, a circus on ice, the most complicated numbers of air gymnasts. The auditorium has comfortable, vinyl-covered seats. Equipping the circus with modern radio technology allows for audibility at every place. Sophisticated equipment is suspended under the dome, regulating the entire performance.
The backstage and the area next to the circus
Circus facilities such as dressing rooms, a dining room, a large warm-up hall, a first-aid post and the circus arena outside the program are completely at the disposal of the artists. In the backstage part there are huge warehouses for props, freezers for storing products for animals with a separate kitchen for cooking, a stable, an elephant and large rooms for predators. In October 1974, a 160-seat hotel built near the circus was commissioned for touring artists. It is not empty, since all the programs that take place during the circus season, from September to May, include the numbers of individual artists and groups invited to the Gomel Circus.
In 2006, the local circus troupe was awarded the title of Honored Collective of Belarus. In the same year, after the reconstruction of the square near the circus, a monument was erected to one of the favorite clowns of all generations of spectators - M.N. Rumyantsev, the famous Pencil, and his Blot. The reconstruction also affected some of the interior spaces. So, the audience is currently designed for 1544 seats.
In the memory of Gomel residents
One of the favorite and most visited holiday destinations for Gomel residents and guests of the city is, of course, the circus. Children get a special pleasure. According to statistics, more than 20 million viewers attended the performances of the Gomel Circus. Who just did not see the audience in the arena! Here were the famous Zapashny brothers with their tigers, "Dancing on the wire" performed by Sergei Shitov, "Acrobats on poles" led by Sergei Vasilyev, the attraction "Bears on horses" led by Chepyakova, Emil and Igor Kio with stunning illusions. The circus remembers the carpet Pencil with Blot.
Circus artists from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic came on tour. Having at its disposal unique technical equipment, the circus provides its premises for concerts, morning performances for children and all kinds of presentation events.
Circus art
Performances on ice and water in circuses are a rare occurrence, but not for the Gomel circus, where the program can be implemented thanks to technical equipment. And did anyone think about how much time it takes to train a bear to skate? The number, which lasts about three minutes in the circus program, is prepared and rehearsed throughout the year. During the ice show, circus performers in their numbers also skate. The room looks beautiful when acrobats land on the ice on an unstable blade, and not on an even arena. The juggler, who rushes around the circus arena on the ice, amazes with his ability not only to throw objects up, but also to confidently stand on skates. But behind these moments of the circus program - the work and training of circus artists.
And who is a circus trainer and where can you learn this skill? This question arises in children. It turns out that training is the only profession that is not taught in circus schools. This is a talent, the ability not only to love your pets, but also to understand their psyche and habits well.
We can say that courageous people who can do difficult tricks work in the circus by their nature as nomads, since they do not sit still, but travel around the world with their numbers. But the main thing is people who bring joy to the audience. Tickets for performances can always be purchased at the box office or ordered by phone at the Gomel Circus, indicated on its official website.