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Nikolay ShulginClown
Country:
 Russia |
Content:
A Biography of Nikolay Shulgin
ClownYou can immediately tell that Nikolay Shulgin "works as a clown" from the very first meeting with this person. Shulgin is one of those people who are commonly called jokers; he is cheerful and talkative, and he enjoys entertaining and delighting people, bringing them joy and a good mood. In the circus ring, as in life, he knows how to "stir up" his audience, to make them laugh, and he always has a reserve of funny puns, witty jokes, and humorous anecdotes. Choosing a profession, young Kolya Shulgin did not think about where to work and what to become. Only in the circus and only as a clown! He had just turned fourteen when he came to Moscow to enter circus school. Among all the applicants, he was the youngest and perhaps the least prepared for circus work ("at first, even doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar was difficult," the artist later recalled). Nevertheless, he was accepted. His strong desire to become a clown, his simplicity, and his keen sense of humor won them over. In the spring of 1941, Shulgin graduated from circus school, and his debut at the Moscow arena was scheduled for Sunday, June 22. But his debut never happened: the war began. Without waiting for a draft notice, Shulgin went to the military enlistment office. One school was replaced by another: the circus artist became a cadet at the Zlatoust Infantry Machine Gun School. He received his baptism of fire near Moscow, in defensive battles on the approaches to Rzhev. Wearing his soldier's tunic, Shulgin did not forget his civilian profession. In the harsh front conditions, he did not change his character; he remained the same cheerful joker. During short lulls and breaks between battles, Shulgin would pick up his bayan, organize funny contests and quizzes, and tell humorous stories. The soldiers flocked to him; interacting with him charged them with energy, helping them temporarily forget about the hardships of war. His comrades-in-arms did not forget their "Terkin" even after the war, when the artist returned to his civilian profession and began performing in the circus. Often, during intermissions or after the show, his old acquaintances and friends would come backstage, attracted by the memorable name of Nikolay Shulgin from the front. After the demobilization, front-line soldiers were entitled to leave, but Guard Sergeant Shulgin did not take advantage of it: his desire to return to the arena as soon as possible was too great. He rehearsed from morning until late evening, wanting to make up for the time that the war had taken away from him. Daily performances helped him regain his creative form and remember everything he had learned in school.
Not just a clown
The repertoire did not come together immediately. Shulgin invented his own routines and sketches. As a clown-parodist, he persistently mastered other genres. This allowed him to "invade" the program's acts, comically and wittily parodying the performances of other artists. He jumped off springboards, juggled, and spun on the horizontal bar. He worked on the trapeze (Shulgin, by the way, was one of the few clowns who participated in aerial flights). His signature act was a lively dance that he performed in the guise of a gypsy, complete with makeup and costume. The audience loved the lively, endlessly imaginative clown, and his performances were always successful. In over forty years of work in the circus, Shulgin traveled throughout the country on tour, from Arkhangelsk to Tashkent, from Brest to Vladivostok. The artist was happy, as this was the life he had dreamed of during the long years of the war. It seemed that all obstacles and hardships were left behind, and that there were new touring trips and new meetings with the audience ahead.
A life-changing accident
But they say, "If only we knew where to lay our straw...". Disaster struck unexpectedly, like a snowfall on his head. Life had prepared another severe test for the war veteran, this time in peacetime. It happened during an evening performance at the Kalinin Circus. The program ended with the equestrian acrobatic attraction "Russian Troika". Parodying the acrobats who leaped over the troika from a run, Shulgin ran past the horses and, performing a somersault, entered the arena. This was an easy trick, with no risk involved.
But the unexpected happened. The long toe of his clown shoe got caught on the harness, and the artist fell headfirst onto the arena. He doesn't remember how he made it to the backstage (the curtain separating the arena from the entrance), where the uniformed personnel picked him up. He regained consciousness in a hospital bed. The diagnosis: a severe spinal injury. For some time, just like after being wounded on the front, even the slightest movement, even a breath, caused unbearable pain. The doctors' opinion was categorical: "No more circus; you need to change your profession!". And it was at this point that Shulgin's character fully revealed itself, and his war experience came into play. Clenching his teeth, he endured the excruciating "traction" procedures, learned to walk again by holding onto the walls of the hospital ward, and wore a plaster corset for a long time.
The return to the stage
A soldier remained a soldier: despite all the diagnoses and prohibitions, he returned to the circus, once again taking up his famous "balaloshka" - an amazing instrument, a cross between a balalaika and a large Khokhloma spoon. Although he had to give up aerial flights and jumps, clown Nikolay Shulgin continued to step onto the brightly lit arena.
Original Text: Encyclopedia "Circus World," Volume One "Clowns," p. 427.
