The sole owner of the “Grock Mask”, the world’s highest clown award in the USSR, died on August 14 at the age of 85. How reported The press service of the Russian State Circus died in the Botkin hospital around midnight.
The cause of death of the artist was not officially disclosed. According to this PureeNikolaev died of peritonitis and gallbladder necrosis.
On August 12, Telegram channels reported that the artist was taken to an emergency hospital in a Moscow clinic. according to information Basis, was admitted to the Mukhin hospital due to liver problems, also revealing the consequences of a coronavirus infection when admitted. Then the channel updated the broadcast, saying that Nikolaev’s chronic illness worsened, but he was discharged from the clinic after feeling better.
Puree He explained that obstructive jaundice is an acute stage that requires surgical intervention. According to the channel, the artist categorically refused the operations.
Nikolaev himself in a comment to the agency TASS He denied reports that he was hospitalized.
“I’m at home. But I can’t talk now,” she said.
On the same day, the Russian State Circus confirmed that the artist was in poor health, adding that he refused to go to the hospital.
The date and place of separation with Nikolaev are currently unknown. as he wrote MSK1 Referring to the press service of the Russian State Circus, the ceremony can take place in the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.
Clown in suit and ballet shoes
Andrei Nikolaev was born on March 27, 1938, graduated from the State School of Circus and Variety Art of MN Rumyantsev (GUCI) and the Russian Institute of Theater Arts (GITIS). He has been on stage since his student years and has worked with clown masters such as Mikhail Rumyantsev, Yuri Nikulin and Emil Kio.
“I had a very good relationship with Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin. Almost every day after the performance, the performance came to my dressing room. <…> and we sat with him and had long conversations literally until late at night. This is one of the most wonderful parts of my life, I will remember it for the rest of my life” said Nikolaev himself.
In the 1960s, Nikolaev came up with his most famous image – Andryusha the clown. Naive and inquisitive, he constantly found himself in non-standard situations, but thanks to his initiative and intelligence, he always found a way out of them. One of Nikolaev’s inventions since 1972 was an evening dress, in which he went on stage and gradually turned into a restless clown during the performance. The artist staged each issue independently.
“I am a student of Kalem (Mikhail Rumyantsev. – approx. socialbites.ca) and Kalem said that every clown should be a child. Accordingly, I found myself a costume. <…> I was such a child. If it’s a man, I’m Andryusha.” announced selection of the artist’s image.
During his work, Nikolaev suffered many injuries: eight concussions, broken and repeated torn ligaments. “And while I was flying, I flew and jumped on a trampoline. A horse crashed and broke his leg. He jumped into the room. [Эдуарда] Bernadsky somersaults in the ring. I jumped for five months in Australia, then the springboard broke, they brought me from Australia in a cast – I broke my spine, ”the statement said.
According to the artist, he was diagnosed with a heart defect in the tenth grade, but gave himself a fictitious certificate to be able to perform circus art.
“The clown Andryusha surprised the audience with his acrobatic tricks and virtuoso balancing act. The lyrical hero was riding a horse, waltzing on ballet shoes, juggling and singing – about the important or the funny, the frivolous or the most important, ”he said. Russian State Circus.
In 1978, the artist created his own team “Comedy Circus” and staged the play “I Work as a Clown”: Nikolaev not only wrote the script for him, but also came up with tricks for all acrobats and tightrope walkers. In the future, he prepared many more eccentric performances, including the performance “Top down” for the Moscow Variety Theater, where he played the main role, as well as the number “Drunken Cowboy” for his son Andrei, who is also a circus performer. and died in 2007 after a serious illness.
Since 1976, Nikolaev taught at the stage directing department at GITIS, among his students was the singer Alla Pugacheva. The result of their joint work can be seen in the film “The Singing Woman”, where Pugacheva juggles balls during the performance of “Songs of Variety”.
“Alla Borisovna amazed me with her efficiency. One day came and said: “Andrei Nikolaevich, I want to learn to juggle. I have a concert tomorrow in Luzhniki and I want to juggle at this concert. <…> I want to throw at least three balls. I say: “Alla, this is impossible to do. Freely throwing three balls – one day is not enough for this. “Not for me,” he said. We closed the hall at six o’clock in the evening. <…> He threw three balls at one o’clock in the morning, ”said Nikolaev.
During his circus career, Nikolaev was repeatedly the laureate of All-Union and international competitions, in 1969 he was awarded the “Grock Mask” award, in 1983 he was nominated for the Belgian “Best Artist of the Year” award, and in 1998 he was awarded the Order of Honor.